Training Tip 6: Put your legs in the freezer...

Contrary to the long-held belief that a hot shower is the best treatment after a long run, ice water might actually be what your legs really want.

I have tried it for the last year of intensive running and i am a big believer in this therapy. For me it really does work. My legs feel lighter, I can train more and I have had less problems with muscle aches, shin splints and other runners' ailments. It really helps me to recover. Give it a try!

Here is excerpt of an article on runnersworld.com:

"Cryotherapy ("cold therapy") constricts blood vessels and decreases metabolic activity, which reduces swelling and tissue breakdown. Once the skin is no longer in contact with the cold source, the underlying tissues warm up, causing a return of faster blood flow, which helps return the byproducts of cellular breakdown to the lymph system for efficient recycling by the body. "Ice baths don't only suppress inflammation, but help to flush harmful metabolic debris out of your muscles," says David Terry, M.D., an ultrarunner who has finished both the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run and the Wasatch Front 100-Mile Endurance Run 10 consecutive times."

And the best part, Knut and his friends will also thank you for taking a cold rather than a hot shower.

Jan, put your legs in that cold canadian water after your run... I have been standing in the Davoser See this morning when I decided to write this entry.