Forums >General Running>Okay I need Advice...
Hello,
I'm glad to join this forum and I hope I can find help on it.
first off let me tell you a little about myself..
I'm 27 years old, I've been smoking since i was 17...I recently switched to smokeless tobacco ( trying to quit cigarettes, this is my step to quiting not looking for anti-tobacco to bust my balls, its a terrible habit I know...But rather then fill my lungs with smoke ill try this to get off it completely) I'm 5'10 185 pounds...I recently bought a treadmill... what a challenge.. I must say... I know being a smoker makes it 100% harder...currently i walk .225/mile..jog .225/mile..walk fast .225/mile and sprint the last .225 mile.... I'm asking what anyone suggest for the best training on a treadmill is to become a long distance runner...without criticism about my past of smoking... I know its bad and I'm over it... should I sprint more, jog more, etc? thanks
You can see what I did. I started when I was 18, and I quit when I was 27. My log goes back to day one of running.
I had my last cigarette on 5/18/2011. This was also the day of my first run. I quit cold-turkey. I strongly suggest it. I had previously tried to quit by getting nicotine in other ways...which made me fucking want a cigarette even more.
I logged almost everything as a "long run" because I had no idea what I was doing, but in general, I ran as easily as I had to (and walked when I had to--paused the watch and stopped when I had to, etc) to get in at least a couple miles. I would strongly advise against any sprinting right now. That's not doing you any favors.
I wanted to run a marathon. I couldn't keep running if I kept smoking.
My "addictive personality" has since transferred to running, and now I cannot imagine giving up a run for a smoke, even though smokes still sound good at times. I would not want the "out" of a smokeless method.
But, seriously, I've been there not so long ago. If you want to know anything or just commiserate with another ex-smoker, let me know.
"When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem." Emil Zatopek
A Saucy Wench
jog more. most of the time go as slow as you need to to extend your running time. Every once in awhile go fast - maybe once a week or so, but only if you are feeling it. I usually save it for when I am pissed off. Dont worry about what kind or how long or how fast. Just run.
When you've been doing that for 3 months or so then you can start looking for some structure to your training.
and there are lots of ex-smokers here who used running to help beat it. no criticism.
I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7
Prince of Fatness
Make it a habit and be patient. Don't worry about how fast or far you go, just do what your body allows you to do. You are still very young so don't worry about any goals right now. That will come if you stick with it. Trying to do too much too soon may lead to frustration, and back to the smokes.
Good luck.
Not at it at all.
I smoked for 20 years and like you decided to use smokeless tobacco to kick the habit. Big Mistake!
Ended up hooked on smokeless tobacco for the next ten years. To me quitting smokeless tobacco was much harder than anyone of the number of times I quit cigarettes. There are more physical problem when you quit smokeless, for one the smokeless tobacco kills the natural bacteria fighting ability in your month so I ended up with a yeast infection from hell in my month, it took over a month to clear that up. Your lower jaw will hurt almost all the time, my jaw would still get a low throb over a year after I quit, the scar tissue in your lip where the tobacco sat will start to peel and add to your already painful mouth, you won't be able to eat cause you mouth is to sore. This is on top of the withdrawal reaction normally related to nicotine.
Not trying to bust your balls just letting you know what your in for with smokeless tobacco. There is no easy way.
Not dead. Yet.
Chew nicotine gum instead! It helped me quit after 25 years of heavy smoking. I let myself get addicted to it, and then dropped it without too much trouble 6 months later. At least try one piece before you pass judgement. It gives you that little zing you are looking for and was quite enjoyable for me for a while. Physical activity helped too, so it's great that you are picking up the running, but don't get hooked on dip!
How can we know our limits if we don't test them?
I smoked for 20 years and like you decided to use smokeless tobacco to kick the habit. Big Mistake! Ended up hooked on smokeless tobacco for the next ten years. To me quitting smokeless tobacco was much harder than anyone of the number of times I quit cigarettes. There are more physical problem when you quit smokeless, for one the smokeless tobacco kills the natural bacteria fighting ability in your month so I ended up with a yeast infection from hell in my month, it took over a month to clear that up. Your lower jaw will hurt almost all the time, my jaw would still get a low throb over a year after I quit, the scar tissue in your lip where the tobacco sat will start to peel and add to your already painful mouth, you won't be able to eat cause you mouth is to sore. This is on top of the withdrawal reaction normally related to nicotine. Not trying to bust your balls just letting you know what your in for with smokeless tobacco. There is no easy way. Interesting, I chewed for 4 years off and on and chew during hunting season...found it was easier to kick the habit then smoking. but anyways i think ill just try to gum or the patch.
Interesting, I chewed for 4 years off and on and chew during hunting season...found it was easier to kick the habit then smoking. but anyways i think ill just try to gum or the patch.
I started smoking at age 14
I quit at age 31 on 9/20/11
I tried the gums, the patches, the lozenges. Zyban, Chantix. It all failed.
The thing that finally made me quit was reading the book, "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking." By Allen Carr
I never would have thought a book would get me to quit, but after reading the book in one day, (its's only 100 or so pages,) I woke up the next morning had my last cigarette and never smoked again. No need for it. I smoked all the way through reading the book.
The guy that wrote the book was a former 5 pack a day smoker and he really gets it. He talks about "The Fear" and breaking the brainwashing that keeps us smoking. He also talks about why none of the stop smoking aids actually work, and how people that quit with them quit in spite of them not because of them.
I ended up reading the book two more times in the next month and since then have had no desire whatsoever.
It's a beautiful thing.
Other than that run slow and increase mileage slowly.
We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.
Most Important (At least in my opinion): Initially, Consistency is the Key. Making sure that you run/walk/jog consistently, say 3 to 4 days a week (more if you wish and your body can tolerate it without injury) is very important. (You might even want to use th RA log to track how much you are getting done a day / week / month.
-- I think you will find that if you are consistent and you do what you can for about 8-12 weeks, you'll find yourself able to do quite a bit more by the end of that timeframe. And if you stay consistent for another 12 weeks after that, you're just about guaranteed to have even more improvement as your body starts to build itself up for the running you are now doing.
Consistency, very important. And you might find that when you add in running as a part of your lifestyle, the urge to smoke will decrease on its' own! The running is likely to help you stop smoking as you replace old habits with new.
Good Luck!
The Plan '15 → /// "Run Hard, Live Easy." ∞
SheCan
Lots of us are former smokers, and all of us have bad habits, so don't worry about everyone judging you. I'm a former chain smoker myself. I tried running while i was still smoking and had too much trouble, but after I quit, I used my running as a deterrent to not start up again. Once you finally get the nicotine out of your system, and get over the physical addiction, it starts getting easier and easier given time. Some people are able to run while still smoking, (I wasn't, but still some can) just pay attention to your body, your heart and lungs will not be at 100% for quite a while after you quit. If you find your chest or lungs tightening up too much, just slow down or stop for a while. Eventually you'll be able to push harder without such fear. Good luck to you!
Cherie
"We do not become the people who this world needs simply by turning our backs on anyone we don’t like, trust, or deem healthy enough to be in our presence. " ---- Shasta Nelson