How i quit smoking cigarettes and finished The Strong Viking Run...
Last year , I transformed from an unhealthy smoking gamer to a sporty young man with a lot more confidence. This has given me a lot . Below is my story
Addicted
I was seriously addicted to cigarettes , smoked a pack a day on average . Beyond that, it costs a lot of money, and it is of course extremely unhealthy . In addition, I was not exactly sporty in that period. I was always sporty, I did various sports and come from a handball family . But slowly I was doing less and less. Until the moment I was doing nothing.
Until I felt a lump in my throat. I was shocked so terribly that I panicked.
The next day I went immediately to the doctor. Fortunately, it was not too bad ... I had pain in my lymph nodes. I was emotional, there was a great relief .
Yet this has me shaken up , and from that moment I decided that I'm going to stop smoking.
Unconventional training
Around this time, I had more contact with an old friend of mine. He provides training in Jeet Kune Do , and he asked if I wanted to try it out. In the past, I have done more self-defense, but never really for a long period . The nice thing about this training is that it is combined with Unconventional training , this training method is based on using your own body strength .Furthermore, you train regularly with , tires , ropes, kettlebells, and maces .
I accepted his offer . At the same time , I also decided to quit smoking. This all took place in March 201.
I planned a date to stop and agreed with a friend to stop together.(she also smoked ) . In pairs is always easier , you have to support each other and you can keep each other sharp.
My first training:
Making progression
I trained twice a week with the group, Thursdays, and Sundays. The first training course I was physically devastated.
I was so devastated that I almost could not walk the next day. After a few training sessions , I noticed real progress , I got a better condition, and was also physically stronger.
Kicking the habit of smoking was especially the first three weeks very heavy. I was looking for distraction in the sporting field , if I was not feeling good, then I went for a little run, or doing at home some kettlebell exercises.
The Strong Viking Run
After a few weeks of quitting I already had a much better condition ,so I wanted a new challenge!. My trainer talked several times about joining The Strong Viking Run. This seemed like a good idea , but then the 7km run. (There are three possibilities : 7km, 13km, 21km ) . My trainer just wanted to go for 13 kilometers, or he didn't go :)
For those not familiar with the Strong Viking Run , below the promo of the run we joined:
I love a challenge, and this was a big one! In preparation for the Strong Viking Run , I have been extending my training schedule .
So that I can run at least 7km without pause. Furthermore minimum of 1 time a week kettlebell exercise. And of course the regular training with the group. 24 October 2015 was the date of the run. The day before that I did not exercise. I was really looking forward to it! Together we agreed that everyone we caught up , would not past us . The run was not easy, but because of the fun we had, and the adrenaline rush I had, it was over before I noticed it. We did the run below 3 hours!
Me in the mud:
A year ago I could not imagine I was going accomplish this. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a sporting challenge. For this year is signed up for a 3-day boot camp challenge in Belgium. I already looking forward to it!
If you want to quit smoking is the matter of doing , there is no conceivable good argument why you would want to smoke.
Please let my know your thoughts on this article, and let me know what your greatest achievement is from the last years...
(Sorry for the bad English, it is not my native language. )
Good on you for quitting.
I have to say though, just looking at the photos makes me cringe. I can do a lot more than I used to, but that activity would have crushed me. I have a few issues in my spine and neck. :)
Everybody can fight their own boundaries. As long as it is still healthy.... I don't know what you have, and I don't want to offend you. But allot of the psychical aspect is in the mind. During the run there was a guy in a wheelchair! everbody was helping him, it was amazing!
Your English is excellent so please don't worry about it.
This is a great article.
I've come across a lot of people who have overcome addictions and one common theme seems to be having a specific reason to do it (other than the health benefits that is).
In your case it was achieving this physical challenge, in other cases it has been due to circumstances beyond their control such as a child developing asthma. I think having another reason beyond just simply giving up helps from a psychological standpoint.
Also aside form the purely psychological there may be some physical/ neurological sense in what you did. Do you think the physical training also helped by replacing a bad habit (smoking) with a good one (running, exercise)? It seems it would replace one form of stimulating your dopaminergic receptors with another - I think there is definitely something to this - it is harder to simply remove one type of stimulation for your brain (e.g. smoking) on it's own than if you substitute another (preferably a healthy one).
I have also seen the reverse when people substitute one bad habit for another (e.g. replacing overeating with smoking - I have had at least 2 female friends who did this and used smoking to lose weight despite the terrible health risks. I think most people would agree that this is not a good thing.)
Anyway sorry to go off on a tangent. This is an inspiring story and hopefully will show others that it can be done. It may even inspire them to try the same method:)
Yeah i am sure that the physical challenge helped me with quitting. I did not replaced smoking with sport on purpose at that moment. But it just happened.
One day I kick off my smoking too. It comes. I believe. You are the real man. You won yourself.
You Can Quit, There's Life After Tobacco!
Not interested in physical exertion to help you quit? Here's an easier way. :)
15 years, Craving free!
@thecleangame, it looks like let's change vodka with whisky)
It actually isn't. Cannabis is an exit herb, meaning it is not physically addictive.
Using cannabis to treat the issues you were using drugs to soothe is a substitution, yes. The medicinal benefits assist in quitting, comfort and more. The mistake is to assume that simply using cannabis will remove the original use for the drug. (in this case nicotine)
Quitting a drug is easier and craving free when the underlying issues creating the 'addiction' are dealt with. Once the physical addiction is also broken with the assistance of cannabis, the need for cannabis diminishes rapidly.
Solve the medical need another way, the cannabis desire evaporates and becomes a 'pleasure' thing instead of an 'addictive need,' thing.
The prevailing 'institution' on addiction is crumbling, in the face of cannabis being used as an exit herb.
Glad I could help. :D
@picker your understanding of cannabis is incorrect. I have no idea what you tried to mean with the Grand Theft Auto reference.
Please Re-Read The Vodka Whisky post and My Reply
It is a wrong way, attempt to replace one crutch to another.
A few years ago a have an expirience playing GTA Vice City. When I tired to go for the story line quests, I began to wander through the city and kill drug dealers. I do not know why, of all who were there (whores, queers, gangsters, cops and other riff-raff), they liked me least of all.
Now I have a child grows. And I know that one day it will meet some kind who starts to tell something like that. I know the right answer, and I know its price. But, alas, I do not know how my child will go and what it will cost him.
Hope we understand one another.
Thank you! It can only come from in yourself. But it helps to tell your friends and family about quiting.
Congrats, you've added both quality and quantity to your life! Now you can use the cig money to buy SP...
Thank you! Haha not a bad idea!
Congrats on your achievement!
Thank you!
Simply Great Information and Presentation
Nice @yonuts
Shot you an Upvote :)
Hi! This post has a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of 4.5 and reading ease of 88%. This puts the writing level on par with Ernest Hemingway and Donald Trump.