The Man in the Box….

 




The Man  in the Box...
03/09/2025

The Man in the Box….

“I’m the man in the box, buried in my shit” Man in the Box - Alice in Chains 

The Box

I can’t help it.  Every time I go to get into my sauna tent, I hear Layne Staley’s chilling words in my head.  I know whatever Alice in Chains meant in their song, has nothing to do with what I am going to do, while in the sauna but there it is.  Every Tuesday and Thursday after I get done throwing around some weight, I finish my chat with Clayton and then I turn to the box and as you can see, it really does look like a box.  Probably why, the song runs through my head.  

On February 18th I took my heat training for Enchanted Circle to the next level and started getting into the sauna tent for 20 minutes.  I was skeptical that the thing would really work.  However, I was super surprised how hot that sauna tent gets.  Thing is amazing.  I am already a heavy sweater and coming off a workout I am usually a little sweaty.  However, in the box, it is like I am in a shower, I come out dripping from head to toe. 

The first trip into the box, Kona, was totally confused.  She couldn’t figure out where Dad had gone.  She was running around the box looking for me.  She finally laid down for a sleep after sniffing everywhere.  I watched her from the windows in the box.  I probably got a glimpse of what she does when I leave her at home to go ride or go to the doctor. 

I was in the box for twenty minutes.  I came out and she went wild.  Her tail started wagging at 100 miles per hour.  She was beating the wall so hard; I thought she would put a hole in it.  It made me so happy, that even though I was right there she still missed me so much.  It is nice to be so loved.  



I don’t know how many times I have been in the box since that first one.  What I do know is that I really love it.  I am working on some mindfulness routines while in the box.  Really trying to focus on my surroundings.  Doing some breath work in there as well.  Mostly, I love sitting there and dripping sweat.  I really do think I might be a masochist.  LOL!  

I am still ridding first 15/20 of each ride inside with the heat blowing on me.  The space heater does its job.  Sometimes I forget to turn it off.  See above masochist.  I think we are going up to 25 minutes this week.  I think I read that correctly.  North Carolina is only a month away.  Crazy!  I am hoping for next Saturday or Sunday to do my first ride of the year outside.  I don’t think I am going back to the cycle club, I might.  However, I think I might be doing things on my own this summer, but we will see.  More to come!

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