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Monday, January 14, 2008
Smoking: A hard habit to break
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I bought my first pair of running shoes in 1979. They were bright blue with yellow trim and cost $35, about a quarter of my weekly salary. I laced them up the minute I got home, did a few warm-up stretches and headed out the door, eager to officially declare myself a “runner.” But halfway around the block, my sprightly jog slowed to a shuffle. I felt as if my lungs were about to collapse. And I knew why.
About five years earlier, I bought my first pack of Virginia Slims. I hadn’t intended to take up smoking, but my college roommate made it look so cool. I admired her ability to blow smoke rings in rapid succession and, late one night in our dorm room, challenged myself to do the same.
So I bummed one off her, inhaled deeply, and immediately fell into a hacking fit. But practice made perfect. Many cartons later, Angie informed me I would have to start buying my own. Before I knew it, a cigarette was the first thing I craved when I rolled out of bed and the last thing I wanted before turning out the lights. Nothing deterred my desire, not even strep throat.
I grew to hate the way they zapped my energy and stunk up my clothes. But not enough to quit — until that lap around the block. I was 23, and felt 83. When I got home, I headed straight for the half-pack of cigarettes on the counter. Into the trash they went.
I ran the next day, and the next, and the next to remind myself how bad smoking made me feel. And then I ran simply because it felt good. That’s how I kicked the habit.
You gave us some great advice on how you quit smoking. This week we included some of those pearls of wisdom in our story on kicking the habit — for good.
For those who have successfully quit, how your life has changed?
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