The Shiver System

摘要

I'm in the fetal position at the bottom of a swimming pool. Water temperature: 60 degrees Fahrenheit. In my lap there's a 20-pound weight anchoring me in place. All I'm wearing is a Speedo, a nose plug, goggles, and a snorkel resembling an oversize asthma inhaler. The mouthpiece connects to two 4-foot hoses feeding out of the water and into a PC-sized box next to a laptop.After 20 minutes in the water, I'm shivering intensely. But that doesn't bother me so much as the headache. It feels like a set of pliers is clamping the back of my neck while someone pricks my temples with icy-hot needles. My suffering is natural, I tell myself. It could even be good for me.