It takes a lot of dedication to quit smoking and train for a run and taking both of those on at the same time may seem daunting but it actually might be helping people.

Judi MacEachen was a smoker for 35 years smoking and finally quit for good in January 2018.

She tried several different things to quit but nothing worked until she tried running.

“I had been trying to quit on my own and having a great deal of difficulties dealing with withdraw and just the agitation of it all. I looked online and found a run and walk to quit program,” says MacEachen.

At first, MacEachen tried to do the program on her own.

“I followed the Canadian Cancer Society’s manual on how to quit smoking that dealt with a nicotine addiction and the habit of smoking but the running side of it I did it on my own.  I was running every day and trying to push myself as much as possible and wasn’t very successful,” says MacEachen.

The second time, she visited The Running Room in Glenmore Landing and met her coach, Ryan Gerlach, who gave her tips on how to succeed.

Gerlach says the secret to success is to gently ramp up the running.

“The first week you might feel ‘Oh my gosh; they’re just going to make me run 5k’. No, we don’t do that at all. We start with a simple run for 1 minute walk for 2 minutes but every week we add an extra minute of running,” he says.

MacEachen will now lead an upcoming walk or run to quit program and says the the ten week program will also help people what triggers their smoking and make a healthier choice.

“If I felt lonely I would smoke; if I felt I needed a reward I would smoke; all these things and so what the program does is make you more conscious of where and when you are smoking and what’s the circumstance behind smoking,” says MacEachen.

Gerlach says everyone who signs up wants to quit and they also want to be more active.

“Being a runner myself I’m always looking for motivation and for things that inspire me as a runner and these guys are phenomenal. They’re very inspirational people,” says Gerlach.

MacEachen says now that’s she quit she feels wonderful and more in control of her health and is looking forward to encouraging others and sharing her story.

“Just come. We’ll help guide you along the way. It’s a ten week program and come as much as possible. Show up; that’s what I kept telling myself and I kept showing up and it worked,”  she says.

MacEachen will lead the walk or run to quit program beginning on Friday, August 13.

All six Running Room locations will be hosting a run to quit program.