Have you ever smoked? If so has running helped you quit/reduce your intake?
Is anyone brave enough to post a thread in the same vein as Steepler re the booze?

Think I have mentioned in another post, that I am an ex smoker.

Smoked for 17 years with a few failed attempts at stopping. I said I would stop when I was 30, which was in 2002, and from then till last year I had an on/off (mostly on) relationship with the evil weed.

I started going to the local gym near the end of 2004 to loose a bit of weight and get fitter and in March '05 I decided to train for the Glasgow half marathon (september that year). If I was going to run it properly I was going to have to stop smoking.

I stopped at the end of March '05, but it was tough. I always had problems when I was out for a drink. Stag weekends were a nightmare. My last lapse was in July this year, so this is the longest I have gone without smoking for 17 years. Since July I have PB'ed at 5K, 10K and half marathon. My 10 mile split times in both the half maras I have done this year were two minutes quicker than my current 10 mile PB.

Running has changed my focus on life I suppose. Before running, I enjoyed a night out, probably too much, I had a pretty unhealthy and lazy lifestyle. I still enjoy a night out, I just don't drink as much, my diet has improved and I no longer smoke. Running, I believe, has saved me from an early grave.

At the risk of repeating myself ,I gave up smoking in March 05 when I was 44 after smoking quite heavily for 27 years.

I was put on a three month course of nicotine patches and I started running at the same time.

After a month I stopped using the patches because I felt that the enjoyment I was getting from the improved running was all the motivation I needed.

Nearly 2 years on the same still stands and I cannot ever imagine being a smoker again.

But I never say never.

i was a 25 a day smoker for 17 years always wanted to give up but just didnt have the willpower then a bloke i was working with told me about alan carrs book easyway ,i read it about 15 months a go and havent smoked sense ,and i feel brilliant the best the book ever i would advise any smoker that cant give up read alan carrs book it will definitely help i will never smoke again thanks to him and i have got a new life i would never have had because of him

I was a definite binge smoker, if I went out for a drink I would tear through them like there was no tomorrow, when I started running it became a battle of wills I wanted to still smoke and run but knew that if I had had a binge on the ciggies I would be easier on my self when I next went for a run, which would inturn annoy me because I knew I would never improve, so finally september last year I stopped and have not looked back... well had a peep maybe but never touched it.

paulryan06, I read Allen Carrs book as well. Great book.

Hey Steve,

I did smoke and yes running has definatly helped......I had always had a healthy lifestyle, ate well kept fit by swimming but still smoked. Anyway even though I had given up for a number of years when I started running I never really lost the cravings and strangly didn't find it had a huge effect on my swimming. Now recently you will know that I have taken up running and the thought of smoking now is just horrid........even when I get moments at work where I would have previously thought all that stood in the way of me telling my boss to stuff it was a fag, I just don't get them any more.

It could just be that I have happened to finally get to that point or it could be the running, personally I think it's the running!

To be honest...my lungs are finding it tough enough!!!

Good to see so many have given up the weed...never smoked myself and now visit pubs rarely because of smoke...roll on 1/7/07 I say!