[at-l] Quit-smoking hike in Georgia

[RussDade@aol.com (RussDade@aol.com)]

I'm glad that quitting smoking is that important to you.
This hike is important to me because my wife is letting
me go... ;) Actually, I've been looking for people to 
backpack with (not very hard it seems), and trying to
get the time off to do it (I put this off for years).
When I finally said, "just do it" and committed to
the trip, my wife reminded me that our wedding anniversary is during this hike (9/4)... oops... but
she also said have fun...
I smoked for 16+ years, I started in high school (late 
1973)and kept smoking until 1990. I had to quit 
smoking to run a marathon. I was running 6-7 days a 
week and wanted to be able to breath... After sneaking
a cigarette before going out on a 15 mile run one day, 
I finally said, "this is nuts", & quit for good (I had a miserable run that day...). I reached my goal, I 
finished the marathon (That was my only goal, to finish), it took me over 5 hours & was one of the most painful things I have done.... well, except spending 
8 days with people who just quit smoking... ;)

Now, 1000 pounds later... (I lose & gain the same 30-40
pounds, over & over & over again...), I want to hike, 
walk & run again (I stopped running after knee surgery years ago, now I started again after foot surgery...
go figure...). I'm walking 3-6 miles, 5-6 days a
week to get my legs in shape (my weight stays the 
same) for this hike. My goal is to start my life over
again (and help you start yours as a non-smoker), and to start doing the things that are important to me, 
instead of putting them off until later (somehow backpacking fell through the cracks years ago)...

See y'all there...

Russ (a Joisey boy in SC)

  
>Russ, this is an important hike for me. With or >without Pittsburg, I'm
>hiking from Springer for 9 or 10 days and coming back >a nonsmoker. I have my
>new employer's blessing to do this only 10 days or so >after my first day at
>work . . .