My 1 year Anniversary and a Big Thank You
 

Well it’s been 1 year since I quit smoking and began cycling again. In that time I have logged a little over 2800 miles (includes trainer miles). My first ride was for 10 miles with a few stops to catch my breath while struggling up a long hill ending with a 15 MPH avg (which included the long downhill).
My last ride was for 40 miles averaging 17.2 with a route that only takes me up the long hill.

To get to where I am today, I would like to thank all of you on this forum for the inspiration and motivation to keep going and staying off the smokes. I stumbled upon this forum around July of last year and finally joined in September. I know that I have not posted a lot, but I do check in every day to see what my fellow 50+s are up to.

Because of all of you, I have completed a couple of metric centuries in the late fall, I did my birthday ride in March (age + 2 miles) and I am now preparing to complete my 1st solo century. The only thing holding be back from going for it, is I am waiting on my 50+ jersey which I should hopefully have by the end of the month. Even though I push myself to keep getting better, I have found the joy in just riding and have learned the lessons of DnvrFox’s “Smiles, not Miles” and Cranky’s “it isn't how fast you do the ride but how much you enjoyed it that counts”.

Also, I am looking forward to the September Pie Ride and maybe some of us Jersey people can get together and have a little fun with it.

Kudos. :thumb:

Congrats on your accomplishment - it's a BIG step to be off of 'em for a year. Only a couple more years, and you won't even want one anymore. LOL

How long did it take to have your taste buds regenerated - I was amazed at how good things tasted..................

NOW, NO BACKSLIDIN !

That's a lot of miles for a n00b. :thumb:

Congrats! Quitting smoking and taking up the bike - a stellar achievement.

We've lost more people that way. ;) Congrats on your progress.

Your right, food tastes so much better, but unfortunately that means I eat more which means I have to ride more to keep the weight off, it’s a vicious cycle!
The improvement in my sense of smell is amazing. I was riding though a local housing development the other day and kept smelling cigarette smoke, turned out it was from a guy in his back yard

Congrats on an OUTSTANDING achievement.

Oh the smell of someone lighting up. I think that is the very first sensory enhancement I got when I quit 2 months back. I could tell if a driver was smoking every time a car went by. it;s still a struggle for me to keep off the nicotine.

1.5 yrs. for me and I couldn't be happier. Hang in there, It's sooo worth it.

BITSA & gysurko, congrats to you both! This is big news!! :thumb:

Congratulations.

Thanks for the kudos about "smiles, not miles."

Keep up the good work.

With regard to the smoking thing, when I was a teen I tried it, 3 of my 4 older brothers smoked. I was lucky - it didn't agree with me so I didn't get hooked. My brothers did. Two of the three quit. I remember riding a bike with the one who still smoked. We did an overnight tour back around 1980. We climbed two mountains to get to the camp site. I still remember him smoking on the bike while we were climbing with fully loaded bikes, he was such a strong biker then. He still smokes, over weight and out of shape now. Last year I got him back into biking. He is getting stronger but hasn't quit smoking. I have him interested in doing a century next fall, I am hoping as he prepares he will find he needs to quit. It makes me so sad to see him "light up".