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Page Last Updated: May 7, 2004 5:33 AM

Tuesday, the 5th of March marked my two year anniversary. Every day is a struggle with the want, the need for a cigarette. Some days are better than others.
The Day
I had planned to do another long run to celebrate, much as last year. But that wasn't to be.
On Saturday, I ran 20+ miles in the Spring Thaw run in Pittsburgh. I knew I would have enough time to recover for a long run, so I didn't worry about it. Tuesdays have been speed work with the folks at Pennbriar, so I had 8 miles of work to look forward to, to be followed by 5-8 miles outside for pleasure. I would take half a day of vacation to cover any time I might miss. Nice thinking.
The best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray. What really happened was a little different. I took Sunday off to recover (because 20 miles really is kind of tiring.) Monday, then, would be a 6-miler at an easy pace to get back into the swing of things without too much trouble. Mary Kay, however, told me that they were moving speed work to Wednesday so they could recover from Saturday a little more before beating up. Makes sense. Figures. So I did a short (2+2) run this morning instead. I look forward to group workouts because it's not nearly as boring.
I went to work on time and didn't even think about a smoke. Right. Anyway, I worked this morning and stopped to see my Dad on the way home. He's out of the hospital and recovering nicely. No, not smoking related problems. Just stuff you would expect from a man who worked his butt off for nearly 50 years. I thank God the doctors could help him. We visited for about an hour. Good to see him.
When I got home I turned on the tube, ate some lunch, and took a nap. Didn't even have to worry about cigarette burns on the chair. Since then I've done some cleaning and worked on this and the ERC site. Not terribly productive, but a good day.
Some of the things that quitting has done for me.
  • Repeat: I've taken up running. It doesn't get any better.
  • I'm meeting many new people. Great people. People that would never talk to me if I were still smoking.
  • Hasn't really saved me any money. The money I would spend on smokes I spend on running shoes, shirts, and race apps.
  • I'm only 8 years away from being a non-smoker. (like alcohol, I'm still a smoker, just one who doesn't).
  • I can smell, taste, and see.
If you need help, you know, there is a place to go. I would be glad to offer support if you need it.
No, I'll not help you convince someone else to quit. It's something each person has to decide on his or her own.

Main Friends & Family Interesting
My Links  Quit Smoking
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