Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Ok, thought i would throw this out there for public comment.
for me, part of getting back on the bike was to aid in my mission to ditch the smokes.

I've been back on the blke for a couple of months (after 20 years) and to be frank, it's scary.
I have done some trips down to the bay and back, which haven't been too bad, but hills kill me.
I live in kingswood and have a short route from home (harrow tce) down to belair road, up belair, up blythewood next to scotch college, right to george st and up to kays road and turn left to the top.
I'm spent by the time i get there and often need to go back to collect my lungs.

Legs don't get a chance to hurt because lungs can't keep up.

Would love to hear inspiring tales of former smokers and the improvements they have had from ditching this dreadfull habit.
(cough)

CB, I saw the light and stopped smoking aged 20, but when I first started riding some 4 months ago the lungs gave out way before the legs. Each ride got easier, sure you've a bit of catching up to do for all those years of smoking but each ride is a step in the right direction. Just hang in there, every pack of smokes you don't buy is a step towards N+1, even more motivation.

My old man stopped smoking very quickly, it killed him, your way sounds a better option to me.

I smoked for about 17 years. I decided to quit when my heart decided it had had enough of the way I was living!

When I first started riding to work, even if it is only 10ks, the first week my boss and I thought I was going to die. I would get to work, gasping for breath! However, 18 months on, I hardly break a sweat, and I get to work quicker. I even try, when I can, to extend my 10ks home to 60 or 70km.

All I can suggest is to persevere. You don't think that you are getting better but you are. You have already taken the hardest step just to stop.

It will take a while to get the garbage out of your lungs but please, don't be discourages. Just keep it going. It does get better!!!! I promise.

cheers
Glenn

Well done CellBoy, great decision.

I have never smoked, but watched my wife struggle to give up after 10 years of smoking. She gave up 'cold turkey' and found it very hard at first, especially when we went out or had a couple of drinks. However, she got through the first few months, and hasn't looked back since. She really regrets taking up smoking at 16, because at the time, she was a nationally ranked swimmer, but within 12 months, had given up swimming completely.

She has not had a smoke for almost 20 years, but even now, when she has a cup of coffee, she subconciously holds her fingers away from her cup like she's holding a cigarette! Amazing how the habit gets it's hooks into someone!

But, on a positive note, my wife recently ran her first City 2 Surf event at 45, something she says she could never have done as a 25 year old smoker.

I wish you well CellBoy. There'll be some tough times, but keep strong and keep cycling.

Mate, I gave up three years ago after smoking for 14 years.I read the Allen Carr book,Easyway.It may not be everyones way but it worked for me.I even stopped reading the book on the chapter where he tells you to go and have your last cigarette for two months.Then I continued and never looked back.Everyone who still smokes hates reformed smokers,I think it is a jealousy thing as they have not got the strength to do it themselves.As you get further in to your life free of the evil weed you will also realise how much you hate smoking and what you had been doing to your body for so long,for no apparent reason.Smoking is pointless really.Keeping active is a great way to keep yourself away from temptation as well,and as all will agree here bike is such a pleasurable activity to help you stay focused.Your fitness will increase rapidly,lung capacity will improve out of site,and a ride to the beach will become mundane and the hills of adelaide will start calling out to you.I started commuting whilst overseas by bike then bought a roadie back here as a smoker, and my first trip to work near killed me.I dont ride anywhere near as much as I would like,but when I do, a 90km ride through the hills is so enjoyable,such freedom,from all your worries and evil drugs such as nicotine.I come home spent but satisfied and with the knowledge I could not have done this as a smoker.Nor could have I afforded to upgrade my bike to a level which makes it even more pleasurable to ride.Biggest favour you can do is get off the darts and into the hills.All the best
Aaron

I smoked like a chimney from the age of 14 to 26. Went cold turkey.

On my dad's recommendation, I just set goals: 3 hours, 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months, 3 years; and did anything to kick it, if that meant another doughnut instead of a cigarette, so be it. Telling myself that I did not smoke was a help and my generally antagonistic nature almost revelled in telling smokers who offered be a cigarette because it is oh so funny to eff off.

The hard bit was the first 3 days, but it was better than having the flu (as I kept telling myself). After three weeks it was pretty easy no physical addiction stuff. After 3 months I was quite comfortable with not knowing what to do with my hands .

Now my legs give in long before my lungs. I have to HTFU apparently .

Put the money in your piggy bank or something and go on holiday after a few months. I went on a liveaboard dive boat on the GBR for a few days all for "free" - seriously, you then realise how much money you save (and I smoked rollies too)!

simonn wrote:
Now my legs give in long before my lungs. I have to HTFU apparently .

+1.

Smoked for 11 years, tried quitting for 3 or 4 years and did not work. The trick about quitting smoking imo is to just decide when to quit (which is immediately) and just do it. Struggled a bit but My wife struggled a little bit more than I did. Feeling oxygen deprived is quite normal when getting back on track. I was good after about 3 to 5 months and the change there after was more gradual. I was at the doctor last week and he took my pulse and had to do a few re-test because heart was resting on 35bpm. Blood pressure was 90/60. Quit smoking for just over three years. I picked up my fitness pretty quick, but I was very active in competitive sports from age 5 so that might have helped in my fitness recovery.

Thanks for all the replies and encouraging words guys.
Simonn, i like the three by three by three idea, and will certainly give that a go.

Haven't smoked, but know the effects of addiction.

You've all done well.

Cellboy, don't expect too much at the beginning, and stick to flatter rides at the start, and enjoty the rides, even if they are short, and keep up the positive mentatlity and think about the future +ves.

Keep going and see you around sometime.

one word: unreformed

rustychisel wrote:one word: unreformed

because of the littering (generalised) and the smell, and the effect on the health system

or

because you pay a bucketload of extra tax

oh yeah, thanks, another really poor excuse for me.

Looks for "two fingers" emitcon, settles for

I'm doing my bit to stimulate the economy, unlike youse slackers.

actually, I'm just a bit addictive and addicted, which is strange because I'm not drawn to alcohol, anything else, or pokies etc in the least. I also gave up the green stuff 17 years ago, overnight, and without any regrets whatsoever. This s**t is different.

rustychisel wrote:oh yeah, thanks, another really poor excuse for me.

Looks for "two fingers" emitcon, settles for

I'm doing my bit to stimulate the economy, unlike youse slackers.

actually, I'm just a bit addictive and addicted, which is strange because I'm not drawn to alcohol, anything else, or pokies etc in the least. I also gave up the green stuff 17 years ago, overnight, and without any regrets whatsoever. This s**t is different.

+1 to all of the above.

I hate it, hate it, hate it.
But want it, want, want it.

Riding makes it easier to forget about for a while though.

rustychisel wrote: ...
actually, I'm just a bit addictive and addicted, which is strange because I'm not drawn to alcohol, anything else, or pokies etc in the least. I also gave up the green stuff 17 years ago, overnight, and without any regrets whatsoever. This s**t is different.

Just because you are addicted to one thing, doesn't mean anything. It's just what triggered that little bit in the brain at that time.

Doesn't matter WHAT you are 'addicted' to, giving up is just the same - damn hard.

Sounds like im in good company around here, I smoked cigs+ from 15 to 31. Im 33 now and took up bike riding again this time last year.

I just decided one day to do it, found the first 2weeks to be very hard, I never bothered with any pills or patches.

Two things I did that helped were stopped drinking grog, at first it was just going to be for the first few weeks while I was struggling. But I found I never really missed it so ended up giving it up as well. Im not totally on the wagon, Ive had a beer here and there but I can have one or 2 one day and then nothing for a couple of months. I guess it depends how much you smoke when you drink but I used to pretty much chain smoke while drinking, so it helped me quite a bit.

The second thing I did was search for every little bit of dirt/conspiracy on the big tobacco company's. Again that might be a personal thing but I love a good conspiracy so it came easy, basically im a stubborn bastard and once I decided I didnt want to give those pricks anymore of my money, it gave me emotional ammo for the battle

There was a fair gap between giving up smoking and taking up cycling, so my legs were the first thing to go for me. The lungs still suffer a bit now but when I blow up these days its normally fairly even mix of the two.

Good luck with it mate

cheers

for those struggling, go see your GP and try the anti smoking medication, Champix.....
very successful for alot... and u get one course per year subsudised by the governmet....

save the tough guy, cold turkey, anti medication responses tho guys, we have heard them all

well done to the reformers... mucho props to u guys... its a tough gig....

Dr_Mutley wrote: save the tough guy, cold turkey, anti medication responses tho guys, we have heard them all

Well that was uncalled for and offensive. So what if some people give up without medicated help, you say it like the only reason is because of some kind of ego trip?

I think you should do some research into your wonder drug Champix before reccomending it to someone who has not even attempted to give up.

Sure, if you try and fail to quit on your own then by all means get some help. But to not even try first does not make sense.

Yes, a google search on the phrase Champix side effects turns up some interesting reading. There was also soem stuff in the SMH the other day.

Heartbreaking stories here: http://ehealthforum.com/health/champix- ... 39846.html

Apparently the FAA in the US has banned its use by pilots and air traffic controllers due to the psychotic side effects.

anyone googling lung cancer?

Baldy wrote:

Dr_Mutley wrote: save the tough guy, cold turkey, anti medication responses tho guys, we have heard them all

Well that was uncalled for and offensive. So what if some people give up without medicated help, you say it like the only reason is because of some kind of ego trip?

I think you should do some research into your wonder drug Champix before reccomending it to someone who has not even attempted to give up.

Sure, if you try and fail to quit on your own then by all means get some help. But to not even try first does not make sense.

sorry if u found that offensive.... wasnt meant to be... it wasnt directed at u either, and to be honest i hadnt actuslly read your post...

to be frank however, men tend to be quite macho when it comes to accepting help to kick a habit, like nicotine, its as simple an observation as that... I actually made the comment as i could forsee the thread degenerating into a debate on how to give up smoking, which isnt what the OP would have intended... I made the comment to make forum goers aware of somethign like Champix if they are having trouble of kicking the habit, if they werent aware of its existance.... quite agree to leave it as a method to use after several failed attempts of non-medication methods however...

PS: Ive done all the research i need into drugs like champix to make an informed decision b4 i prescribe them... but thanks for the heads up.... if u read my post again u will see that no where did i say to NOT to attempt to give up cold turkey initially... i actualy think its a much better idea to do it drugfree if u can, i just didnt want the antidrug crusaders piping up with their usual responses hijacking the thread....

i again apologise for the apparently provocative post...

/back on topic....

trailgumby wrote:Yes, a google search on the phrase Champix side effects turns up some interesting reading. There was also soem stuff in the SMH the other day.

Heartbreaking stories here: http://ehealthforum.com/health/champix- ... 39846.html

Apparently the FAA in the US has banned its use by pilots and air traffic controllers due to the psychotic side effects.

im not afraid to admit anymore that I suffer from Type 2 Bipolar with Rapid Cycling. That being that where normal bipolar sufferers can experience their manic highs and depressive lows one or twice over a two to six month period, mine can can happen within a week to a fortnight.
I have been on Lithium for around two years, and have been on Champix twice in that time. In the first instance I stopped the course of Champix with almost a month to go because my wife Kat found I was becoming more agressive and sometimes scarily so. I quit smoking for just short of a year. I should point out that we only found out about the adverse effects after doing our own research, when I hrard a Triple J peice on psychotic episodes related to thr use of Champix in those suffering depression etc in the UK and the US
I tried the Champix again recently and found the same thing happened again. Twice I contemplated self harm or the harm of others, and subsequently sropped the course early again. I have since tried weening myself off the Lithium as well (four tablets a day) and have been off them for nearly three weeks. I have promised Kat Ill ster on them again if she noti es any change.
I would not recomend taking Champix if you have any other issues without strict medical asvice

Due to iphones being crap I have to repost...

I sympathise with wou Cellboy. I was away from cycling for 18 years and have now gained 40!kg.
Hopefully I can stay away from the smokes for good this time, and being off tje Lithium - which causes weight gain - I can hit my 85kg mark again next year. Let us know how youre going with it

The Womble wrote:Due to iphones being crap I have to repost...

I sympathise with wou Cellboy. I was away from cycling for 18 years and have now gained 40!kg.
Hopefully I can stay away from the smokes for good this time, and being off tje Lithium - which causes weight gain - I can hit my 85kg mark again next year. Let us know how youre going with it

good luck womble n your quest... very good advice as well, anyone suffering from mental health issues would be well advised to very careful about trying such medication in consultation with their GP/Psychiatrist....

Thanks Dr. But I bare my sould and shut the thread down. FAIL!

Onya Cellboy

I have similar ideas to yourself about quitting.
And a big onya to those above who made it!

Already had two failed attempts.... and I’m daring to fail again.
By no means am I a heavy smoker, but...... I do smoke
Returning to the bike is part of a new strategy to stop altogether.
I’ve set no deadlines.... just going to ease in to it.

I know a lot of people who have quit, a few were heavy smokers that you wouldn’t have given a hope in hell, but, they all had a similar pattern of support with plenty of info & strategies as back up when things get dicey.

When you look at the big picture;
If you smoke a pack a day (say a pack of 25’s)... that’s over 9000 smokes a year.

When I worked out how many I’ve had in just 3 years.... it struck hard.
Continuing smoking from that perspective has given me a lot more incentive to quit.