500 days today!
Today marks the 500th day since I stopped smoking and I couldn't be prouder of myself.
I smoked on / off heavily for 15 years until I made the decision to stop completely. Cold turkey.
Now, after a year and a half, I have completed in a few triathlons including an Ironman only a couple of weeks ago. I'm not sure what is a greater achievement, completing an Ironman or being 500 days cigarette free.
I always kind of remarked that I never regretted all those years smoking - but, these days, I am beginning to regret it. If only I had made a better effort earlier in life to stop, I would be much better off now.
I remove myself from all situation where I might find myself in trouble and just focus on getting out there and enjoying life and the demands that triathlon training brings.
I don't even have time for a cigarette now, let alone, want a cigarette...and that is one of the best feelings ever.
My advice to those is to focus on something worthwhile, knowing if you slip up in the slightest, you will be extremely disappointed in yourself. The fear of disappointing me and my family and the thought of how it could impact my training, keeps me going.
I hope this might be useful to someone, even if one person starts to think about quitting because of what I wrote, then that is a step in the right direction.
I can tell you these stories help me a lot! Congratulations on iron man that is a huge feat and 500 days is just as big if not bigger! I think they go hand in hand though, like each accomplishment gets doubled now because you probably wouldn’t have done iron man if you hadn’t quit! And I would not regret the past. It won’t do you much good, we can’t change it. What we can do, however, is LEARN from our mistakes and move on. Some of us (myself included) just take longer than others 🙂
Off subject here but need this off my chest- I feel like my still smoking friends and family are a little jealous I did it and I’m not curled up in a ball crying about it. Not to say they aren’t proud but they’re envious I guess that I did it and they couldn’t. So needless to say some don’t always go out of their way to not smoke around me. Some, I feel, almost purposely light up near me as a way to say “haha”. They don’t know that in reality, it’s the other way around. I’m standing there thinking “haha” back to them. I win, they lose and they know it. I try not to smile in a snarky way, I honestly feel sorry for them now. But guess what, if they wanted help or support from me when they decide to quit, I’ll be there with an arms open because (quoting Red-67 above) “ SMOKING MAKES YOU STUPID “!
Hats off to you Dutchgold647. That is two almighty achievements! Unfortunately I did leave it far too late to give up smoking and can no longer run at all. My lungs are permanently damaged. The good thing is now I have given up they have not gotten worse and there is a slight improvement. I am happy about that. We tend to be our own worst critics. So when did you start training for triathlons - how long after giving up smoking?
So congrats! I am smoke free already 1,5 years and yes i agree that it is amazing feeling. Used to smoke 15 years and actually my wife told me one day i should stop. Well was laughing first but she had a point. We had 2 small children and it would be nice them not to see me smoking. So first step was to find good ecig what would help me to have still my cigarette. I found one i liked it looked and reminded real one. Nice tobacco flavors and also fruity ones. It took me about 6 months to go down on 0,6% of nicotine and get rid of tobacco flavors. Now i am actually even ecig free, well there is maybe one day in week i just use Vapour2 but just with 0% of nicotine:-) just as a hobby.