Habits

My running mind started thinking the other day about all the habits running has helped me change from bad to good. I was going to blog about all of them but felt that each one probably deserved its own posting. For now, I will start with SMOKING.

Running helped me to quit. In combination with chewing gum and an anxiety med, I was able to giving up the nasty habit.

I began smoking when I was in high school. Like most teenagers, I did it because I thought it was cool. That coolness quickly turned into a terrible addiction that I would battle with for years. At the time, I didn’t care about the health consequences. I smoked Parliament 100s (the super long cigarettes) in my last year of high school and pretty much all through college. At some points, I was smoking a pack a day. I loved to smoke whenever I was drinking. Alcohol and cigarettes just seemed to go hand in hand. I thought smoking was sexy. I remember a guy once telling me that I looked sooo sexy smoking a cigarette after I had taken a drag. HA I must have looked so TRASHY!!!

After college, I smoked less because I was working. I wanted to make a good impression at my first job so I didn’t smoke during work hours. Instead, I would light up a cigarette when I got home or whenever I went out for happy hour. I also became sick more frequently with all kinds of tonsil/throat infections. I knew I had to give up the dirty habit for health reasons but it was very difficult. Sometime in 2004, I began to hit the gym more often. I also began taking an anxiety medication because I was seriously terrified of my boss (God rest her soul because she dropped dead a couple of years later). I also think my anxiety was a result of the drastic changes in my life- going from college straight to the work force, working 9 hours a day/5 days a week, commuting, missing my college roommates, etc. I was overwhelmed and did not know how to handle it. Little did I know at the time that anxiety meds have helped people quit smoking. I only stayed on the meds for about 6 months because of working out and running. Physical exercise helped me to gain control of my life. I also quit smoking heavily, however I still smoked socially (meaning I only had a cigarette if I drank or was with friends which was a couple of times a week). It was tough to give it up fully but at least at this point, I was no longer as addicted.

The last time I had a cigarette was Christmas Day of last year. In about two and a half weeks I will officially have my 1 year anniversary of quitting smoking. I truly believe that I have not smoked a cigarette this entire year because of running. I embarked on my long distance running journey in January of this year. I was focused and determined in racing the half and full marathon. The urge for a cigarette vanished quickly. I wanted to run far and fast so why would I jeopardize all of my running progress by smoking a cigarette? This is why I quit entirely. I traded cigarettes for a pair of Asics. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

There are a million and one reasons to give up smoking. However, it is not easy to quit. I know I smoked because I was bored. Running was my relief from that boredom. Although I was able to run when I did smoke, I did not run as well as I do now. Being a smoke-free runner makes my runs much more enjoyable. I’m no longer gasping for air after running a mile. If you are a smoker and want to quit, try finding something you love to do that will help get rid of your boredom. I know running is not for everyone, but you should give it a try. It worked for me.