An Owl's 2 hoots

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Thermal Punishment

Maybe I was inspired by Raju's post in the opposite way. Maybe I am just plain crazy. I am not even sure if I would be the same tommorrow morning, after what I subjected myself today.

1. The maximum outside temperature today was 8 C (46 F).
2. My body is still acclimatising to this terrain and weather.
3. I had joined a gym a week ago (similar to the one in FL, but had 3 important additions to it - an indoor swimming pool, hot tub and a sauna)
4. Needless to say, I pick today for starting swimming et al.
5. So I reach the gym (all bundled up, while locals were walking in Tees) and proceed for my pre-swimming shower. First mistake. I turned the shower knob the wrong way and got a stinging reply!
6. The swimming pool was at a comfortable temperature: 22 C (72 F). After about 30 minutes, I climbed out, and walked towards the locker room, but if I had done that, that would not make a post now, would it?
7. So, Hot tub next: 30 C (85 F). I was there for around 15 minutes and said to myself that I had enough fun for the day. But, mind is a monkey, you see! How could I possibly not complete the third item?
8. Sauna room - When I entered it, I could not see properly due to the steam in the room. At first it was pretty refreshing. The temperature was a little bit warmer than the hot tub (35 C), and it felt good since my body was in the "cooling down" stage during my walk from the tub to the sauna room!
9. And then comes this guy who must have felt really cold in the swimming pool, and turned the sauna heat to full blast 44 C (110 F) !. I did not realize that he had turned it on, since my eyes were closed (no point in opening them!), but I certainly felt it hit me! It was unbelievable! There was NO way one could take a breath of air in such conditions. It was like sitting in a furnace. This guy cooly stretched and laid down on the platform, and there I was, getting cooked properly.
10. Two thoughts came to my mind - to get the hell out, or to see how long I could take it. No prizes for guessing which one I did. So, I stayed on until the 110 F cycle completed and it came to 100 F.
11. This time, I was really done. I hit the showers (no mistakes this time) and dressed up to leave. But I had forgotten about the outside temperature!
12. One step outside, and the shock came back again - I was seeing my breath in front of me as if I was smoking a gigantic cigar!. I ran to my car, started it and turned the heater on and came back home!

A pretty sinusoidal day came to an end!

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6 Comments:

  • Sure, it takes time to get used to the steam. I could barely be in for a minute the first time I had done it. So nice to see you trying stuff there.

    By Blogger Maverick, at March 19, 2006 4:44 AM  

  • heheh aiyo pavam

    By Blogger Visithra, at March 19, 2006 11:17 PM  

  • So far, I haven't enjoyed the Sauna as others used to.. Sometimes, I hate that much steam.

    But passing thru different tempartues within a span of 2-3 hrs, should have been a ridiculous journey for you.

    Hope you will continue the same, without the third one... :-) :-)

    By Blogger Ram C, at March 20, 2006 1:21 AM  

  • Maverick: But it does feel good though!! ;-)

    --..--..--

    Visithra: enna panradhu... pattu dhaan therinjikanum..

    --..--..--

    Ram: he he.. i am sure i will do it again, but will take care about the after effects!!

    By Blogger tt_giant, at March 20, 2006 9:25 AM  

  • Topsy-turvy ride, huh? Sounds exciting.. I wanted to visit the Spa in a gym that I was using last week but found that some men (all?) take bath nude there.. Odi vandhuttenn..

    By Blogger Raju, at March 20, 2006 9:43 AM  

  • Raju: LOL!!!!. that, i am afraid is a gym etiquette here, and one is free to either follow or leave it. Normally, everyone minds their own business.

    By Blogger tt_giant, at March 20, 2006 3:22 PM  

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