I think most people find quitting hard because there is an absence of doing. Meaning, if there is something in your life that you want to change (like exercise, or clean) you know what to do. You can just do those things. With addiction you have to not do, and I think that makes people uncomfortable. At least, it seems that way to me. :)
Woke up this morning, I was all jazzed up to take the Garmin out for a spin (I haven’t gotten to yet). Since the hamstring was still sore this morning, I decided I would ice it for a while and go for a bike ride to loosen it up.
Took the bike out for a 30 minute ride. That was fun, I had the Garmin on and was checking stats and stuff with it. I wasn’t particularly working out very hard on the bike, I was mostly watching for cars so I didn’t get wiped out. I found that in town here at least, it was difficult to maintain an aerobic heart rate since there is a lot of stopping and starting, uphill, downhill etc. Oh well, it was nice and cool this morning and it felt good to get out and stretch the legs. According to 305 I burned 299 calories just messing around for 30 odd minutes.
When I got back the hamstring was feeling great, so I hopped in the car and headed over to the barracks for a run. I figured I would go at a slow pace, make sure the leg was going to cooperate, and decide on the run what to do about upping the mileage.
The legs felt awesome, not tired, not burning, nothing. It was a nice slow pace, and they must have been awake from the bike ride. So I decided about 1/4 mile in, I was going for 4.
It really wasn’t bad at all, in fact it was one of my better runs. I did 11:49/mi avg pace (which felt easy). Burned 649 calories and maintained an avg heart rate of 154/bpm. The heart rate thing is incredible to me, because I really didn’t feel like I was over-exerting myself at all, if anything I felt like I was running just right.
I need to find a solution to my head sweating. My god that is annoying. I need to carry a small towel or something. I think I may also start running with out my glasses on, taking them off to wipe my face every so often is also annoying.
Anyway, GREAT run today.
My hamstring on my left leg has been sore all day. I am not sure why, but I asked some of the other runners at work if I should be concerned (usually I wouldn’t mention it). Everyone I talked to was telling me that it’s best not to push a hamstring. When I left work I was convinced it would be ok, and that I would run (yes, ignoring their advice).
One thing was sticking in the back of my mind though. What if I pulled it badly and couldn’t run when I stopped smoking. I would still quit for sure, but I am counting on running to keep me motivated when things are rough, and to lose that now would be a big blow to my plan.
And then the sky decided it all for me. It started pouring. Eh, an off day isn’t so bad. I washed the dishes and ran the vacuum. Tomorrow I will run. A light 30 minutes.
Saturday is a big day, I want to do a 4 miler, and I am not missing that mileage bump by being laid up.
I have no idea how I remembered that line. I am not particularly religious, but on the way home from work, I was thinking about *drum roll* smoking. And I was thinking that if I am going to succeed I need to change my attitude, or at least pump it up so that I can meet the cravings and such head on. And out of my mouth I exclaimed GET THEE BEHIND ME SATAN! … Yes and then I laughed like a moron. Just a funny thing to say if you ask me. Especially for a grown man…in a car…by himself.
Other smoking news…By way of maggie’s mind we have this article. The one thing she talks about in there, is something I forgot to put on my list of things I am looking forward to when I quit. Namely…what she calls “smoking runs”. Gah, that is a drag. You get home, get your shoes off, sit down and then you realize “Damn it! I only have X number of smokes left”. You put your shoes back on, and drive (or in my case if it’s still early enough, walk) to the store and buy something expensive that is killing you. Yay junkie!
Not much to say in the smoking realm this afternoon. I am not sure what the deal is, but I was really hungry all day. I am not sure that taking one pill can make you hungry, but whatever…I am blaming the nervous breakdown I had a moment ago on that bag chips on the pills. I had several handfuls. It wasn’t pretty.
I was nervous today about quitting. Now that I had actually started taking the pills and the countdown has begun I am having some anxiety.
I joined an online forum for quitters, and the messages there are pretty helpful. These people are for real. They take quitting very seriously. It’s nice. I haven’t really said anything yet since, well I haven’t actually quit smoking :) If I am having problems though, I plan to use it. It’s cool, I saw it happen a couple times today…if you put ‘Help Help Help’ (or similar) in the subject, people flood into the thread to talk to you and get you through the craving. To me that is awesome. They do ask that you don’t smoke until 3 people have had a chance to respond (usually the amount of time it takes you to get it under control)…seems fair.
The one thing that was a little strange was that there is an awful lot of flirting in the threads. I find that strange. Mostly off color remarks from male users to female users. I dunno, I am not a prude, but that seems in poor taste to me. Like, “hey were all here to get help!”…”Nice ass!” Wtf is that about.
Onward and upward friends. Tomorrow is day two of the pillz. Looking forward to it.
**EDIT: I should say…no one actually said “Nice Ass”, I was being hyperbolic as an example. :) **
Man I am a nerd. I am sitting on my sofa, reading news with my new Garmin 305 (just the HRM strap) on, holding the wrist portion watching my heart rate.
A quick google shows us that a normal resting heart rate for adults is:
children over 10 and adults (including seniors); 60 to 100 beats per minute
Mine is around 78-81 right now if this thing is accurate. At least I am normal at something.
Ok, I allowed myself a manly moment…dry swallowed the first Chantix pill at 6:30 this morning. It’s on.
I ordered it. I am bad. I shouldn’t spend money like that…but man do I want that data.
One of the things I am dreading about quitting smoking is weight gain. The last time I quit for a long period (must be 12 years ago or so now) I gained a LOT of weight. I made a bunch of mistakes and basically replaced cigarettes with food. I also was a senior in college at the time, and was working full time…I didn’t make a lot of time for exercise back then.
I was just going back trough some old posts about smoking and I saw that I mentioned my weight was 219 the last time I was at the doctors…it was 209 today. So since February I have lost an additional 10 lbs.
While at the doctors today, I was reading my chart and noticed 2 other “interesting facts”. Within the last year, I weighed 236, so I am down nearly 30 lbs. Also, my blood pressure which was through the fricken roof is now 134/84. Not great, but within a range that doesn’t require medication…w00t, I have managed to run myself to a BMI of just “overweight” and gotten my blood pressure within acceptable limits.
Man it’s a drag gettin old.
** Edit: Oh yeah, and my resting heart rate is now 64…down from 100 just about 2 months ago **
Ok, so I had my doctors appointment today. Went in talked over my strategy with her and she seemed responsive to what I had to say. Of course I like this doctor a lot, so I wasn’t surprised by her questions or her advice.
She prescribed the Chantix. I took the script over to the pharmacy and had to wait till 5 to go pick them up. The only minor downer was that I can’t start the pills till tomorrow. You are supposed to take day one in the morning. Now I hear you say, well yeah, but I am sure it wouldn’t hurt to just take it at 5. Maybe you are right, but I don’t want to take this lightly.
95 dollars poorer (my health insurance only paid 30 dollars of it…that’s right, it’s 127 dollars…for ONE month…I could be on it for three months…yeah health care reform…who needs it), I jumped in the car and headed home. Went out for a 2 mile run, felt pretty good.
So, tomorrow morning starts day one of the pills. On the 8th day, you are supposed to stop smoking. Now I am not real good with math, but that seems to me to be Tuesday July 3rd :)
The only thing that isn’t to plan is that the office is closed on the 4th…and spending the whole second day, alone, smoke free is a little troubling to me. However, if not then, then when. Meaning, there will never be a perfect time to quit…there is always a reason to have one more. The time is nigh.
Lord help us all.
P.S. oh yeah…I have been and will continue I imagine for sometime to post about my trials and tribulations with quitting…if that isn’t something you want to read about, you may want to let some time pass before checking back here.