Guest Blog: Fitness and Its Immense Benefits In Fighting Cancer

Posted on 10 May, 2012 by doug

David Haas
I am delighted to welcome David Haas with his guest blog.  It’s a sensitive but significant subject area being dealt with in this post; well worth absorbing if you, or someone close to you, is touched by cancer.   While I have no experience of cancer myself (personally or professionally) it does seem that we have something in common: the belief that staying in good shape helps us to remain more resilient through life’s challenges.  In this article David talks the issue through but first of all, a little more about the man himself:

Joining the organization in 2011, David Haas is a cancer support group and awareness program advocate at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. In addition to researching the many valuable programs available to our site’s visitors, David often blogs about programs and campaigns underway at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance, as well as creative fitness ideas for those dealing with cancer, while creating relationships with similar organizations.

Cancer is an ugly word that sends fear and panic through the minds of most who hear this word in a doctor’s office. For those battling cancer, research indicates exercise is just what the doctor ordered to help fight this disease.

According to Rush University Medical Center, exercise not only helps prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, it also helps those suffering from these conditions. Research shows those preparing for surgery or chemotherapy after any kind of cancer diagnosis, whether it is a blood cancer like Leukemia or rare lung cancer like mesothelioma, often fare better in surgery and recovery if they exercise regular prior to the operation. Exercise helps cancer patients stay alert and less tired while dealing with treatment.

In addition to the health benefits of exercise during the treatment process, the American Cancer Institute reports that cancer survivors can reduce the risk of their cancer returning or developing into secondary cancers by keeping active. 

While fitness is always important, anytime an illness strikes it is even more necessary to focus on healthy living. Naturally, dealing with such a powerful disease as cancer can knock the wind out of anyone’s sails. Despite the instinct to curl up and hide under the covers, studies suggest exercise can prevent depression that often accompanies a serious illness such as cancer. 


So how can cancer patients best stay fit while fighting this dreadful disease? Here are some tips:

1. Take a long walk. Look at nature, experiencing the peaceful sounds of birds, pleasant aroma of fresh cut grass and the beauty that exists all around you. Bring some headphones and your favorite music along to truly enjoy the time alone. Bring a friend if you need to talk, laugh or just vent about the challenges you are facing.

2. Go for a swim. A pool helps you relax when you need some solitude or can get your heart rate going when you need a good cardiovascular workout. Do some laps, and then take some time just to enjoy the water.

3. Ride your bike. Hit the highway, pedal through the park or just cruise your neighborhood to get your workout in and take your mind off your troubles.

Fitness should always be a priority in our lives, even in times of physical illness. For those fighting cancer, it can make a world of difference.




Posted in health | 10 Comments

A Cyclist’s Lunch (aka Compost Sandwich)

Posted on 9 May, 2012 by doug
Compost sandwich

Following the huge number of page views for my Cyclist’s Breakfast, I thought I might share my favourite lunch which I’ll have on the odd day I’m at home on my own.

I might as well get the possible disadvantages out of the way first, before I extol the wonderful features.  Firstly my wife, Rachel, keeps well away from me after I’ve had all this.  Can’t understand what all the fuss is about, there’s only one raw spring onion there and not a morsel of garlic.  Secondly my friend and fellow foodie blogger Natasha and her excellent The Nourishing Road blog would have a fit at the low fat veggieness!

Like all good meals, it contains a good mixture of ingredients, each serving a different purpose.  The combined taste is awesome (if pungent, maybe), filling, cheap, easy to make, involves no cooking and requires little washing up afterwards.  You can see it contains:

  • 2 slices of home made wholemeal bread
  • thin spread of Pure (soya based spread)
  • mayonnaise
  • lettuce
  • watercress  (aka pond weed)
  • red pepper
  • spring onion
This is ideal for a good dose of carbohydrate fuel with vitamins, useful fats and antioxidants.
I do like this, especially with some nice strong freshly ground coffee.  Perfect food for a post marathon recovery day.
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Review – Landgarten Pumpkin Seed Snack

Posted on 4 May, 2012 by doug

Following on from my recent review of Landgarten Organic Snacks I have another review to share with you.  You might remember I was pretty positive about those Soya bean snacks and these are even better!  I also road tested them on my family and we all agreed they were very nice, although this was for a variety of reasons.

What are they?

Okay, what we have here is special.  It’s a 55g snack sized pack of pumpkin seeds covered in chocolate.  The pumpkin seeds are roasted (more about that in a minute) and the chocolate is very generous.  They’re sold as a snack in, we reckon, about the right quantity.  At least we all agreed you wouldn’t want any more in one go than these.

The pumpkin seeds are organic and grown in Austria and are free from genetic modification.  They are roasted and then covered in a dark chocolate.  As you can see on the above image, there are no trans fats, it is gluten free as well as GMO free.  These are good, sound credentials.

Our road, taste testing

Imagine the scene: I poured them out into a dish, we’re sitting around our dining room table.  Cautiously Rachel and Becky tried one and then another and another.  It was as if an argument had sprung from nowhere and happily I can say it was reasonably light hearted – they were arguing overeating these seeds and each wanting to gobble the lot.  Rachel, reading the packet to Becky said “it says here that these are not suitable for anyone wo has not done their school homework”.  Somehow I managed to have some before they were gone.  We liked them and here’s why:
We compared the taste with ordinary raw pumpkin seeds, bought “as is” from our local health food shop.  There was a different taste – these from Landgarten seem more mild and a better taste.  We put this down to the roasting.  They have quite a rich taste also sweet (but not too sweet).
These are nice as a luxury snack.  The chocolate is proper chocolate and was lovely – we all agreed on this.

Health benefits

These contain Magnesium, Iron, Zinc and Phosphorus amongst other nutrients.  The overall health benefits are quite wide with an anti inflammatory action, antioxidant, a detoxing function and also pleased to see it stimulates the immune system.  We believe that to realise all of these benefits, it would be wrong to rely just on these for these nutrients but there is no doubt in our minds about how good these are.  
They’re quite high in Calories (so again, don’t scoff too many in one go!) and there’s some useful fibre.

The packaging

I don’t normally comment much on packaging but it’s worth a mention.  It is attractive and fairly stylish , easy to tear open and strong.  We did notice a “typo” on the front with “darl” chocolate, presumably instead of “dark”.  We found the printing on the back quite small and hard to read.

While this is less than perfect, you could argue there is something quaint about it.  We live in a globalised society where the large supermarkets have every little detail sewn up in their corporate perfection.  Here’s a small enterprise bringing good wholesome foods your way and because of that, we don’t want to be too hard on them.  Having said that, the typo needs fixing and maybe they need to have a word with the people who print the packaging to make it a little clearer.  

Our conclusions

We did like these!  They are delicious and I must stress I am “not just saying it” but we really do mean it.  As they’re not cheap, we felt we would probably buy them as a treat as they certainly do taste luxuriously rich.  They’re sweet but (importantly) not too sweet; just about right.  
I’d like to again stress I do not have any connection or relationship with Immergruen.  They simply contacted me and asked if I’d like to review these.  It was, arguably, a risky step as I’m going to be honest and frank in my reviews.  I certainly wish them well.
Please click here for my previous review on Langarten and look out for the links to companies stocking and selling Landgarten products.
Posted in ethical, food, reviews | Leave a comment

Is Watercress good for you?

Posted on 25 April, 2012 by doug
freshly picked watercress from our garden pond

We started growing watercress in our pond by accident a few years ago.  Rachel was sprinkling a few seeds onto some soil in a seed tray and some fell into the pond.  Since then we have a regular crop of watercress year by year.  In our family, I’m the only one that eats it and so most of it never gets eaten!

Is it good for you?

Easy answer is yes.  It contains Vitamins A, B, C and E.  Also has some other trace elements which are useful – iodine, iron and manganese.  Amongst the various attributes, it is said to have anti cancer properties and has a general tonic effect.

How is it grown?

Ideally it needs running water from which it picks up various nutrients.  In our pond we have a water pump which circulates the same water through a filter with the aim of keeping the pond clear and healthy.  It seems to work judging from the health of the plants, handful of goldfish and the frog / tadpole population.  We never clean our pond out; it just seems to have the right balance and goes along nicely on it’s own.  I think the circulating water helps but I’m not sure it is absolutely essential for watercress.
It dies back to a certain extent in the winter and looks pretty hopeless when it is encased in 10 cm of solid ice but it seems to bounce back alright on it’s own.

History

Watercress has been grown in the UK over a long period of time but became particulalry popular in te Victorian times when large quantities were grown in Hampshire and Wiltshire.  Such was the demand in London, there was even the “watercress line” which was a special train service that brought the produce straight to the market at Covent Garden.  I got reminded of this when I had a bike ride last Saturday and came across these at (I think Whitwell) and had a brief conversation with these two men.  They explained they only sell the watercress through Farmer’s markets and not to supermarkets.  They’re having some problems in coping with the low water levels we are experiencing at this time of year (for readers around the world, we have a water shortage in the UK with various measures in place to conserve water).
Watercress beds at Whitwell(?), Hertfordshire

How to use it

I like it best raw and I enjoy the peppery taste.  I enjoy it in a cheese sandwich or in a salad, just one or two stalks at a time, not too much.  If you don’t like the taste but want the benefits, it could be used in mash potato or easily mixed up with cottage cheese and still eaten raw.

A word of caution!

Always wash and inspect it before you eat it – look out for tiny creatures you may wish to avoid!
Posted in ethical, food, health | 2 Comments

Book review – Earthing by Clinton Ober et al

Posted on 18 April, 2012 by doug

Recently I really did enjoy the challenge of a book review by fellow blogger Natasha  for her ‘The Nourishing Road’ blog.

Click here  for the review, the blog itself and why not take a look around Natasha’s blog while your there.  You’ll see she makes a strong case for natural foods and it’ll be interesting to see how this blog grows in popularity and expertise.

Is there anything you’d like me to review for you?  At the time of writing I get over 4,500 hits a month so plenty of readers.  I’ll be honest in my review, so please bear that in mind.  Please – just leave a comment below.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Coast to Coast training ride

Posted on 15 April, 2012 by doug
C2C practice ride for Becky & Hannah

“Becky how far do you think we’ve been riding for?”

“About a mile or two”

“Are you sure?  Must be at least 20 miles.  I never knew this mountain was so steep” panted Hannah

“Have you tried changing gear?”

“Ah great idea Becky, I know Dad explained all that gear changing stuff but which one do I press?”

“That small one on the left, by your thumb.  If you go any slower you’ll fall off”

Clank goes Hannah’s gears.  Much easier now; a little quicker too.

“Do you think Dad will buy us an ice cream when we get to the top?”

We got ice creams.  This was a “training” ride for our mini holiday to do our Coast to Coast ride in June.  We kind of got the idea last year when we stayed in Cumbria and couldn’t help but notice all the route markings and fantastic countryside from the Irish Sea to the North Sea.

We’re planning to do a short route consisting of 35 miles x 3 days and staying in Travel Lodges.

The great thing is, we’re doing it with our like-minded friends Dave and Ruth with their girls Kate and Hannah (in the same classes as our girls).

Posted in cycling, ethical, family | 2 Comments

World’s best saddle bag?

Posted on 13 April, 2012 by doug

It is all very well for cyclist and blogger Tejvan Pettinger in his truly excellent Cycling Info blog to talk about buying the largest saddle bag you can, he has neglected the above Carradice saddle bags, still made in the UK (thankfully).

I was amused by the thought of other roadies asking him “are you going camping?” upon seeing his somewhat compact saddle bag on his training bike.  If they saw mine they’d be asking if I was moving house.

There are so many fantastic things about Carradice saddle bags.  They’re so durable as this one testifies – being circa 1988 or thereabouts.  They’re probably “bomb proof”, timeless and that adds to the charm, I think.  Certainly heavy duty and comes in handy for carrying some paperwork to and from work, my lunch, mobile phone, wallet, ID badge and clothes for the day.  Permanent occupants are a spare inner tube, some spiders, tyre levers and a spare pair of glasses.

It is amazing what these can carry, having stuffed them full of tins from Sainsburys; I use my pannier bags for less robust cargo.  It is easy to carry a 4 pint bottle of milk, smoothies and tins knowing they’re strapped in there really securely.  Hardly anyone ever cycles to our Sainsbury’s to stock up on loads of shopping – people look at me and think I’m either a disqualified driver, weird or too mean to drive my car.

These bags are hardly  elegant, aerodynamic, modern or trendy.  Instead they look a bit dated, a bit CTC-ish of old and generally twinned with a Brooks B17 saddle but I couldn’t care less.  For use on an all-purpose bike they are great bags.  Mind you, I can’t imagine Tejvan Pettinger et al using one – unless you know different (and now there’s a challenge).

Posted in cycling, reviews, Thorn Audax | Leave a comment

Are avocados and tomatoes good for you?

Posted on 8 April, 2012 by doug

Historically I have loathed avocados but now I see them in a different light and really enjoy them.  Besides, some foods just seems to go well with each other: cheese and pickle, peanut butter and mayonnaise (yes, really!) and now I can add avocados and tomatoes to the list.

Before, I happily bought them for Coach Mrs Ramblings but I always used to loathe them – horrible slippery, slimy and expensive.  However I now see them in a different light.  Why?  Individually they are nutritious but together they’re even better.  Read on….

Avocado

I think of avocados as being a savoury fruit which grows from a rather beautiful tree.  Once we have bought the fruits, we store hem at room temperature but it is said you can speed up the ripening by keeping them with apples.  We haven’t needed to try that as they ripen at a nice steady pace.  They’re ripe when they are slightly soft when given a gentle squeeze – not too much though, they bruise easily.  
They contain glutathione, a powerful antioxidant which is a phytochemical and soaks up free radicals.  This lowers the likelihood of cancers developing.  There’s also quite a lot of monounsaturated fat which is useful in reducing bad cholesterol in blood.  There is also a useful dose of Vitamins E, K (useful for recovery) B1, B2, B3 and B5.  In fact, take the time to look elsewhere on the Internet and you’ll find nothing but praise for avocados and also some comments about them being fairly high in calories, weight for weight.

Tomato

In spite of tomatoes being rather watery, they’re still very healthy through containing Vitamins A, B3 and C.  It is the Lycopene which is present in tomatoes which is especially valuable.  It is an antioxidant carotenoid which is useful (see avocados above) for mopping up free radicals.  To derive the real benefits of this, interestingly the tomatoes should be cooked and then combined with fat.

And then together….

You know the saying, the sum is greater than the individual parts?  This is a good example.  Through combining these two wonderful foods together, you can then derive so much goodness and real health giving benefits. Put simply, it is the fats in the avocado that bring out the best in the tomato (just like peanut butter and mayonnaise, I reckon!)
I just wonder, if ever I had high cholesterol, whether I could treat myself my diet changes, rather than having to give in to those drugs the Doctor would prescribe.  It would certainly be worth a try.
Posted in food, health | Leave a comment

Cycle computers

Posted on 15 March, 2012 by doug

You might have already seen my recent post on GPS gadgets  in which I explained why I prefer to avoid electronic gizmos for running.  Anon left me a comment, asking how I could say that and yet I have a cycle computer.  Was I contradicting myself or being a self righteous git? Well, Anon, I’d like to say that was a fair question and so here’s my answer.

The photo above is of my Cateye computer, having reached 2,000 miles late last year.  I got it shortly after I got the bike it is on; my Thorn Audax.  Rachel (Mrs Ramblings) had given it to me for a birthday present having already said “for your birthday, why not buy something for your new bike, anything you fancy and I’ll pay”.  That presented me with a challenge.  It would have seemed strange to say I’ll replace all the components with something really fancy – Ultegra groupset – having only just bought it.  I thought about some clothing but was boringly content with what I already had.  I thought about an ultra light LED light costing several hundred pounds but my existing one is reasonable.  Then I hit on the idea of handlebar bling in the form of a computer.

Having looked at a few I thought about going upmarket and having a heart rate monitor built in, or maybe GPS or a cadence function (pedal revolutions per hour).  In the end I went for the Strada wireless, costing about £45 and a whole lot less than some other models on the market.  It’s a pretty basic wireless model with speed always shown an a range of secondary information – real time, trip time, trip distance, reset-able odometer, a permanent odometer, maximum speed and average speed.  That’s it, no more.

It adds a bit of interest to cycling, telling me what I have done and it’s nice to click though the information after the end of a ride.  I can monitor my progress and see how I am doing and it’s quite satisfying after a nice ride to see I’ve done 60 miles or hit 39mph downhill.

So maybe it is just a little nerdy but I still like it.  I’m content with it, knowing it is a fairly basic model that works perfectly and sits unobtrusively on the handle bar stem.  So, Anon, I hope that’s okay?

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Commuting by bike – problems to overcome

Posted on 9 March, 2012 by doug
Cyclists in pole position at Trafalgar Square traffic lights

Following the previous Ramble about all the good reasons why commuting by bike is so good, here are a few problems I have needed to solve.

  1. Clothes, shoes etc.  Sometimes I get myself organised and make sure I have clothes at my office, ready for me to change into.  Other times I take a change of clothes each day.  The main thing is having a shirt which won’t become too crumpled looking.  I always keep a spare pair of shoes under my desk but I do bring them home to give them a good polish from time to time – otherwise the leather will totally dry out! I always smile when I’m so obviously in my cycling gear (yellow jacket, helmet, clicky shoes) and someone in reception asks “Have you cycled today Doug?”.
  2. Body odour!  As we don’t have showers, and if I’m really in need I have a quick wash in the “bathroom”.  I do not like to use de-odourant but sometimes do make an exception.
  3. Bad weather happens less than we think here in the East of England; a relatively dry part of the UK.  Squally winds and freezing temperatures are the things that I loathe the most.  This is where the correct cycle clothing comes into play.  Having cycle specific clothing is an investment worth making if you plan to cycle often.
  4. Squashed lunch might seem a daft problem but I can tell you, squashed cheese and pickle sandwiches just doesn’t look good by lunch time!  Even worse than being squashed it where they fall to bits!  A lunch box is useful, depending on how much space you have.  Otherwise pack more robust things like flapjacks and apples
  5. Fear is real.  Fear of cars, accidents, pedestrians, lorries and so on.  The solution is found in being visible with lights and a yellow jacket where appropriate.  Otherwise confidence, experience and a good road sense will help,
  6. Papers take up lots of room and can be heavy.  Planning ahead and having pannier bags are my solutions as I often have to attend meetings elsewhere on different days. Sometimes I have to take papers for several meetings and these can seriously slow me down.   Just as well I have not been “especially chosen” to have a laptop, I’d only lose it or leave it somewhere.
  7. Cramp is a bit of a problem for me but only in my feet.  I have rambled about this before and it does bug me sometimes.  I get it in some of the muscles in my feet, normally one at a time but when it strikes in both feet together, that can be a bit scary.  I think the most probable cause, in which I could do something about, is the shoes I use and keeping my feet warm and dry enough.  Click here for a review of my shoes. Click here for a ramble from last year about getting cramp.
Posted in cycling | 2 Comments

Seven reasons to commute by bicycle

Posted on 7 March, 2012 by doug
Commuting by bike around Trafalgar Square

Yesterday I went into London for a meeting (by train!) and as I walked from Charing Cross to Haymarket I was struck by the large number of cyclists during the rush hour.  I was impressed.

As you might know, I go through phases of cycling to work myself.end to be wider and straighter – makes it easier for cyclists to be seen well in advance.  For me it’s a ride of about 13 miles from one town to another along busy roads.  There are some more rural alternatives which I also like to take but these too can be busy in the rush hour.  So here’s a few of my own reasons:

  1. Arriving energised, feeling so alive and awake.  There’s no doubt in this, I do feel so “alive”, especially after a fast ride.  It makes me more productive.
  2. Quicker.  For my 13 mile ride, it normally takes 45-50 minutes, depending on traffic, wind direction etc.  Normally by car it takes me 30-45 minutes, so not much in it.  An urban ride is almost certainly quicker.
  3. Cheaper. Once you have a decent bike with lights, clothes etc. there is not much to pay out for.  Compare that to a car!  Purchase price, fuel, tax, insurance, car parking, servicing, breakdown cover and so on.  If your employer operates a Cycle to Work scheme, the set up cost is considerably reduced and worth looking in to.  I work for a particularly slow part of the public sector which, by nature is reluctant to indulge in this kind of thing
  4. Makes a statement about who you are and what you stand for – not following the crowd.
  5. Improves fitness as any kind of cycling will do
  6. Environmentally it’s cleaner and we all know cars pollute very badly in stop-start traffic; typical commuting conditions.  One of the cyclists in the above photograph is wearing a face mask to improve the air he’s breathing
  7. Avoid the stress of traffic jams with being able to weave in and out (safely of course) to speed your journey but not to annoy motorists.
  8. Any others?  Have I missed something?  Please leave a comment.
Posted in cycling | 1 Comment

Cycling again

Posted on 2 March, 2012 by doug

Getting nice photographs of me cycling on my own can be a bit of a challenge as you may already have noticed, hence the best I can do is the above image – me and my shadow.

Nevertheless I have started cycling again and my 2012 mileage has now risen to the heady figure of 113 miles.

It felt great on Sunday afternoon having a gentle spin out into the countryside and visit my mother-in-law for a cuppa and natter. Then, feeling inspired I cycled to work on Monday; thoroughly enjoyed it but very slow coming home.  Cycling muscles are a tad out of shape!

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How to give up smoking in one easy step

Posted on 26 February, 2012 by doug
As I enjoyed writing the blog post about being tee total (i.e. no alcohol) I thought I might blog about smoking. Before I go any further, let me assure you I haven’t smoked for many many years – it was a young adult kind-of phase.  I am not proud of myself for this and thankful it has become a distant memory.   The nearest picture I have of me taking part in that shameful habit is this one, above, which as you can see is from a cycling trip in Kenya, all those years ago.
I bucked the trend as far as smoking is concerned.  As I had made it into my twenties with never having had a cigarette, you might ask why start then having avoided the ubiquitousness and crafty fag behind the bike sheds at school .  Well, this is my answer:  in 1984 as I toured around Kenya and Tanzania on my bike (aka a real heap of junk I had while I was at school) I was sometimes given some cigarettes which I saved up in my pannier bags.  They were given to me as part of the change when I bought a meal somewhere.  This was common practice then and as most people used to smoke in those days, I guess it was appreciated by cafe customers to have a cigarette after their meal.  Mine was often omelet, rice and gravel.  Once I had collected up all those cigarettes I decided to try one while camping in the middle of nowhere one night.  Naturally I coughed my guts out, spluttering and spitting.
So, with such an awful start, why did I continue?  For that matter, why would anyone want to smoke?  Let’s look at what is involved.  
You take a load of dried tobacco leaves, spray them with a cocktail of nasty chemicals, wrap it up into some paper or press into a wooden pipe and then set fire to it.  Once your miniature bonfire has started to smoulder, you breath in the smoke and allow it to circulate to every last corner and crevice in your lungs.  As I have mentioned above you cough your guts out, everyone does it the first time.  You have a horrible taste in your mouth and if, like me, you threw up and swear you’ll never do it again.  Except you do.  You struggle to get a taste for it and by the time you do like the taste and the nice feeling it gives you, you’re hooked.  You are hooked on that nicotine and you then find yourself needing a cigarette at key times which then become more and more.
You also pay through the nose for it.  Back in the 1980s a packet of 20 cigarettes was around £2.00 (give or take a bit).  Now I notice they are three times that.  Wow.  Amazing how people continue to smoke even when they can’t afford it.  
Not having enough money adds to the stress of life which makes some people smoke all-the-more.  I once remember going into a tiny little shop opposite the Probation Office I used to work in, back in the 1980s.  It was the old-fashioned kind of shop where you stood in front of a counter and had to ask the shop keeper for what you wanted.  Standing in front of me one day, I remember one of my offenders asked for a bottle of milk, a loaf of bread and a packet of cigarettes .  When he realised he didn’t have enough money, I thought to myself  “I bet he’ll just buy the cigarettes” and sure enough he did.  He didn’t know I was behind him at the time, so when he came to see me for his next appointment, I asked him about it.  He was trapped there in his addiction, along with the alcohol and drug use which I already knew about from his offences – it was another addictive behaviour for me to unpick with him.  Every smoker is just the same – addicted to a behaviour and a behaviour that can be changed.
How to give up smoking
Let’s make no mistake, cigarettes are addictive, both physically and psychologically.  You learn to believe they’re cool and they build a carefree, sociable, sophisticated image about yourself.  You believe you need a cigarette before you can deal with some things like getting up in the morning, going into a meeting, going for a drink or a coffee, driving a car and the list goes on.  You’re hooked, addicted and conditioned to believe these things.  You’re trapped.
And yet it is these beliefs that continue to fuel the addiction.  Having patches, nicotine replacement therapy and a whole load of other tricks all reinforce the belief that cigarettes are something you need.  You forget that you did all those things perfectly well before you started smoking.
We reward ourselves for when we cut down our cigarette consumption – alternative “well done” treats and the like. You treat yourself to a new shirt, or a new TV or a new something else with the money you have saved (or hope you might save).  This is all complete nonsense.  By doing this, or replacing cigarettes with other sources of nicotine, you are reinforcing the need for cigarettes.
What works, in my view, is embracing the belief that YOU DO NOT NEED CIGARETTES.  Just the belief that you are giving up nothing that you actually need is the way to succeeding.  Cutting down, switching to low tar brands and so on is wrong as that again reminds you of how you still want and need cigarettes.  You don’t.  Rise above it and remember how you never needed a cigarette in order to get up in the morning before you started smoking.  All you are giving up is the long list of negative things associated with cigarettes – the bad breath, the coughing, the nasty taste, the slavery, the cost, the health implications and so on.
Looking back to that time, it seems extraordinary.  While I can believe it was fun or slightly mischievous to try a few cigarettes in the African bush, that seems a life time ago.  What helped me at the time was being young and reasonably fit and my body quickly repaired the damage.  I’m so thankful I quit and it has become a distant memory.  Although the memory is distant, I can still remember the whole experience – the way cigarettes can grip your life and rule you.  If you’re reading this and you’re a smoker, you have to believe there is everything to gain from quitting and simply nothing to gain from carrying on.  Just remember – YOU DO NOT NEED THAT CIGARETTE.  RISE ABOVE IT. 
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Posted in confidence, health | 11 Comments

Withdrawal symptoms

Posted on 21 February, 2012 by doug

My apologies for not blogging very much lately.  I’ve missed you too.  It seems there is always so much to do these days at home, at work, wider family and church demands all squeezing my time.  Please don’t take that as a grumble; it’s not.  As much as I love running and cycling and blogging about it, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

I think I’m suffering some withdrawal symptoms, particularly from cycling.  This picture was taken this morning as I popped into the garage for something or other.  Like so many in the UK, we don’t actually use our garages for parking our cars in as instead, we use them for all kinds of other things as you can see.

The MK Marathon training schedule is proving very hard to keep up with 4 or 5 runs a week.  I just don’t seem to be getting the opportunity to run that often.  I do manage about 3 or maybe 4 runs each week: 2 are generally on a treadmill in the gym and the long run at the weekend is spent running through the countryside.  Weekend before last I went running for 2 hours 20 minutes in which I must have covered about 14 or 15 miles.  It was hard towards the end with plenty of snow around; I ran across some fields through previously unbroken snow.  It was wonderful.  It was uplifting, inspirational and humbling.  Humbling for all kinds of reasons.

As for cycling, I’m getting out of the habit which I’m feeling increasingly unhappy about.  I have done less than 70 miles so far this year and must snap out of this.  There are some occasions when I could genuinely have cycled the 13 odd miles to my office but have chosen to go by car instead having justified it in some way.  At least the days are getting longer and the icy weather won’t last for much longer.

I need to keep reminding myself of all of the real benefits of running.  The Runner’s High and those feelings of elation and profound satisfaction; rising above all of the challenges, the niggles and feelings of self doubt.  The peacefulness and beauty of being the first to run a particular trail one day; the first to leave my footprints and be inspired by just being there.  The physical health benefits of burning 700 calories an hour, the benefit of putting my body under a little bit of pressure to make it stronger for the next run.  Tomorrow I have to go to London and won’t get back home until 9.00pm, so not much chance for a run for a run until the day after.  I just have to keep believing I can work through this dis-jointed training and know that the right opportunities will arise.

So once again, please accept my apologies for not blogging so much lately.  I really value the bits of encouragement that come my way from friends, family and colleagues.  Here’s to clocking up plenty more miles in the near future on two wheels as well as two feet.

Posted in cycling, runner's high, running | 3 Comments