smoking + running?

barbiex3
barbiex3 Posts: 1,036 Member
edited September 30 in Health and Weight Loss
okayy. so I've been running for about 3ish years now, and I started smoking 2 years ago. Super stupid, I know. Today on my morning run, I decided that I am quitting for good. I joined my college's cross country team recently, and I NEED to quit smoking to improve my running times. My average pace is around 7:45 min mile. I did my first 5K this weekend, and I got 24:15... I was down to about 2-3 cigs a day for the past year, so do you think quitting will help? I don't think it'll make that much of a difference because I feel like my body has adapted to smoking + running?

Any happy facts or advice or stories for me to help me quttingg?!

thanksss!

Replies

  • carlxo21
    carlxo21 Posts: 143 Member
    it will absolutely help! Every part of your body will benefit from it, especially your lungs and heart. Healthier, better functioning organs = better runner! On the flip side, research has shown that running can actually also help you quit smoking!

    edit: my grandfather died from heart disease as a result of his smoking. he wasn't that old. Smoking took his life before I was old enough to get to know him. It was the first death I ever experienced in my life and I never understood why he did that to himself.
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
    Your time is pretty darn fast already. I don't know that quitting will make you much faster. But the benefit to every aspect of your health will be huge by quitting.
  • Tuffjourney
    Tuffjourney Posts: 971
    Dont take this wrong, but you really are too pretty to smoke. You will ruin your looks. :smokin:
  • laurenpence
    laurenpence Posts: 147
    I smoked for 3 years and have been running for a little over four, well when I did quit smoking my times improved so much. I used to run a mile at an 8 minute pace that was my fastest.....3 months after I quit I ran a 6:36. I was so shocked because i did gain about 6 pounds when I quit but when I ran my chest didnt hurt. I quit cold turkey and since seeing my times improve and other things I have not thought about having another cigerette....well maybe when i drink but that is rarely anyways and I never indulge. Now my fastest mile time is 6:11 and I am trying to get it into the 5's. good luck and take it one day at a time. Oh one thing that helped me is that I took that extra money that I spent on ciggerettes and put it towards fun things like clothes and spa days
  • casey12105
    casey12105 Posts: 293
    Girl you're only smokin 2-3 cigarettes a day, just quit already lol.
  • veganjeanie
    veganjeanie Posts: 158 Member
    And, as an ex-smoker, let me say that smokers have no idea how they smell. Ick. You may not improve your running time, but you'll improve yourself.
  • barbiex3
    barbiex3 Posts: 1,036 Member
    Girl you're only smokin 2-3 cigarettes a day, just quit already lol.


    i used to smoke a half pack a day. The last ones are wayyyyyy harder to give up. trust me.
  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
    im pretty sure it will help. even though i know some runners that are smokers. im quiting for good too. im down to only smoking when i drink, which is like every other weekend. but yeah, i decided after i smoked my last cigg sat night that i was going to stop for good. especially now that im trying to start to run. i just started c25k last week. but anyways, good luck to you!
  • maletac
    maletac Posts: 767 Member
    okayy. so I've been running for about 3ish years now, and I started smoking 2 years ago. Super stupid, I know. Today on my morning run, I decided that I am quitting for good. I joined my college's cross country team recently, and I NEED to quit smoking to improve my running times. My average pace is around 7:45 min mile. I did my first 5K this weekend, and I got 24:15... I was down to about 2-3 cigs a day for the past year, so do you think quitting will help? I don't think it'll make that much of a difference because I feel like my body has adapted to smoking + running?

    Any happy facts or advice or stories for me to help me quttingg?!

    thanksss!

    yeah ... the E-cig makes quitting easy.. i smoked for 8 years and you get the nicotine appropriate to the amount you smoke then you ween down every month to the lesser one.. and eventually when you get down to 8 mg or 4 mg you just quit.. and thats it
  • maletac
    maletac Posts: 767 Member
    and ive also used snus.... yes its gross but your still letting going of smoking... and you still get the nicotine just you dont like how you get it so it makes it easier to quit that
  • bassettpig
    bassettpig Posts: 79 Member
    I don't think it'll make that much of a difference because I feel like my body has adapted to smoking + running?

    I don't think your body ever "adapts" to smoking unless you call emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease and lung cancer "adaptations." Quit now. It will only get harder the longer you wait. In my job as a medical transcriptionist, I type reports on people who are on oxygen, cannot breathe, literally drowning in their own secretions, but yet they tell the doctor they are "not ready to quit smoking." Do it now.
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
    It might not make you faster, but it'll keep you alive longer. So win-win-win! Best of luck!
  • skyls
    skyls Posts: 69 Member
    I don't know about smoking and running if it will improve your time, but it will improve your chances of not getting lung cancer. I smoked for 10 years...and I was a hard core smoker 2 packs a day, and I quit 4 years ago when I had my little girl. It is the BEST thing I ever did in my life. Go for it, you will be so proud of yourself and save lots of $$

    Sky
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Dont take this wrong, but you really are too pretty to smoke. You will ruin your looks. :smokin:

    This. It'll make you look old! And it makes you smell bad.
  • gavini
    gavini Posts: 248 Member
    cant answer your question but i will throw in my experience

    in the past ten years i have run 13 marathons (pr 320), probably 50 10k's (pr 41) and play some other sports, generally in good shape but not awesome shape enough to win my 35-40 male age group in races unless they are small events.

    I have been a smoker most of the time since 8th grade( more than 20 years now). at times down to one or two a day, at times a pack a day. most of the last 2 years, about half a pack a day

    as of tomorrow, it will be two weeks since my last cigarette which is the longest i have since about 13 years ago when i quit for 5 or 6 months.

    i have rarely wanted to quit since i really like smoking but i am quiting at least until the next marathon i run which will be in november, after that, i dont know. i am hoping it helps my times but i am skeptical that it will since i dont feel like it has ever held me back. sprints/intervals are an important part of training and there is likely an affect there since i havent had full lung capacity due to smoking, will it be noticable in how i feel and in my times? i dont know. i hope so since that will probably motivate me not to start again but perhaps there will be other benefits like the smell some have mentioned that will provide some extra motivation for me.

    i find it funny when people suggest that you exercise to help you quit smoking since the best cigarette i could have is always the one right after a run or workout, and the couple times i have thought of quiting before, those have always been the toughest ones to give up.

    anyway, good luck in to the original poster and let us know if you notice an improvement when you quit
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