My dad quit smoking before I was a gleam in his eye. He's 65 now and just finished up at Master's track nationals in Colorado Springs. I doubt that he would even have considered hard track riding at 65, at altitude, if he were a smoker.

My best friend used to smoke a pack of reds everyday from the time he was 15 to 24. Last year he kicked my ass several times during his first ever cross/bike racing season.

Keep up the good work. There are good health benefits ahead of you.