Hills and fags (and other blindingly obvious facts)

[2Loose]

Despite being a smoker of over twenty years, I consider myself to be a pretty good climber as I get a lot of practice living at the top of a hill, but there is one local 16% signed hill that I find myself walking up regularly on my road bike, despite managing fine on the mtb due to the much lower gearing. I think I had managed the climb twice out of a good 30 attempts and I have a well used longer but shallower alternative route.

I swapped the fags for niquitin lozenges a few weeks ago and found myself at the top of said hill yesterday afternoon while still on the bike. No dizzyness, no desperate urge to collapse on the kerb, nothing except a smile....so I did a 3 mile loop around and did it again with the same result!

If anything is going to keep my willpower strong, it is that. Just wanted to share

 

[VamP]

Oh well done!

I quit myself a couple of weeks ago, haven't noticed any performance improvements yet though

 

[Leilei]

After a while you will notice the difference and find rides more enjoyable IMO.

 

[HLaB]

Result

 

[numbnuts]

Well done, I packed up smoking 2 weeks before I was diagnosed with emphysema

 

[Pottsy]

Well done 2Loose, that's a good story and will be encouraging to many.

 

[MickL]

I found when I gave up err 8-9 yrs ago my recovery time for getting my breath back improved vastly as well being able to push my self longer at higher intensity so stick it at, it will be worth it in the end !

 

[Jezston]

I was supposed to give up end of last year.

Since then, two relatives have died of cancer, and I'm still smoking, albeit down to about 3-4 a day.

I suck.

 

[PJ79LIZARD]

I was supposed to give up end of last year.

Since then, two relatives have died of cancer, and I'm still smoking, albeit down to about 3-4 a day.

I suck.

Time to knock it on the head, I got down to about that many a day then I stopped. You can do it to If that's what you want.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I was supposed to give up end of last year.

Since then, two relatives have died of cancer, and I'm still smoking, albeit down to about 3-4 a day.

I suck.

You will stop when you really want to, when I stopped 3.5 years ago after 30 years of smoking I had a scare I found a lump but thankfully it was nothing but it did scare the shoot out of me, then a couple of months later my sister got cancer but she recovered thankfully.

There is nothing like the thought of your own death to focus the mind.

Plus I have gone from been able to cycle a few miles and then falling into a sweaty heap on the floor to been able to cycle a couple of thousand miles a year and tackle whatever hills I happen to come across with no problem.

So keep on trying

 

[2Loose]

I was supposed to give up end of last year.

Since then, two relatives have died of cancer, and I'm still smoking, albeit down to about 3-4 a day.

I suck.

It was partly down to you that I have managed to be so good, after all, we were the only two on that ride...
Pills seem to work very well on demand so far, although they don't light very easily

 

[Jezston]

I think as soon as this project that's leaving me pulling in 12-13 hour days and super stressyness is over, I think I might just give up. That gives me 3 weeks to prepare..

 

[WychwoodTrev]

Fantastic. I have been smoke free for 3 weeks now using champix and find hill climbing and recovery a lot better keep up the good work

 

[adds21]

I think as soon as this project that's leaving me pulling in 12-13 hour days and super stressyness is over, I think I might just give up. That gives me 3 weeks to prepare..

Naw, just do it now. I stopped smoking 3 years ago after 25 years of 30 a day. I was always one of those "reliable smokers" who would never stop.

I'd tried a couple of times to stop, but I don't think I ever really wanted to. Then, 3 years ago I "ran out" of fags, and never bought any more. You don't need gum, or patches or any form of NRT necessary, just don't put them in your mouth and light them (that said, if you want to use NRT, that's also fine, but personally I know all it would do would be to remind me I wasn't smoking).

Best thing I ever did. I never think about smoking these days, except occationally when I come across threads like this! .

The things which helped me were all psychological (eg, I'm not "quitting" anything, I'll smoke in half an hour/five minutes if I really need to, etc).

 

[BrumJim]

Great news, and great advert for quitting.