Boo

That was one of my first and most welcomed benefits of quitting: my eyes cleared up. For years I blamed allergies, contact lenses, and lack of sleep for my dry bloodshot eyes. I quit smoking and the issues with my eyes cleared up. In fact, I quit in early March right before the start of the allergy season here in a region that has been dubbed by some "The Hay Fever Capital of the World" and even during that first Spring and Summer...no problems with my eyes. And the benefits of quitting just kept adding up from there.

I don't think I was his type. Although...It was kind of weird that he was on patrol with a cowboy, sailor, biker, construction worker, and an indian chief.

Good work. Setting measurable targets is a surefire way to make constant progress. I only quit timing my runs to protect my ego. Me: I ran a point-to-point on the Cumberland Trail today, ## miles! Other Runners: What was your time? Me: The whole concept of time is a mystery.

I do like ham, but I don't usually eat as much as I did last night. Typically, the ham served at holiday meals is glazed in such a way that the ham tastes sweet. I don't hate a sweet ham, but a couple of slices of a sweet ham and I'm done. My nephew prepared this particular ham. He baked it in chicken broth and then applied a Cajun spice rub. The ham wasn't sweet, but wasn't overly spicy either. The boy is only 20 years-old but is like an old pro when it comes to preparing meats. Sadly...there were no leftovers. There is a price to pay for the kind of gluttonous rampage I went on last night.

Special dedication going out to that Sheriff's Deputy in Pikeville that let me off with a warning yesterday. I appreciate it and will do a better job of observing the speed limits in Bledsoe County in the future.

A belated happy Easter to everyone here on the Quit Train. I talk a lot about my healthy lifestyle choices here on the boards. In the religious tradition of confessing...last night my sister hosted Easter dinner at her house. I ate a bunch of ham, some green beans, more ham, potato salad, more deviled eggs than anyone should ever consume at one sitting, and after one more slice of ham, I enjoyed a couple of pieces of coconut cake. I've confessed, but can't truly repent...I regret nothing.

Congratulations MLMR.

Great job Tammy. Congratulations. A quit built upon a solid foundation can stand any test.

Good job TocevoD. I'm no expert when it comes to running times, pacing, etc. I've accepted the fact that I will never be mistaken for a fast runner and just enjoy my time running around in the woods. That being said, completing a 10k in under an hour looks very respectable to me. Congratulations on your newfound freedom.

Were you duped? I can't answer that. I would ask why growing up you associated smoking cigarettes with being "Johnny bad ass." Smoking a cigarette doesn't require any real level of strength or courage, yet smoking was viewed by many of us in our formative years as something "real men" did. That was not a coincidence. It was the result of a decades long manipulative campaign by the tobacco companies. I'm all for taking personal responsibility. I am also all for observing the past tactics used by the merchants of death to manipulate people and call them on their bullshit. These two ideas are not mutually exclusive.

Down and dirty Blues music...so damn good.

Congratulations on 1 month of freedom DizzyD.

We were duped by the tobacco companies when we were still young, impressionable, and in my case stupid. Unfortunate, but not something to beat ourselves up over. As for Hollywood and the mainstream media, their level of influence on young people is on a sharp downward spiral. Hopefully this trend continues and the relationship between big tobacco and big media continues to show diminishing returns.

I've run for 11 days straight now and have totaled 92.2 miles. I've done three trail runs in excess of 10 miles and have consistently run between 5 and 7 miles daily at the park on the other days. I still get in a bit of strength training: shorter sessions, limited number of exercises, and I don't go to failure on any lift. Doing only: Deadlifts, Overhead Press, and Bench Press. Limiting sets to five reps at about 70% 1RM. Get a bit of core work in as well with: Hanging Leg Raises and Roll-Outs. Running in the great outdoors...it's good medicine.

You've got a strong quit going there Kdad. Keep on keeping on.