Fit to Receive?

A “proper” ice bath at DEUCE consists of eight buckets of ice, with approximately 2/3 of one of our galvanized steel 103-gallon tubs filled with water. At one point, reserving an extra large chunk of ice to place as a garnish at the end was also required. Hold the Standard (or Holy Control Freak, Kimmy?), amirite?  

Okay, out of context, how would you know what any of that even means? Well, we started down this path so I might as well finish it for you… those eight buckets each include six scoops of ice – and when I say “scoops” I mean full, heaping mounds of ice using our steel ice scooper, not the plastic one that came with the ice machine – the one that’s partially broken but lives on, on standby, in case someone accidentally (or “accidentally”?) leaves the steel scooper in the ice machine… Long story short (or, too late for that?), this ice bucket standard yields approximately 20 pounds of ice per bucket, which generates an ice bath around +/- 40 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the temperature of the water, relative to what time of day/year it is.

Next question, why does any of this matter? It does and it doesn’t. I’ve arbitrarily said it matters after a few years of dialing in what seems to deliver the best, most repeatable and consistent ice experience for anyone that engages with the Breath & Exposure program at DEUCE. In this sense, there’s practical power in the particular.

It also doesn’t matter to the extent that this standard can’t be understood or transferable for others to follow. While yes, we’re all united by a pursuit for greater performance here, remember, just as Logan recently shared on the DEUCE Racing Podcast, “DEUCE is a storefront for strength & conditioning, but it’s a place that’s other bottom line is developing leadership.”

All this, a long-winded way of sharing – to grow the goodness of anything (a program, a product, problem-solving technique, etc.) – it’s not just important, but necessary to invite others in. Much like the skill required to successfully navigate an ice bath is more about letting go than trying harder, consider reflecting on the areas in your life where it might be more difficult to receive help, than to give it.

Much like anything else, the fitness to receive is a fitness that can be developed. It doesn’t replace or diminish the fitness to give, but it certainly balances it. And, I urge you (and me) to lean into it.