Red Sox pitchers and catchers report to spring training

Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty ImagesI had been thinking of trying a cold plunge even before Maura made it cool. Modern life can feel so damn crushingly monotonous sometimes, prompting us to seek out all kinds of ways to shake things up. And cold plunges, at least, don’t have the negative externalities that many of the other half-baked mid-life crisis solutions seem to come with (plus they reduce inflammation!)

There’s even a pond not far from my house where I’ve seen other people take the plunge. I could be there in three minutes, dunk myself in, and come out with a renewed sense of vigor and a clarity of spirit.

Except that I can’t, because the pond has been completely frozen…