Topic I've Avoided

[lph]

I count myself lucky that of my many strong habits, none are harmful, and that by chance I never started smoking as a teenager. My brother did, and most likely it killed him, he had a sudden heart attack and died young.

Just to say that I know very well how hard it can be to kick a habit, even more an addiction, and how much chance can play a role in who starts smoking and who doesn't. I've also seen many people with very good reasons to quit smoking who still haven't managed to do so, while others quit without much trouble, so I'm convinced that some people have much stronger addictions than others. So I certainly won't judge you! But I do wish you the best of luck finally kicking that habit out of your life, at some point.

[skhill]

You're not the only smoker hanging around here (alas).... I'm just 2 weeks from running my first half-marathon, and I'm still smoking a pack a day. Last Sat., the first thing I did after my 13.5 mile run was light up. This morning, I competed in a 3k run (and did pretty damn well) and was wishing I'd brought a cig with me, because it's awfully hard to find someone to bum one from at the finish line of a race...

But this is going to be my last pack. If I quit now, my lungs will have 2 weeks to clear out before the big race. And maybe I'll be able to hit the high notes come Easter a little easier....

Good luck, backinthesaddle! And remember, you're not alone.