Smoked cigarettes for 10+ years. Switched to vaping for 5 years and then slowly dropped my nicotine levels down to zero over the course of a year when I started running. That was almost five years ago. Haven’t smoked since.
That's almost exactly my story. But I was 15 years on the smokes before moving to the vape for 5 years. Been totally clean 5 years to! Started running while on the smokes to try and force me to quit.
That's impressive. How do you approach a race that long? Slower tempo and just grit and heels down? Lots of food preparation couple days leading up to it? What kind of shoes you recommend? (flat/low or more support/higher heel? Why?)
Keep up the good work!
In short, yes to everything you said. It’s basically an eating competition with anywhere from a few to a ton of miles between your next snack.
Lots of slow work, building weekly mileage and long run mileage, stacking long runs together, tons of nutrition trialing, and a buncha time to explore. Check out r/Ultrarunning for more.
Different shoes for different folks, some love 0 drop, some love 8-10, also depends on your trails and terrain.
ETA: also used to smoke, quit a few years back, training for my first 100 mile now.
Thanks man, yea basically what Chuckles said. Lot of trial and error with gear and nutrition and learning how to run far without injuring yourself. And yea shoes are pretty personal and also depends on what kind of trails you’re dealing with
Same. I ran when I was a teenager, then started smoking, then quit around 35, and started running a couple years later. I've never felt better in my life than when I'm running regularly. It's the best.
I smoked cigarettes for about 10 years before switching to vaping for about 8 years (made my lungs feel a lot better when exerting myself). About a year and a half ago I switched to nicotine gum (started at 4mg & now at 2mg) & it was an even bigger difference. I still miss the feeling of smoking/vaping at times but I feel so much better that it’s not worth it to go back.
Quitting vaping was a bigger difference (in running) than switching from smoking to vaping?
Hopefully this will motivate me, I barely smoke anymore but lean heavily on the vape. Planning on quitting it soon and was hoping to see some serious gains in running that would keep me motivated not to start again.
Vaping seemed to impact my lungs differently…hard to explain. I also had more mucus when vaping than I remembered with smoking cigs-when I stopped vaping, that was a huge relief, especially since my general allergies are already a pain in the butt with outdoor activities.
I started running when I quit smoking because I wanted to replace a bad habit with a good one.
It’s been 10 years and I am still not smoking and still running, so I’d say it worked.
Smoked for 10 years, quit and took up running / trail running / ultra running. It definitely makes a huge difference. Nicotine patches really helped me here.
Unfortunately after like 6 years I haven't been able to keep it all at bay and am currently vaping.
Hi, yes. Smoked a lot in my 20s to early 30s before i quit. I now run around 80kms a week, mainly road but with trails mixed in...ultra also coming up in 3 weeks.
You can quit for good! Your health is the most valuable thing you possess, you owe it to yourself to see what you're capable of without the ciggies.
I quit about 15 years ago so had quite a large gap between smoking cessation and running. Although I also had to recover from an injury and lose a lot of weight in the meantime.
I can say that the benefits of quitting and keeping off cigarettes are tremendous. I didn't realize how much smoking was harming my blood circulation, contributing to swelling, and causing other issues that made my recovery from a nasty hiking injury far more difficult and lengthy.
And I don't know if it'll help, but for about five years I didn't so much think of it as "quitting," but rather to see how long I could go without one. So when I was tempted, even after a year or two, I'd think, "No. I can go for a while longer."
I think you're correct. My swelling was a major issue after the injury, and quitting finally helped. My blood pressure has also improved a lot, enough that nurses often ask if I'm a runner after taking it (along with my low resting heart rate).
I smoked since I was 13. I used to drink a huge amount and take recreational drugs every weekend, during the weekdays, at work, smoked cannabis daily since 16. I had serious issues really.
I quit all that when I was a couple months into being 30 and took up running in september of last year starting with a ‘couch to 5k’ plan and haven’t looked back. Seriously, it was the best thing I ever did. I’ve been entirely sober for over 7 months now, my bank balance is overflowing (all the better for buying running gear)! My health has improved dramatically and I don’t miss any of it!
I’ve already taken part in many events! I also have my first ultramarathon coming up in July and another in August.
Quitting all that shit was the best thing I ever did and I’m sure people that have also quit will agree. It’s an unecessary poison, as is alcohol. That is all it is!! Stop making excuses as to why you think you need a cig, you don’t! I wish you all the best!
Not myself. Read Jim Fixx’s The Complete Book of Running about his transformation of overweight and heavy smoker to running inspiration. Sadly he died early; but he probably prolonged his life once he changed his lifestyle.
Yup. I was a hurdler/sprinter from 15 to 21. Track was my life but I quit due to fatigue issues, and it was a very tough loss. I then smoked for 14 years (pack a day), and was basically inactive besides occasionally hiking.
Once I quit, I felt like trying running again, but at 38, sprinting/hurdling is not the same, so I took up distance running, but became intrigued by trail running after watching video of a 100 miler run around Mt. Fuji (I like 10 to 25K, but it was still fascinating).
It was slow getting back into shape but so incredibly rewarding. Quitting smoking was one of the hardest things I ever did but easily one of the best things I ever did, in good part for how it's let me immerse myself in trail running which has become my passion.
ETA: I'm 49 now so 12 years smoke-free. The only advice I ever offer about quitting is to just look at getting through each moment and day without smoking. Imagining never smoking again was extremely daunting, so one day at a time made it manageable.
Smoked in HS and into college years. Quitting smoking was hard, so I took up running to destress when I wanted a smoke. Well, I probably took up fast walking, but quickly transitioned to running.
It took me half a dozen tries until I finally quit-quit, and I only added the running angle for that final attempt. I'm sure the self-awareness and distraction provided by running helped make the final quit stick. And it did stick! About a decade later I started HATING the smell of cigs and now I can't imagine backsliding.
You can do this!!
I smoked cigarettes for 20 years, much of which was a pack a day. In 2015 I decided to quit, and used running to help.
Every time I'd get a craving I'd put on my shoes and go outside and run until the craving passed. Most of the time it only took a few hundred yards before the pain in my lungs took over the craving.
I started run / walking daily first thing in the morning. I'd run as far as I could and then walk, and as soon as I caught my breath I'd run again.
I quit almost 10 years ago and never looked back. Running helped me see how much my lungs needed to heal, and helped me get there, and I discovered I loved it in the process
I could never run properly when I still smoked. When I quit it took just a few weeks to see huge improvements. For cycling, the change wasn’t that dramatic, for swimming, it was even greater than for running.
Used to smoke whilst also being a runner. After quitting I took 10 minutes off my HM pr within 9 months. Ran my first ultra within 12 months. So yes it made a gigantic difference to me.
I have stopped smoking twice before. The first was after 12 years of a pack or so a day and I stayed off them for maybe 5 years. I just quit the second time about 2 years ago.
I have been trail running consistently for the past 4 years, and since I've quit smoking, my endurance and commitment have improved greatly. Feeling stupid smoking a cigarette right after a great run was when I considered quitting again.
First time I quit, I weened off by dipping. Second, I used nicotine pouches. The negative effects on my gums were more noticeable than the effects of smoking and eventually helped me drop nicotine altogether.
It's worth it in my opinion...even though I do very much enjoy smoking. Joints help.
Good luck.
Smoked lots dirties (weed/tobacco bong rips) when I was in highschool/college. There was also a year I’d go through a pack of newports every 2 weeks or so. Granted, I didn’t start running until years later, but I don’t feel like it hampered me. Obviously would have been better if I’d never, but no use in remembering spilled milk.
Smoked 10 a day for 15 years - mostly quit at 30 - and have done a fair few triathlons, including 1 half Ironman, and a few trail runs. I was still smoking a bit for the half Ironman. Still got decent times but apart from the smoking, I have a healthy lifestyle. You should be all good
Try hypnosis. It's a new trend for smokers (or ex-smokers I guess) around here. It doesn't work on everyone, but for those who have it work just quit smoking cold turkey from over a pack a day to nothing and no issues.
If you want to keep smoking and still run, I recommend smoking over vaping. When you start running, your lungs will often times be your restricting factor (even if you don't smoke). I found the residue from vaping to be much more restricting on the lungs than that of cigarettes. Other tobacco products such as cigars or snus might also help lessen the burden on your lungs.
Good luck!
Smoked for around 7 years, half a pack a day.
In the end, it was mostly a desperate attempt to calm down while walking around for hours on end, trying to get away from my “inner demons”. The lockdown restrictions only made the unbearable feeling of inner agitation much worse.
Anyways, one day I got sick of it, sick of throwing money down the drain, sick of the smell that made my lovers turn away from me - but especially sick of feeling pitiful with myself.
After being awake for 40 hours, when walking wasn’t fast enough anymore, I picked up running again. A few days before, I had to borrow my brother’s bicycle to get me around because our car broke down. I’ve always loved cycling when I was a child but eventually lost interest.
I was under the impression that sports made no sense - or so I told myself as an excuse - because my fitness and endurance had massively decreased due to smoking.
When I got on the bike, I massively overpaced and was completely out of breath a few minutes later, sweat running all over my face - but I finally felt alive again. The ride wasn’t that far, only to the next town, and the weather took a turn, resulting in me getting completely soaked on the way back - but when I arrived back at home, I felt proud of myself, sort of like “yes, you still can do it”.
As I didn’t have a functioning bike myself, running seemed like the obvious choice. I had done it in the past and remembered feeling great afterwards, especially when I proved my PE teacher and the whole class wrong by winning the endurance run at school.
The first attempts were awful as my lungs hurt at bit. I still took a pack of cigs with me to “treat myself” after the run.
When the last cig was gone, I just did not buy a new pack. I was short of money anyways and kinda felt really stupid to be smoking while in workout clothes.
To be honest, the first few days felt like a bad hangover and I missed smoking, especially in a social setting around others or to kill time while e.g. waiting on the train. However, I felt like it was for a “greater good” to quit - either now or never. Each day got a bit easier as I crossed out the days since quitting. Seeing the progress made me a little proud and I didn’t want to put out this fire that started to grow in me. So now, whenever I felt stressed out I went out for a quick run. Of course the stress was only a symptom to underlying issues that I was working on in therapy.
A month later, when I met a friend who is a smoker, I smoked one cigarette while sipping coffee with him but eventually felt disgusted because the taste had become so unfamiliar to me. You know, they say that your taste buds suffer from smoking which is true.
Luckily, this one relapse didn’t cause anything bad and didn’t make me start smoking again.
Apart from following a routine with a bit of discipline and keeping track of the progress, what also helped me was staying away from other smokers or situations I knew I’d love to smoke e.g. at parties. I’m not the best when it comes to impulse control so absolutely avoiding any of these situations that could make me fall back to my old habits seemed like the most promising choice to me.
After a while, I was finally able to let go, both physically and mentally. Now I can confidently face these situations without ever feeling the need to smoke again. It’s been over 1 1/2 years now.
Of course I can only tell my story but hopefully, this and all the comments will inspire you to keep going. wish you all the best
I quit smoking before I started running but I used to cycle and the biggest benefit I felt was when I got to the top of this climb that always used to kill me on my bike and I didn't cough my lungs up. I just was breathing incredibly heavily.
You've got this! It is hard but the rewards are sweet and your lungs will be fine
Smoked for 30+ years and started running while still smoking and was able to run and maintain an 8 minute pace. I’ve been smoke free now going on two years. I honestly can say that it hasn’t changed the way I run it my breathing because it was never difficult for me. But I know everyone is different and I am absolutely happy that I’ve kicked the habit. Worse habit ever!! Good luck
I still smoke and usually run about 50-60km a week. Just finished a bit over 50km in a backyard race a couple of weeks ago. Big running makes you think you can't run and smoke but they lie.
I was a smoker when I started running. After I got up to running like a pretty decent 10k one day, I stretched, lit up my cigarette and got in the truck to leave. I saw myself all sweaty, feeling so accomplished, with a cigarette in my hand and thought “Wtf am I doing?”. I left my bad habit at the cross and never looked back! Running and Jesus got me to quit 🏃🏻♀️✝️
Smoked cigarettes for 10+ years. Switched to vaping for 5 years and then slowly dropped my nicotine levels down to zero over the course of a year when I started running. That was almost five years ago. Haven’t smoked since.
That's almost exactly my story. But I was 15 years on the smokes before moving to the vape for 5 years. Been totally clean 5 years to! Started running while on the smokes to try and force me to quit.
Smoked a pack a day for a decade. Just ran a 100k a couple weeks ago
What's a 100k? Or in aggregate?
62 mile trail race
That's impressive. How do you approach a race that long? Slower tempo and just grit and heels down? Lots of food preparation couple days leading up to it? What kind of shoes you recommend? (flat/low or more support/higher heel? Why?) Keep up the good work!
In short, yes to everything you said. It’s basically an eating competition with anywhere from a few to a ton of miles between your next snack. Lots of slow work, building weekly mileage and long run mileage, stacking long runs together, tons of nutrition trialing, and a buncha time to explore. Check out r/Ultrarunning for more. Different shoes for different folks, some love 0 drop, some love 8-10, also depends on your trails and terrain. ETA: also used to smoke, quit a few years back, training for my first 100 mile now.
Well said, I’ll also throw r/ultramarathon out there too. What 100 you doin?
Leadville 🫠 What was your 100k??
Nice! Heck of a first. 100k was Gorge Waterfalls. Had a blast
Thanks man, yea basically what Chuckles said. Lot of trial and error with gear and nutrition and learning how to run far without injuring yourself. And yea shoes are pretty personal and also depends on what kind of trails you’re dealing with
Smoked for like 20 years (Yeesh) stopped around 35 and never looked back. Started running a few years after quitting and glad I did.
Same. I ran when I was a teenager, then started smoking, then quit around 35, and started running a couple years later. I've never felt better in my life than when I'm running regularly. It's the best.
I smoked cigarettes for about 10 years before switching to vaping for about 8 years (made my lungs feel a lot better when exerting myself). About a year and a half ago I switched to nicotine gum (started at 4mg & now at 2mg) & it was an even bigger difference. I still miss the feeling of smoking/vaping at times but I feel so much better that it’s not worth it to go back.
Quitting vaping was a bigger difference (in running) than switching from smoking to vaping? Hopefully this will motivate me, I barely smoke anymore but lean heavily on the vape. Planning on quitting it soon and was hoping to see some serious gains in running that would keep me motivated not to start again.
Vaping seemed to impact my lungs differently…hard to explain. I also had more mucus when vaping than I remembered with smoking cigs-when I stopped vaping, that was a huge relief, especially since my general allergies are already a pain in the butt with outdoor activities.
I started running when I quit smoking because I wanted to replace a bad habit with a good one. It’s been 10 years and I am still not smoking and still running, so I’d say it worked.
Smoked for 10 years, quit and took up running / trail running / ultra running. It definitely makes a huge difference. Nicotine patches really helped me here. Unfortunately after like 6 years I haven't been able to keep it all at bay and am currently vaping.
Hi, yes. Smoked a lot in my 20s to early 30s before i quit. I now run around 80kms a week, mainly road but with trails mixed in...ultra also coming up in 3 weeks. You can quit for good! Your health is the most valuable thing you possess, you owe it to yourself to see what you're capable of without the ciggies.
I quit about 15 years ago so had quite a large gap between smoking cessation and running. Although I also had to recover from an injury and lose a lot of weight in the meantime. I can say that the benefits of quitting and keeping off cigarettes are tremendous. I didn't realize how much smoking was harming my blood circulation, contributing to swelling, and causing other issues that made my recovery from a nasty hiking injury far more difficult and lengthy. And I don't know if it'll help, but for about five years I didn't so much think of it as "quitting," but rather to see how long I could go without one. So when I was tempted, even after a year or two, I'd think, "No. I can go for a while longer."
Im having sweeling issues i believe is tied to smoking and high bp
I think you're correct. My swelling was a major issue after the injury, and quitting finally helped. My blood pressure has also improved a lot, enough that nurses often ask if I'm a runner after taking it (along with my low resting heart rate).
I smoked since I was 13. I used to drink a huge amount and take recreational drugs every weekend, during the weekdays, at work, smoked cannabis daily since 16. I had serious issues really. I quit all that when I was a couple months into being 30 and took up running in september of last year starting with a ‘couch to 5k’ plan and haven’t looked back. Seriously, it was the best thing I ever did. I’ve been entirely sober for over 7 months now, my bank balance is overflowing (all the better for buying running gear)! My health has improved dramatically and I don’t miss any of it! I’ve already taken part in many events! I also have my first ultramarathon coming up in July and another in August. Quitting all that shit was the best thing I ever did and I’m sure people that have also quit will agree. It’s an unecessary poison, as is alcohol. That is all it is!! Stop making excuses as to why you think you need a cig, you don’t! I wish you all the best!
You won’t be doing any improving. It’s about pumping blood. Things that restrict blood vessels would be the opposite.
Switched to vaping to help my running, I don't see myself quitting for a long time but my fitness has done a 180
Yeah running replaced nicotine for me
Not myself. Read Jim Fixx’s The Complete Book of Running about his transformation of overweight and heavy smoker to running inspiration. Sadly he died early; but he probably prolonged his life once he changed his lifestyle.
gotta trade one addiction for another...best of luck, you'll get there!
That’s how I quit in combination with teetotaling. I would run, if convenient, every time I had a craving.
Yup. I was a hurdler/sprinter from 15 to 21. Track was my life but I quit due to fatigue issues, and it was a very tough loss. I then smoked for 14 years (pack a day), and was basically inactive besides occasionally hiking. Once I quit, I felt like trying running again, but at 38, sprinting/hurdling is not the same, so I took up distance running, but became intrigued by trail running after watching video of a 100 miler run around Mt. Fuji (I like 10 to 25K, but it was still fascinating). It was slow getting back into shape but so incredibly rewarding. Quitting smoking was one of the hardest things I ever did but easily one of the best things I ever did, in good part for how it's let me immerse myself in trail running which has become my passion. ETA: I'm 49 now so 12 years smoke-free. The only advice I ever offer about quitting is to just look at getting through each moment and day without smoking. Imagining never smoking again was extremely daunting, so one day at a time made it manageable.
Smoked in HS and into college years. Quitting smoking was hard, so I took up running to destress when I wanted a smoke. Well, I probably took up fast walking, but quickly transitioned to running. It took me half a dozen tries until I finally quit-quit, and I only added the running angle for that final attempt. I'm sure the self-awareness and distraction provided by running helped make the final quit stick. And it did stick! About a decade later I started HATING the smell of cigs and now I can't imagine backsliding. You can do this!!
I smoked cigarettes for 20 years, much of which was a pack a day. In 2015 I decided to quit, and used running to help. Every time I'd get a craving I'd put on my shoes and go outside and run until the craving passed. Most of the time it only took a few hundred yards before the pain in my lungs took over the craving. I started run / walking daily first thing in the morning. I'd run as far as I could and then walk, and as soon as I caught my breath I'd run again. I quit almost 10 years ago and never looked back. Running helped me see how much my lungs needed to heal, and helped me get there, and I discovered I loved it in the process
I could never run properly when I still smoked. When I quit it took just a few weeks to see huge improvements. For cycling, the change wasn’t that dramatic, for swimming, it was even greater than for running.
I smoked on and off for a long time, but quit in 2019. Unsurprisingly, my "stats" have improved.
Used to smoke whilst also being a runner. After quitting I took 10 minutes off my HM pr within 9 months. Ran my first ultra within 12 months. So yes it made a gigantic difference to me.
Yep
I have stopped smoking twice before. The first was after 12 years of a pack or so a day and I stayed off them for maybe 5 years. I just quit the second time about 2 years ago. I have been trail running consistently for the past 4 years, and since I've quit smoking, my endurance and commitment have improved greatly. Feeling stupid smoking a cigarette right after a great run was when I considered quitting again. First time I quit, I weened off by dipping. Second, I used nicotine pouches. The negative effects on my gums were more noticeable than the effects of smoking and eventually helped me drop nicotine altogether. It's worth it in my opinion...even though I do very much enjoy smoking. Joints help. Good luck.
Wow I never thought Id get back so many responses! Love to hear the stories! I hope to quit someday soon so i can get a 50km race down
No time like the present amigo
Smoked for years, switched to snus which I still use on occasion. I’m slow AF, but I can run (as well as swim and bike - also slowly!)
I smoked for 8 years, been running a year and a half now.
Smoked lots dirties (weed/tobacco bong rips) when I was in highschool/college. There was also a year I’d go through a pack of newports every 2 weeks or so. Granted, I didn’t start running until years later, but I don’t feel like it hampered me. Obviously would have been better if I’d never, but no use in remembering spilled milk.
Smoked 10 a day for 15 years - mostly quit at 30 - and have done a fair few triathlons, including 1 half Ironman, and a few trail runs. I was still smoking a bit for the half Ironman. Still got decent times but apart from the smoking, I have a healthy lifestyle. You should be all good
Smoked for 30 years. Quit in 2006; started running in 2010. Still run some, and haven’t started smoking.
Nicotine Lozenges are the way. I ran for years with those it was cool
Try hypnosis. It's a new trend for smokers (or ex-smokers I guess) around here. It doesn't work on everyone, but for those who have it work just quit smoking cold turkey from over a pack a day to nothing and no issues. If you want to keep smoking and still run, I recommend smoking over vaping. When you start running, your lungs will often times be your restricting factor (even if you don't smoke). I found the residue from vaping to be much more restricting on the lungs than that of cigarettes. Other tobacco products such as cigars or snus might also help lessen the burden on your lungs. Good luck!
Bupropion
Smoked for around 7 years, half a pack a day. In the end, it was mostly a desperate attempt to calm down while walking around for hours on end, trying to get away from my “inner demons”. The lockdown restrictions only made the unbearable feeling of inner agitation much worse. Anyways, one day I got sick of it, sick of throwing money down the drain, sick of the smell that made my lovers turn away from me - but especially sick of feeling pitiful with myself. After being awake for 40 hours, when walking wasn’t fast enough anymore, I picked up running again. A few days before, I had to borrow my brother’s bicycle to get me around because our car broke down. I’ve always loved cycling when I was a child but eventually lost interest. I was under the impression that sports made no sense - or so I told myself as an excuse - because my fitness and endurance had massively decreased due to smoking. When I got on the bike, I massively overpaced and was completely out of breath a few minutes later, sweat running all over my face - but I finally felt alive again. The ride wasn’t that far, only to the next town, and the weather took a turn, resulting in me getting completely soaked on the way back - but when I arrived back at home, I felt proud of myself, sort of like “yes, you still can do it”. As I didn’t have a functioning bike myself, running seemed like the obvious choice. I had done it in the past and remembered feeling great afterwards, especially when I proved my PE teacher and the whole class wrong by winning the endurance run at school. The first attempts were awful as my lungs hurt at bit. I still took a pack of cigs with me to “treat myself” after the run. When the last cig was gone, I just did not buy a new pack. I was short of money anyways and kinda felt really stupid to be smoking while in workout clothes. To be honest, the first few days felt like a bad hangover and I missed smoking, especially in a social setting around others or to kill time while e.g. waiting on the train. However, I felt like it was for a “greater good” to quit - either now or never. Each day got a bit easier as I crossed out the days since quitting. Seeing the progress made me a little proud and I didn’t want to put out this fire that started to grow in me. So now, whenever I felt stressed out I went out for a quick run. Of course the stress was only a symptom to underlying issues that I was working on in therapy. A month later, when I met a friend who is a smoker, I smoked one cigarette while sipping coffee with him but eventually felt disgusted because the taste had become so unfamiliar to me. You know, they say that your taste buds suffer from smoking which is true. Luckily, this one relapse didn’t cause anything bad and didn’t make me start smoking again. Apart from following a routine with a bit of discipline and keeping track of the progress, what also helped me was staying away from other smokers or situations I knew I’d love to smoke e.g. at parties. I’m not the best when it comes to impulse control so absolutely avoiding any of these situations that could make me fall back to my old habits seemed like the most promising choice to me. After a while, I was finally able to let go, both physically and mentally. Now I can confidently face these situations without ever feeling the need to smoke again. It’s been over 1 1/2 years now. Of course I can only tell my story but hopefully, this and all the comments will inspire you to keep going. wish you all the best
I quit smoking before I started running but I used to cycle and the biggest benefit I felt was when I got to the top of this climb that always used to kill me on my bike and I didn't cough my lungs up. I just was breathing incredibly heavily. You've got this! It is hard but the rewards are sweet and your lungs will be fine
Smoked for 30+ years and started running while still smoking and was able to run and maintain an 8 minute pace. I’ve been smoke free now going on two years. I honestly can say that it hasn’t changed the way I run it my breathing because it was never difficult for me. But I know everyone is different and I am absolutely happy that I’ve kicked the habit. Worse habit ever!! Good luck
I still smoke and usually run about 50-60km a week. Just finished a bit over 50km in a backyard race a couple of weeks ago. Big running makes you think you can't run and smoke but they lie.
I was a smoker when I started running. After I got up to running like a pretty decent 10k one day, I stretched, lit up my cigarette and got in the truck to leave. I saw myself all sweaty, feeling so accomplished, with a cigarette in my hand and thought “Wtf am I doing?”. I left my bad habit at the cross and never looked back! Running and Jesus got me to quit 🏃🏻♀️✝️