Boo

It's not your imagination. Jumping rope is a great workout with a lot of carryover benefits for runners. Good job D2.

We're all confused by these lockdown rules. Here in Tennessee, I could go to any of the big-box stores like Wal-Mart, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc....Places where crowds of people gathered and the air is artificially recirculated. However, I couldn't go out to a remote trailhead and take a long walk in the woods by myself. When they tell you not to ask questions, that's a good time to start asking questions.

Welcome aboard Nana. Commit the two rules for a successful quit to memory: (1) DON'T SMOKE! (2) If you have any further questions refer back to rule #1. It is a simple process that will reward you many times over.

Good call. Buckle up, knuckle down, and drive on.

Great job Mac. Congratulations.

I've said for years now that if I had to pick one song as my all-time favorite it would be "Into the Mystic." When things get heavy, I'm grateful that we still have the option of finding a quiet place and putting on some Van Morrison records.

Done. I ain't goin' nowhere.

Well, I show up late to the party again. Congratulations on a great quit of four years. You built a rock solid quit for yourself and have helped countless others achieve their freedom. We're honored to share the same Train as you Jillar. Hope you took time to celebrate...

A belated congratulations on two weeks of freedom Jeff. You have two weeks under your belt, that is to be commended. At two weeks in, I had a lot of questions and was desperately looking for answers. At two weeks in, I still thought about smoking more than I wanted to. At two weeks in, there was still lingering doubt about whether I was actually done with smoking for good. I just kept adding days without a smoke and eventually everything started to fall into place. The same will happen for you...I guarantee it. Give yourself some credit. You are doing one of the most important things you can do for yourself and doing it successfully. Take a second and pat yourself on the back.

Welcome back Heather. The law of addiction hasn't changed since your last ride with us. The rules for building a successful quit are the same as before. Quitting is a process. It takes a bit of time to rewire the brain from the years of addiction and conditioning that we subjected ourselves to. Commit to the quit and be relentless with that commitment. The freedom gained by quitting is worth the effort and then some.

Western Carolina is still peaceful and beautiful as ever. Leaving Kiawah on Sunday I mapped out a route that took us south and east of Charleston and west of Columbia. There was no way I was going to drive through Atlanta, things got really bad over there. By the time we were north of Spartanburg, the mountains of North Carolina started to come into view. I've loved the mountains my entire life but I have never been more relieved to see them again than I was on Sunday afternoon. When we hit the Green River Gorge, it felt like I exhaled for the first time in hours. Have a safe trip Rozuki. I was right there in the middle of it all and I'm still having a hard time believing that actually happened. What is particularly weird is that I remember minor details of that evening yet simultaneously it feels like a blur. I don't know if it is simply survival mode or what, but in the heat of the action, I didn't feel panicked or particularly fearful. I was on a mission to get my family to safety, there was no time for panic. The fear and panic didn't set in until we were a safe distance from the chaos. My nephew handled himself very well through all this and is to be commended. I was there the night he was born. I remember watching him weeble and wobble around as he was learning to walk. Now, he has grown into an excellent young man that understands the value of protecting your family. I couldn't be more proud of that kid. I've never been more sincere when writing something is this forum than I am right now...For the love of God, stay safe out there! I grew up on a farm in a small town. Now I live in a town that people jokingly refer to as Mayberry. People like me see this stuff on the news. We see scenes of urban chaos on television shows and movies. People like me never imagine that we'll find ourselves in a back alley with the cars parked strategically so our family has cover while they rush into the passenger side of the vehicles while we stand there with a gun drawn scanning the area for domestic terrorists who would kill us without remorse. That kind of thing only happens to other people...until, without warning, you become those "other people." On a closing note: Me, April, and little miss Maddie are back in the friendly confines of Dayton, Tennessee. Mom and dad are back on the farm. My sister and her kids are back on Signal Mountain. With the virus lockdown the schools were all closed anyway, so my nieces and nephew are all staying at home with their mother. Home is not only where the heart is, but also where our asses are going to be for the foreseeable future.

My last post ran long, but I need to add one point. I called April's doctor first thing this morning and she agreed to an unscheduled office visit. Miss Maddie is in good shape and April, while a bit shaken, is in good health. We're back in the solitude of our home on the Cumberland Plateau and don't have plans to venture out more than a couple of miles anytime soon. In the heat of the moment, my nephew and I agreed that anyone trying to block us would be run over. If needed, I was ready to shoot somebody. I'm not trying to sound like an internet tough-guy, but when the law of the jungle kicks in the entire game changes.

Bear with me folks. This post may run long and I will try to refrain from hyperbole and unnecessary drama. April and I took a spur of the moment trip over to the Carolina coast. My oldest niece celebrated her 18th birthday on Friday. My sister arranged a trip for her and my nieces and nephew to spend the weekend on Kiawah Island. There were other houses available for rent so me and April picked up my mom and dad on Friday and headed over. The plan was to spend a nice weekend with the family and have a birthday celebration. Things were going according to plan until we went up to Charleston for dinner on Saturday night. Went to one of the best restaurants in Downtown Charleston and within a couple of minutes of our food arriving, the shit hit the fan. I had seen the lights of several police cars but chalked that up to city life. Then we heard some rumblings outside and immediately they targeted the restaurant we were in. Some of the domestic terrorists, I refuse to call them protesters, started throwing bricks and rocks at the windows. Even more troubling was the rhythmic popping noises outside. The mainstream media is claiming that these "mostly peaceful protesters" were only throwing rocks and bricks. However, I'm familiar with guns; I know the sound of a small caliber handgun when I hear it. It was utter chaos inside the restaurant. The front windows were being smashed in. The sounds of gunshots rang out in the streets. And there I was with everybody in my life that I love and care about the most right there in harm's way...terrified and confused. I turned over a couple of tables to provide a makeshift barricade. My nephew and I rushed everyone to the back of the restaurant. An employee of the restaurant opened the door of a storage area in the back and recognizing that we had a pregnant lady and two elderly people in our party went above and beyond to help. With the family locked away in the back with a few other patrons and workers, the employee gave me and my nephew a ride over to the parking garage in his truck. My nephew had his SUV parked there close to my truck. He fell in right behind me and we covered four city blocks in just a matter of seconds. I keep a gun locked up in my truck and I have never been so relieved to be armed as I was Saturday night. We got back to the restaurant, hurried everyone back into one of the two vehicles, and made like bats out hell getting out of Charleston. It wasn't until the adrenaline started to wear off and we were several miles out of Charleston that the brevity of the situation really started to hit home. That was when the real fear and anguish set in. My wife, only weeks away from giving birth to our baby daughter. My mother and father. My sister. My nieces and nephew, who have already dealt with more than young people should ever have to having lost their father when they were just kids. There are eight people on this planet that I would lay down my life for, and they were all just terrorized by a bunch of goddamned thugs destroying things because they've never built anything in their life. The fear has subsided but the anguish continues. April wanted to get out of the house and enjoy a little beach time before the big day, but I really regret putting her in a situation like that. The last thing she needed at this point in the pregnancy was a stressful situation like that. My mother and father have both had health issues and don't move around like they used to. My sister hugged all three of her children, she was crying uncontrollably at the thought of her children being caught in a situation like that. You can only make decisions based on what you know, but that trip to Charleston never should have happened. Know who and what matters, disregard everything else. Take care of your family. Look out for your friends and neighbors. Pay attention and be safe out there.

I've got about two more weekends to pack in a bit of outdoor adventure. After that, I'm going to need to stay close to home base for a while. I can't be out roaming in the woods when the little gal decides to make her big debut. Looking at doing an Ocoee run on Saturday. I'll make a place for you in the canoe.

Kilograms?!? My baby is an American!

Welcome aboard Sumanth. Just like quitting smoking is a process so too is getting your body ready for the rigors of "voluntary hardship" on the body. Take it from someone who learned the hard way: going too hard too fast with the exercise only to end up injured is the wrong way to go. Start out with intervals where you run a certain distance and walk a certain distance. That is a good place to start. I also highly recommend strength training. Barbell training is great. If you don't have access to a bar and plates, bodyweight exercises provide excellent returns. Exercise was a big part of the equation for me. However, I also made frequent use of deep breathing exercises to reset the mind and body when needed. My go-to breathing exercise was: (1) Inhale deeply through the nose for a count of four. (2) Hold the breath for another count of four. (3) Exhale slowly from the mouth for a count of eight. Typically, after a few repetitions of 4-4-8 breathing I felt much calmer and good to go. Good call. Congratulations on making a great decision for yourself.

Good job Sirius. Congratulations.

Maddie and Cash are going to be a dynamic duo. Who knows what all they'll get into together...

Sometimes, when you least expect it, you get hit square in the feels by something. I was browsing some music videos last night, saw a thumbnail showing a guy out in the woods with an acoustic guitar, and thought "this looks promising." Little did I know... So, without further ado, sending out my first special dedication to little miss Maddie May...

I went down to the crossroads... In fact, we all went to the crossroads when we quit smoking. Made a big decision. Saw a promising path before us but had to put the mileage of the other path in the rear view. New paths always seem unnatural and make us question ourselves a bit. In time, you build confidence with the knowledge that you are going the right way. Then you just hammer down and enjoy the ride. Buckle up, knuckle down, and drive on.

Congratulations on 8 smokefree weeks Amierouge. Keep up the daily walks. Watch what you eat. And drink plenty of water. You mentioned being nervous. There is no better treatment for anxiety than a bit of exercise. You can burn some calories and calm your nerves with a nice walk. A two-for-one bundle deal.

Do you act on every urge you have? I bet you don't. Why should the urge to smoke or vape be treated any differently than every other urge? The urges will be there, addiction is like that. When the urge to smoke or vape hits, you have a decision to make...just like you do to act or not act on any other urge. Choose wisely. Choose freedom. Welcome aboard the Quit Train John.

Many of the same rules apply in kicking an addiction regardless of the vice. "Something clicked and I was over it." That moment will happen for you in regards to cigarettes as well. For me, it hit in a flash. I started asking myself some questions and the answers were right there. For others, it was more of a gradual process; simply realizing that they had gone for days without any serious cravings or really thinking about smoking at all. We all had our moment and you will too. Some days throw a lot more at you than others...better days are ahead.