Runners that smoke cigarettes

start wrote:

I smoke. I obviousely like it alot. I also like physical activity alot. So it works for now but like with all drugs you will sacrafice more and more. There is o free lunch.

'Alot' is not a word, FYI

Tried smoking and running when I was in high school. I associated smoking with partying. I soon found myself becoming a smoker. After about of month of smoking and running I realized it was killing my running. If it was not for running I probably would still smoke today. Gave it up and now have run four yrs of college track. It was a very enjoyable thing but now I am wise enough to realize that its not worth all the health risk associated with smoking. On a separate note I ran a 5 miler one yr and my brother was talking to some guy and the race was starting in 15 mins. While talking to him he lights one up and says I started smoking and running if I quite smoking I will quite running. I was thinking to myself I was going to kill him in this race. Long story short he ended up finishing just ahead of me.I was shocked, this might have lead to me thinking smoking and running was alright because it happened about yr before I started smoking.

I picked up smoking after quitting the track team my senior year of high school. Both choices were two of the worst decisions I made in my life. I attribute them as the catalyst of greater struggles. It took me 11 years to quit smoking. By my mid twenties I was also drinking very heavily. My health and well being deteriorated. My back was weak and always in pain. In 2009 I ceased drinking (April) and smoking (September).

Fast forward 14 months. I'm 35 lbs leaner. I can PR in any distance greater than or equal to 5k. My mind is sharp. I'm not chronically sick anymore.

There are two main items I'd like to highlight from my story. The first is this: the human body has an amazing propensity for recovery. You can dish out some serious damage to it and it will heal if you let it. Secondly, this, of course, is not an excuse to party like its the end of the world. Its meant to signify some hope to those that are afraid of coming back to a running lifestyle.

If you are interested in attaining peak performance smoking will do nothing but hinder your potential. It doesn't matter that some athletes can perform at elite levels as smokers - individually they pay an opportunity cost every time they light up.

Smoker wrote:

I do not smoke cigarettes but smoke weed occasionally(once or twice a month) and it has absolutly no effect on my running ability. I was an average HS runner. an Ok runner in high school,about 1620 for 3 miles and 1010 for 2 miles, 206 for the 800m. I recently ran a 1656 5k and I took a few year hiatus from running when I got into college. However, the more you smoke weed the more you do not want to do physical activity. I think smoking cigarettes on the other hand would really be detrimental to your lungs.

No, you were a crappy high school runner. Typical stoner mentality,placing the mediocre on a pedestal. Go listen to jam bands.

Herb Elliot was a smoker.

I smoke weed once or twice a month and it doesn't seem to have any ill effects. I will sometimes run when I'm coming down off my high and have only had good experiences doing it, other than a little "windedness" for the first 10 mins or so. It probably helps me relax more than usual. Anyone else run semi-high?

[buzzer sounds]

Alex Trebeck: Flagpole!

Flagpole: Who are raving idiots?

Alex Trebeck: Correct! You've established an insurmountable lead. Flagpole, you control the board.

Flagpole: Fat girls by the Snack Table for $100 please Alex.

[fade to black]

We used to sell pot while out on our runs in high school. Stop by someone's house, drop the product off, collect payment. Threshold to next house...

Tim Danielson was a pack-a-day smoker in high school when he broke 4 minutes. I know this for a fact. Amazing to me how he could do that while being a smoker. He however, is the mentally toughest runner I've ever seen. He had a ton of adversity in his life(which he really won't talk about)and it just made him a tough SOB!

Gelindo Bordin smoked regularly throughout his running career.

And why did u even feel justified in reponding?

I've seen quite a few runners have a cigarette while they're drunk, never known one to have a daily habit. On one of my first runs ever, the girl on the track team showing me where to run lit up a cigarette as soon as we got off campus, while running.

You've "never known (a runner) to have a daily habit (of smoking)."

During your very first experience running the girl on the track team who is obviously a runner lights up while running - unless this run that you went on was a drunk run, then you contradict yourself in a span of 2 sentences.

I was a 4:30 guy in HS. Didn't run college. I'm 24 now, work as a wildland firefighter. I ran at 130 pounds in HS, am now at 165 at 5'7". I smoke a fair amount (Top brand roll-your-owns), especially out on the line. I assume with all the particulates I breathe while on the job, a few cigarettes aren't a big deal.

Despite being much more muscular than I was in HS, and smoking, I still lead most of our crew runs. I'm not going to win many real races, but I can still break 5:00 in the mile and 18:00 for 3 miles, despite running very little anymore.

R4SHOT wrote:

I was a 4:30 guy in HS. Didn't run college. I'm 24 now, work as a wildland firefighter. I ran at 130 pounds in HS, am now at 165 at 5'7". I smoke a fair amount (Top brand roll-your-owns), especially out on the line. I assume with all the particulates I breathe while on the job, a few cigarettes aren't a big deal.

Despite being much more muscular than I was in HS, and smoking, I still lead most of our crew runs. I'm not going to win many real races, but I can still break 5:00 in the mile and 18:00 for 3 miles, despite running very little anymore.

Dude, you are an idiot. You are rationalizing your smoking. BS that the smoking isn't a big deal. Do you inhale the smoke from being on the job at your place at night and on the weekends? Are you going to continue to inhale smoke from the field when you decide to leave that job while you are then addicted to cigarette smoking? I knew a guy once who said he smoked because second-hand smoke was worse for you. What an idiot as he then got BOTH kinds. You are in that same category. I use my little bit of meanness as firm kindness brother. You do NOT want to smoke long term. My grandfather developed Emphysema and as a result of that a blood disorder that made him create too many red blood cells so that he had to have his blood thinned (went to the hospital every month and had his blood run through a machine and back into him). That inconvenience along with coughing and getting winded going up a few steps or even walking several yards on flat ground and then tethered to an oxygen tank the last 15 years of his life. Yeah brother, GOOD TIMES!

Smoking hurts you, but everyone should be free to make that choice. But they alone should pay the cost for their choices.

Now everyone tell me how unworkable and idealistic I am being.

I really doubt that I will get emphysema from 1-3 roll-your-owns a day. If I do, so be it. Like I said, I'm not too concerned.

I had a friend who smoked and ran. He was 36 years old. One day he asked me if I thought smoking interfered with running. I told him I would do one or the other but not both.

A few months later he died of a heart attack.

No, he knew it was bad for you - just had that attitude that it wouldn't happen to him

Work hard play hard was his motto!

Check out this for pacing he (Len Mullen - curly hair) managed to stay centre shot behind the main actors from 17 secs to 34 seconds. He even managed to get his name in the credits

What a waste