I'm training for a mararthon but still smoking

RunningCommentary

I smoked for 25 years before finally stopping, around 14 years ago. It was hard to do, and not really anything to do with willpower, funnily enough.

I read the book HG mentions -- Allan Carr's "Easy Way to Stop Smoking". It worked for me,and has done for many millions. He wouldn't approve of patches.He doesn't even approve of sucking mints when 'trying to stop'. He wouldn't approve of language like "trying to stop". This is defeatist language.

His method is different from anything else I'd tried. He sets out to make you see how ludicrous and paradoxical smoking is. We convince ourselves that smoking gives us something, hence us talking about "giving up" smoking. We think we are sacrificing something. No, we are not. We are gaining something massive. We are liberating ourselves.

I read the book out of interest, without really intending to stop. Halfway through I finally "got it". I stopped smoking there and then, and that was it.

For anyone struggling to stop, you have my sympathy. It's a potent drug. But it is very possible to stop. Many millions of us have done it. It was probably the single best thing I've ever done in my life. Do pick up the Allen Carr book. You have nothing to lose, and an extraordinary prize to gain.

The Hoose-Goer

wot RC says

and here is free ebook of the book

http://www.pdf-search-engine.com/the-easy-way-to-quit-smoking-allen-carr-pdf.html

JWrun

I'll throw something into the mix, started smoking again about 9 mths ago just on a night out, bit pissed blah blah and I am quicker now per mile and overall than i was before I started!!  Howeevr, don't think this has anything to do with the smoking but I had my last one last saturday, woke up full of regret (and a mahoosive hangover) and decided enough is enough, i don't crave them when i'm sober, its just drunken saturday night weakness, so no more for me!! (I hope).  Got Edinburgh in 17 weeks so need to sort it OUT!

Have tried Allan Carr, many yrs ago when i smoked "full time" didn't do it for me but I can see why it works and know a lot of people who it has worked for, I think i think about it too much - too much of a cynic perhaps. Good luck to all who are giving up though.

edited to say *Oh and I train 6 days a week come rain wind snow and sleet morning, noon and night if i have to - I have willpower and dedication - just not in all areas of my life

The Hoose-Goer

Hi folks

as one who has now stopped, a realisation has really deeply got into me, that never occurred as a smoker for many years.  It is this feeling we call "withdrawal". To me it was an edgy feeling that built up and badgered me until I had a fag, then it went away(almost!) for a bit. Then inevitably, I get it again, smoke , get it again.

In my mind smoking got rid of withdrawal. I have, rather oddly thought of the question "does a none smoker get withdrawal by not smoking? -if not why?" Isnt it because smoking actually causes withdrawal?  So in effect, I am trying to relieve withdrawal by doing the same thing that caused it That is f*cking crackers!

So it also makes sense that when I had a fag, it somehow started a process of a slight edgy feeling that built up over time. That can explain how fags cause the withdrawal. If I had another later during the "build up" and it started the same feeling at a lower level, I can be conned sub-consciously into thinking the cig relieved the feeling rather than caused it.

JW -thinking can help but I guess it deopends on what you think. The rubbish i believed as a smoker seems so silly now . Like smoking relieved withdrawal rather than caused it.

thought I would share this so peops can start to see through it all and struggle less when stopping.

The Hoose-Goer

Dustboy wrote (see)

To all the non smokers who say stop, it ain't that simple mate.

Smoking can be very enjoyable, but ultimately it will probably kill you. Like a lot of other drugs.

To all the smokers who still do, find something you want to do more, like get your race times down.  It's a great motivator.

Dustboy -must disagree that smoking is enjoyable. Surely the "enjoyment" is the partial ending of the aggravation that nicotine has caused and the ending of your mind telling you "wrongly" that a fag will end rather than cause the feeling over again. If smoking was enjoyable in itself , every fag you have would be bliss, surely. Do you remember your first fag? How enjoyable was that?