Smoking and Cycling

[DR ◣◢]

Ok so I slipped up in the last few weeks and smoked a bit here and there and everywhere.

 

Started with a few smokes at the Nando's Comedy Festival followed by a few on the way to and from Critical Mass.

 

Next thing I knew I was smoking most nights after work. I thought it would not have affected my riding that badly yet but it did. I totally burned on Saturday 10km into the ride where a month ago I was able to manage 40km without too much effort.

 

My resting HR is also up by 10 to 15bpm and I have a constant sinus headache.

 

I have now effectively thrown away all the hard work from the 25th of June for a few cheap and disgusting thrills.

 

Today is day 1 again and I'm already ready to kill somebody.

 

I really wish I never started

[It's me man]

Man, now I missed another smoking thread!

 

I've quit recently (in an attempt to get my average heart rate down, which didn't work but that's a story for another day...). You need to see things for what they are. 1 – You are addicted to nicotine, and 2 – You are in the habit of smoking. Meaning, if you haven’t smoked for a while you start craving cigarettes, that’s the nicotine addiction, and smoking after dinner or just after you lit up the braai, that’s the habit. I found the habit part being harder to “beat” than the craving. You need to know that the craving will go away eventually and that getting yourself out of the habit is purely based on choice. I had a cigarette with me for the first week or so after quitting giving myself the choice to smoke if I needed to. Every time I wanted a cigarette I had the “choice” to leave my desk, go outside and light up but just decided not to. “I still have the cigarette. I can still smoke later if I need to”. Sounds dumb, I know, but it worked for me... You need to realise that you don’t have to smoke, nothing will happen to you if you don’t.

 

I don’t know why I gave you this “lecture” now, but I took the time to type it so I may as well post it...

 

did that too once, gave up cold turkey, had a pack of smokes with me all the time but felt all powerful knowing i had the choice and power of mind to smoke or not with the smokes close at hand. oh well that lasted a month but i wont quit quitting.!!

[Dirty Sanchez]

Ok so I slipped up in the last few weeks and smoked a bit here and there and everywhere.

 

Started with a few smokes at the Nando's Comedy Festival followed by a few on the way to and from Critical Mass.

 

Next thing I knew I was smoking most nights after work. I thought it would not have affected my riding that badly yet but it did. I totally burned on Saturday 10km into the ride where a month ago I was able to manage 40km without too much effort.

 

My resting HR is also up by 10 to 15bpm and I have a constant sinus headache.

 

I have now effectively thrown away all the hard work from the 25th of June for a few cheap and disgusting thrills.

 

Today is day 1 again and I'm already ready to kill somebody.

 

I really wish I never started

Although I'm not trying to quit yet, I promise I won't give you another smoke again.

 

Hang in there...

[Wyatt Earp]

Ok so I slipped up in the last few weeks and smoked a bit here and there and everywhere.

 

Started with a few smokes at the Nando's Comedy Festival followed by a few on the way to and from Critical Mass.

 

Next thing I knew I was smoking most nights after work. I thought it would not have affected my riding that badly yet but it did. I totally burned on Saturday 10km into the ride where a month ago I was able to manage 40km without too much effort.

 

My resting HR is also up by 10 to 15bpm and I have a constant sinus headache.

 

I have now effectively thrown away all the hard work from the 25th of June for a few cheap and disgusting thrills.

 

Today is day 1 again and I'm already ready to kill somebody.

 

I really wish I never started

 

Come on tjomma, you can do it.

 

http://leadertank.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/waterboy-you-can-do-it.jpg

[DR ◣◢]

Thanks for the support guys. Was my own fault and nobody is to blame. I was a bloody pinhead for doing it and now I need to just push through.

 

**** all I can do about it.

Edited September 10, 2012 by S.I.R Maxxis

[Tubeless]

Strongs.

 

Three weeks for me now on my 3rd giving up in the last year.

 

As said the habit is the tough part.

[jcza]

You should feel like a winner every minute that you don't smoke.

 

All the best guys, smart decision to stop!

[DR ◣◢]

Was just thinking the same. At the moment my sinuses are clear and my HR is at 62bpm at the moment.

 

62 compared to 103 just after smoking a cigarette. SCARY!!!

 

I feel quite freaking good actually.

Edited September 10, 2012 by S.I.R Maxxis

[Escapee..]

Was just thinking the same. At the moment my sinuses are clear and my HR is at 62bpm at the moment.

 

62 compared to 103 just after smoking a cigarette. SCARY!!!

 

I feel quite freaking good actually.

 

Good luck dude..you can do it

 

[LUVBIKE1]

Don't do it. I smoked for 25 years, cycled for 10 of those. I stopped and I feel so much better. Ignore all the bullsh*t about really wanting to stop. Everyone wants to stop, but it's like flipping heroin, it just keeps coming back at you. I stopped and started 4 times, and have been smoker free for 12 months. I will never smoke again, and I will never put myself though the withdrawal symptoms again. On my last success I use Champix & Nicorette combo, and lots of hard cycling. Today I feel awesome, and riding a bike is so much easier !!! JUST ****** DO IT !!!

[Guest]

SIR, if I could do it, so can you. I'm the worst when it comes to self control.

[Mojoman]

Ok so I slipped up in the last few weeks and smoked a bit here and there and everywhere.

 

Started with a few smokes at the Nando's Comedy Festival followed by a few on the way to and from Critical Mass.

 

Next thing I knew I was smoking most nights after work. I thought it would not have affected my riding that badly yet but it did. I totally burned on Saturday 10km into the ride where a month ago I was able to manage 40km without too much effort.

 

My resting HR is also up by 10 to 15bpm and I have a constant sinus headache.

 

I have now effectively thrown away all the hard work from the 25th of June for a few cheap and disgusting thrills.

 

Today is day 1 again and I'm already ready to kill somebody.

 

I really wish I never started

Just try again, I cant remember how many times I tried to stop and failed. BUT the biggest mistake you can ever make is by having a drag on that smoke. Just one pull puts all that crap back in your system again. Avoid mates who smoke and places that make you want to smoke (bars etc) for a few weeks to make it easier. And its not all in vain, everyday yo udid not smoke saved some strain on your lungs (and your bank account at R30 a pkt!).

[fabes]

Today a year Ago I stopped smoking a year later instead of waking up to smoke I woke up to an awesome cycle

 

Life is good

[fabes]

Thanks for the support guys. Was my own fault and nobody is to blame. I was a bloody pinhead for doing it and now I need to just push through.

 

**** all I can do about it.

As Dangle says...you can do it!!!

 

Good luck and start looking forward to the benefits of stopping smoking ( you know what they are)

[W1Z@RD]

Last day today and excited about stopping - need to follow through this time though and stay off this crap!

[Scott2luvit]

stopped about 2 - 3 weeks ago again, can confirm the HR is def down, thought it was to close before the K2C and that I will still be in "recovery" but in hindsight it was the best thing I could have done