Today is Thanksgiving, and also, 75 days since I quit.
I would like to thank all of you for your support since I started. It was invaluable to get me through those first several weeks. I should come back here more frequenly, not only to stay strong with you all, but I feel also I should give something back.
I haven't been here much because to be honest, I have stopped counting the days and weeks since I quit. I really don't think about it much at all anymore. Instead of counting how long since I've quit, I've been counting miles that I bike, walk and run, and am completely addicted to this new way of life. I'm trying to get my minutes per mile down to under 8 minutes per mile, or even 7. I still have a long haul, but that's my goal now. I don't think I'll ever be running 5k's in under 18 minutes like I did 30 years ago in high school, but I can at least try. I'm alive. First shoot for a 5k again by spring, then who knows? 10K, half-marathon, or even a full marathon in a couple of years. The possibilities are vast now that I have turned my back on the one thing that has done nothing but held me back for 30 years. Baby steps.
"One of the greatest moments in life is realizing that two weeks ago your body couldn't do what it just did"
I'll try to come back here more frequenly to "give back" and stay strong, but for now, a couple of things I've either observed or thought about, and would like to pass on:
1) I hear quite frequently from quitters "I feel like I'm giving up a friend." That's crap. What did cigarettes ever give to you, besides bad health and a shortened life? Friendship is reciprocol. Instead, I thought of it as leaving an abusive relationship. Sure, it might be hard to leave, if the sex is still good, but that alone doesn't make for a healthy relationship. You are not giving up a friend.
2) Do something that will make you NOT want to smoke. I started to ride bike again, and soon began running again, because it was something I wanted to do anyway, but also quickly realized that it was the best detterent to my addiction. I'm focused on riding farther, running farther, and faster. Why on earth would I want to screw that up by putting that crap in my lungs? Trust me on this. One of the problems with quitting is that people struggle with the concpet of the "goal". How do you set a goal for quitting, when the objective is "NEVER"? How do you measure that, other than day-by-day? Give yourself another goal. Start off small, and work up. Like Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, left for dead, she lies in the hospital bed and tells herself, "Wiggle your big toe."
You're still alive. Wiggle your big toe.
Even if you can't go out and do physical activity right away at a level you would like, do something that will deter any desire to smoke. When I walk back into the house after a 30 minute run or 40 mile bike ride, I'm immediately thinking of the next time I can run or bike again, not a cigarrete.
Disclaimer: depending on your age and/or health, you might want to get a physical from your doctor first to see what he/she says is acceptable to start out with before you go out and start running. I probably should have first. I'm 45, have smoked for 27 or 28 years (who's counting?), and am a (just a tad) over weight, and have moderately high blood pressure. So far, I haven't keeled over, but I probably should talked to my doc first.
So, happy Thanksgiving everyone, stay strong, and make some forward progress. I'll try to stay in touch.
