CHEAP AND EASY PROTEIN SHAKE FOR RUNNERS

Protein is essential for maintaining basic bodily functions and for repairing your body after workouts. 

Many runners do not focus enough on their protein intake since unlike bodybuilders (they believe that) their goal is not to build muscles. Their primary focus is on carbohydrates and this approach backfires since the repair and healing powers of protein is absent in their diet. Protein and muscles are essential for sustaining and improving running performance (and also to stop yourself from looking like a chicken noodle).

Richard Kreider, Ph.D., one of the ISSN study's authors and head of the Exercise and Nutrition Laboratory at Baylor University says that, "after an intense bout of exercise, your immune system is weakened for about four to five hours". "Protein stimulates white blood cells, which helps shield against upper-respiratory problems." Military research studies show that Marines who ingested high amounts of protein had fewer medical visits than those with lower protein intake.

As per Runner’s World, “the USDA's Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram (or 0.36 grams per pound) of body weight. But that's not enough for athletes, according to the ISSN, which says endurance athletes like runners need 1.0 to 1.6 grams per kilogram a day (or .45 to .72 grams per pound). That translates into 75 to 120 grams of protein daily for a 165-pound runner.”

Protein shakes are an easy way to maintain your protein intake. Unfortunately, the prices of good quality protein powder supplements are obnoxious to say the least. A 5kg supply will cost almost Rs. 10,000/. Moreover, even after having the protein shake, you’ll still need to consume regular food since the shake will not provide enough calories and other nutrients and it will leave you hungry.

All powders are expensive

For the last few years my breakfast has been 3-4 boiled eggs and a glass of milk. A few months ago I had reached my boiling point since the "bite an egg and then take a sip of the sugarless milk" approach had become too insipid and also because it takes about 10 minutes to finish this meal and I don’t have that kind of time before leaving for work. So a quick and simple (and disgusting for some!) recipe which I use after my running session in order to serve the dual purpose of getting in my protein intake plus quick breakfast is The Egg Banana Milkshake.

Ingredients:

1.         3 Boiled Eggs

2.         About 400 ml skimmed milk

3.         2 Bananas

Put the above in a blender and make a shake. It tastes almost like a banana milk shake but with a hint of salt because of the eggs. It’s not tasteful like a banana milk shake for obvious reasons. It’s more like your wife’s cooking- even if you don’t like it, you know it’s good for you to just shovel it all down without complaining.

Do not add raw eggs due to the viruses present in uncooked eggs and moreover cooked (boiled) protein is more bio-available to our bodies than raw.

Protein content is as follows:

18-20 gms of protein from the boiled eggs (3.5 gms in the egg white and 3 gms in the yolk)

12 gms of protein from the skimmed milk.

2 gms from the bananas

So total about 32 gms of protein.

About two glasses of shake will be produced from the aforesaid ingredients and the calorie content will be about 650 calories- so it serves a dual purpose as breakfast plus protein shake.

Try this concoction. You won’t need to snack in between breakfast and lunch, plus the eggs will supply a whole lot of other nutrients. Don’t worry about the cholesterol from the eggs since they contain some much needed good fats.

P.S.- This shake is also a good cure for hangovers, since eggs contain large amounts of cysteine. Cysteine is a substance that breaks down the hangover-causing toxin acetaldehyde in the liver's depleted glutathione. Therefore, eggs, plus potassium from bananas, and hydration plus vitamins from milk can together potentially help mop up the left-over toxins.

TomTom Spark Cardio GPS Watch - Test and Review

Recently, the guys at TomTom asked me to test and review the Tomtom Spark GPS watch and I gladly agreed. The GPS unit which was provided to me has been returned to the company.

               

I'm not unfamiliar with TomTom GPS watches since I bought a TomTom Multisport watch in June 2015 and I've been using that for most of my workouts with the exception of a few workouts on my humongous, orange, old and faithful Garmin 310XT. Multisport is the generation prior to the launch of Spark range by TomTom.

The unit which was provided to me for the test was all black in colour and the first aspect that I noticed is how much sleeker, smaller and tasteful the new design looks. On comparing it with my Multisport unit it is apparent that the Spark unit has become smaller and sleeker majorly because of the reduction in the size of the strap but some of it is also attributable to design changes. I'm a big fan of simple and clean designs and the unit in all black is quite appeasing to look at. 

Good looking much?!

It can easily be worn to work as a regular watch since the main interface on the unit shows a big and clear time display and with the new activity tracking feature that has been added to the Spark, the unit becomes quite useful when not being used for running/cycling/swimming. In activity tracking feature, the unit measures steps, distance, heart rate and calories.

Spark has an in-built optical heart rate (HR) sensor and this removes the hassle of wearing a HR chest strap. You needn't worry about the accuracy of the in-built HR sensor since the technology has evolved enough over time to provide you an accurate HR measurement. In fact, as compared to my Multisport, the new Spark HR sensor is far more accurate. The Multisport has a habit of recording faulty readings for short and fast intervals but I did not face this issue with the Spark. Possible reasons for this enhanced accuracy could be the change in watch design and the new collaboration by TomTom with LifeQ instead of the previous partner Mio for the optical HR sensor. My Multisport has a Mio optical HR sensor and as per my analysis it is not as accurate as the LifeQ sensor in the Spark.

I’ve never been fond of HR chest strap monitors because, (i) they’re hard to connect; (ii) you need to wet the HR strap; (iii) the strap keeps slipping while racing; (iv) the strap wears down easily over time and loses elasticity; (iv) it is quite unhygienic if you don’t wash it after every use; (iv) your watch tries to connect with other HR straps in your vicinity; (v) chafing;  and (vi) purchasing a replacement strap is expensive. Consequently, I’m more than happy for the new in-built HR technology that is now available in the market.

The wrist strap/band of the Spark unit has not just been made smaller but it has also been redesigned to fit better and not come loose like the Multisport. The Spark has dual prongs where the straps connects with itself and this makes the unit fit much better and also stay that way during a workout. The Multisport strap has a habit of coming undone during workouts but this does not occur while using the Spark. Also what I noticed is that the material of the strap on the Spark is more flexible and seems more durable than the Multisport

Spark can be used for running, cycling, swimming, step counting, treadmill running and indoor cycling (when paired with a sensor). I didn’t use it for swimming so I’ll reserve my comments on that, but it is quite easy to use while activity tracking, running and cycling but the treadmill usage is a little complex since the accelerometer in the unit does not work as accurately as you’d wish it to work. However, when a treadmill run finishes then the KM (kilometre) reading can be adjusted manually (as per the distance shown on the treadmill) to get a more or less accurate spread of HR vis-a-vis total workout time but the per KM pace will not be accurate. For a treadmill run in which you’ve manually changed the distance, when you upload the data to the Tomtom app or Strava app, the duration of the run and the HR during the run will be accurately shown but the per KM pace may not be accurate.

To measure speed, cadence and distance for indoor cycling you’ll need to buy a cadence and speed sensor. I haven’t bought the cadence and speed sensor yet, so I use the HR sensor to gauge the effort for my indoor cycling workout. I pedal for my desired timeframe on my Kurt Kinetic trainer at a particular HR and use the unit for HR based training. So if don’t want to run a 5k at 5:30 pace (for which I know that my HR will average 140 bpm), I’ll simply cycle indoors for about 30 minutes and ensure that the HR sensor in the unit stays at 140 bpm.

One of the foremost reasons why I had shifted last year from Garmin to TomTom was because TomTom had launched direct Bluetooth transfer from the watch to Android phones. This makes life pretty easy and immediately after finishing a workout; I can send my data to my phone via Bluetooth. Moreover, since I’ve synced my TomTom account with Strava, the data from TomTom automatically gets updated to Strava. You can sync it to other apps too like Endomondo, Runkeeper etc.

During the Bluetooth transfer from the unit to the phone, one issue that I’ve seen people regularly face and for which I’ve been asked for suggestions is that on some occasions the unit simply does not connect to the TomTom app on Android phones and therefore the workout cannot be transferred. I’ve also faced this issue initially and at such times I would reboot my phone and the transfer would start. It’s then that I realised that instead of rebooting, the solution lay in simply closing the TomTom app on the phone and then reopening it to allow the transfer to start. This works and do note that this is not an issue with the watch, rather it’s an issue in the phone. So next time when you face this issue, simply close the TomTom app in your phone’s app manager and then open the TomTom app again. If this does not work then every time when you finish a workout, switch on the Bluetooth in the phone and then open the TomTom app; then in your watch go to "Phone" option and turn the phone sync option off and then on. This works for me invariably if the first method doesn't. Another method is to again pair the watch with the TomTom app. I hope that TomTom rectifies this issue very soon.

I won’t comment on the battery life since the unit which was provided to me had seen quite a rigorous and harsh time with previous testers and users and therefore its battery was compromised. However even in this state it was tracking workouts for upto 4-5 hours (provided night mode and vibration alert wasn’t turned on). My old Multisport provides around 6 hours of workout time (without night mode and vibration alert) and I’ve seen it run upto 10 hours or so with the HR sensor turned off. So for longer runs and races, switching off the HR sensor and vibration alert is a feasible solution for extended battery life. With the HR sensor turned off, you’ll get the GPS data fully but no HR data. This seems like a valid compromise for an extended battery life!

Let us look at the competition - in the Garmin range, if you look at the features and pricing then the Spark Cardio unit can be compared with the Garmin Forerunner (FR) 235. Spark can do almost everything that a Garmin FR 235 can do at almost half the price and look way more elegant while doing it since as I said earlier, the unit in black colour is appeasing enough to perform double duty as an office watch cum activity tracker. Moreover, what I really like is how solidly built the watch feels and looks as compared to the Garmin FR 235. The Garmin FR 235 weighs like a feather but it seemed as if it wouldn’t withstand a lot of punishment.

For a little more money, there is also a music version of the watch which can store upto 500 songs and the music can be played via a Bluetooth headset. Also if black is not your color then go for one of the more vibrant colors and/or buy interchangeable straps.

Feel free to post any questions regarding the unit. Cheers.

Substituting pains

Sometimes, no, many a times, I wonder why we run? I try to find reasons here and there; I draw silly analogies; sometimes I strike gold.

A long time ago when my beard and hair was all black and not politely called Salt N' Pepper, I dated a girl for a very short period and she was a cutter. I'm stressing on the short period since I didn't drive her to cutting - I was a good boy. By cutting, I don't mean that she was a wood cutter or a lumberjack. She used to cut herself - self harm. Most of her scars were on her limbs.

I had forgotten about her scars but recently I've noticed many runners at events and at group runs, who have quite a collection of these cuts. Some are even deep and wide, which means that there was repeated cutting of the same spot to prolong the satisfaction and relief from cutting. Yes, a cutter can derive relief and satisfaction from cutting since in the simplest of psychological explanations -  it replaces an existing pain deep within with a new one. The cutter can control and relish the pain and forget the one rooted inside him.

Cutting is ok, I guess. Your body, your choice, your beauty, go full graffiti. As long as you don't kill me or yourself, use your body how you want. Go you!

There is a tribe in Papua New Guinea called the Kanigara, which creates a crocodile pattern on the skin through scarring as a right of passage.

Kanigara tribal

Coming back to running, what I find wonderful and bewildering (in a good way) is to see that these runners limbs' around me only have scars from the past. I think they've found a new substitute for the cutting. The pain from running is the antidote to the pain within.

Mental calluses

Go for a run, endure the workout; wake up and repeat. Accumulate tiredness over the days, then rest for a day and commence again. Over and over, again and again, the cycle continues.

Physical changes will appear and are easy to notice. Body fat melts, more veins appears, some gauntness, a little muscle here and there with a visible permanence of fatigue.

What about the mind during all this? It must be changing too if we are willing it day in, day out to instruct the limbs to move faster, slower, climb a hill, stop, repeat, drink water, race, receive the pain, ignore pain, focus, eat etc. 

There must be a lot of emotional callus in this process. Ever growing, ever hardening and layering up to ensure that the workouts continue but forever invisible unlike the calluses on our feet and hands.

During a run, I can imagine the mind executing its own separate workout which is connected to the physical workout, yet unconnected since the mind is working hard only to send instructions to the limbs. It is not a part of the physicality and momentum of the limbs; it is the creator and owner of both.

The effort is perceivable in the limbs and other organs but the mind is also steadily getting tired. It is also working out. All the instructions and all those thoughts, travelling at light speed through the nerves in order to reach the limbs and then travelling back with news of pain and ecstacy.

The brain can’t idle. It is and has to be hyperactive so that it can supplement the “will” to finish a workout and coordinate the limbs and other organs.

Even at race pace the limbs are moving like a snail, since their master is managing an orchestra of millions of neural musicians in a span of milliseconds. Working, overworking, stressing and beautifully managing all the thoughts which create the physical momentum. The mind thoughtfully caresses and convinces the limbs to carry on but also shows its wrath when the limbs slow down and attempt to disobey it. Sometimes it loses the battle with the limbs but usually it ensures that the goal is achieved. It must be tough work and every workout must be making the mind stronger and more callused.

I've recently experienced how these mental calluses accumulate and help over time. A few days ago, three of us ran our personal best with a lot less training and worse physical fitness than last year for the same race.

The calluses in the mind allowed us to ignore the pain. 

Our minds have become cruel over time, but only for the good.

Importance of Testosterone in running

Yesterday, 33 year old, two time Olympian and American half marathon record holder (59:43), Ryan Hall announced his retirement from professional running. He did this just a few weeks before the U.S. Olympic Trials. The criticality of the decision makes it certain that the man has given it some serious thought.

Injuries and low testosterone levels have been outlined by him as the reason for announcing his retirement.

Injuries are easy to understand and diagnose but the same cannot be said about testosterone. Men nowadays have way less testosterone as compared to our forefathers. Poor diet, bad products (food and lifestyle products), stress (mostly work and money related), lack of exercise (or too much of it, as I will explain below) etc. are some of the main reasons for this.

Testosterone plays an important role throughout the body in men (and women too). It affects the brain, bone and muscle mass, fat distribution, the vascular system, energy levels, genital tissues, and sexual functioning. The opposite of testosterone is estrogen. Women are predominant in estrogen and men in testosterone. Too much of estrogen, and someone will wife you.

A drop in testosterone levels can contribute to, diminished erectile quality, changes in mood, reduced intellectual and cognitive function, fatigue, depression and anger, decrease in muscle mass and strength, decreased body hair, skin alterations, decreased bone mass/mineral density and increase in abdominal fat mass. Basically, with low testosterone you will become the old lady next door.

Endurance exercise like distance running, cycling and swimming have been shown to reduce testosterone levels in a male body significantly.

So a lower base level of testosterone which is common in men nowadays, coupled with testosterone losses from endurance exercise sounds like a recipe for disaster for amateur athletes who train hard but it seems won’t get hard. Moreover, training will suffer due to low testosterone levels since energy levels will be low, mood swings will be present and fatigue will be holding you back. There will be higher chances of a burnout and bad race timings.

Research has shown that chronic exposure to prolonged endurance training can result in disturbances within the reproductive physiological and endocrinological systems of humans (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2675257) and this is probably why men’s testosterone levels are lowered by endurance training.

In another study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1899423), over 6 months of training, the men increased weekly running mileage to an average of 56 km/week. The result was that total testosterone and free androgen index levels decreased significantly.

Endurance exercise has been said to develop “exercise-hypogonadal male condition". Specifically, men with this condition exhibit basal (resting-state) free and total testosterone levels that are significantly and persistently reduced. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16268050)

Interval training on the other hand has been shown to increase testosterone (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23310924). In this study, interval exercise session was repeated periods of 90-sec treadmill running at 100-110% maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and 90-sec active recovery at 40% VO2max for 42-47 min. The steady state exercise session consisted of a continuous 45-min run at 60-65% VO2max (like an easy 8-10km run). The study suggested that interval sessions might produce a higher turnover of free testosterone than the slow long endurance run.

Such reduction in testosterone is not limited to just running. In this study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8861670) even endurance swimming was producing the same low levels of testosterone. Cycling also leads to a same “unhappy ending”.

Moreover, after the age of 30 in men, the levels of testosterone decrease by approximately 1% per year. Your bank balance may be going up but something else which is as vital is going down.

Flo Rida was right when he sang that

For athletes who race ultras and Ironman or who have a high weekly mileage (cycling or running), it is important to protect your “family jewels”, your “Mc Nuggets”, your….oh you get the point. The ladies and races need us and we must oblige.

Some ways to naturally increase your testosterone levels or at least maintain them are given below. I have already read the scientific papers on these, so I won’t bore you with those since you already have enough on your plate and will have more (literally). Rest assured that the methods below are not only simple but also are the easiest:

FOOD

Make the following a part of your diet:

a.               Cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower

b.               Pomegranate

c.               Garlic

d.               Meat (provides Zinc which is essential for testosterone production)

e.                Eggs

f.                Omega 3 Fatty Acids (present in Eggs, meat and mustard oil are easy sources)

g.               Vitamin D (go stand in the sun for some time. Fair & Lovely is for douchebags)

h.               Bananas

i.         Fat (good fat like Desi Ghee, olive oil, mustard oil)
j.         Black lentil

STRENGTH TRAINING

The most important non-food source of testosterone is strength training and within strength training, the best exercises are compound exercises like Squats, Deadlifts, Pull ups and Bench Press.

Moreover, if you are performing strength training and endurance training in the same session then the order of exercise should be endurance exercise followed by strength training. This study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25028991) has shown that testosterone increases more if endurance training is followed by strength training.

CHEMICAL AVOIDANCE

Avoid Shampoos, Body Wash, Hair Gels etc. as much as possible. 

Stick to regular soap mostly and use shampoos, body wash and other similar products only when necessary. 

Look for the following names on the product label since these ingredients cause a reduction in testosterone:

a.                Parabens- methylparaben, butylparaben and any other word ending with paraben.

b.               Sulfates- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate etc.

c.                Organic alcohols- Propylene Glycol, Polyethylene Glycol etc.

ALCOHOL

This one actually hurt while writing. Everyone likes alcohol. The Beer Mile should be an Olympic Sport. 

Who doesn’t like alcohol? Your parents, but only when you drink it.

Alcohol is anyway linked to low testosterone levels. So moderation in alcohol intake is the key. Now the real bad news is the Hops in beer. You see, before the German Beer Purity Law was introduced in the 16th century (not sure), hops were not used for making beer. Other herbs were used and these herbs made the beer tonic like and good. The beer of olden times would make you feel like Thor and you’d be ready to bring the hammer down and nail it….all of it.

The erstwhile herbs in beer increased energy and aggressiveness in men. Then some asshole found out that women were dozing off too much in fields of hops while harvesting and they discovered that the extremely high estrogen content in hops was the cause. So, the Church decided to replace the good herbs in beer with hops by passing the German Beer Purity Law, in order to control men. Any beer maker contravening this law was severely punished.

This study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11134162) found out that the women who pick up hops by hand, experience disturbances in their menstrual cycles due to the extremely high estrogenic activity in the hops. The results of the study indicate that the endocrine properties of hops and hop products are due to the very high estrogenic activity of 8-prenylnaringenin and concern must be expressed about the unrestricted use of hops in herbal preparations for women.

Now, the modern beer has hops as an ingredient and this makes your beer super rich in estrogen. Estrogen is the opposite of testosterone. Do the math.

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

As far as the post race beer is concerned, there is more bad news. A study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8800389) was conducted to see the combined effect of alcohol and physical exercises on testosterone. As per this study, physical stress immediately before alcohol administration prolonged the depressant effect of alcohol on testosterone secretion.

Is running a hobby?

I’ve thought of “regular running” as a hobby or pastime and I’ve heard people claim that it’s a/their hobby but I’ve realized that regular running can’t be considered as a hobby. It is too intense, soul leeching (with the constant ups and downs) and difficult if pursued correctly and regularly to be a hobby, and if pursued for leisure or for amusement then the irregularity and lack of commitment will take it far away from the realm of being considered as a hobby.

A hobby would be something which is regular yet easy, relaxing, amusing and entertaining like fishing, gardening, collecting stamps, tasting scotch, building model aircrafts or feeding ducks.

Looks do-able. Cardio required only for lifting beer and sandwiches.

Regular running is more like being thrown into an everyday challenge or maybe akin to voluntarily taking up a (hard) lifestyle which ultimately translates into a habit. Every running session seems like an upheaval in an otherwise sedentary life. Maybe the difficulty and intensity of a regular training regimen is the reason why there are so many irregular runners.

Hard and structured training for a full marathon through let us say a weekly mileage of 70-80 kms for several months to just run one marathon does not seem like a hobby per se. Puking your guts out during or after a session of intervals doesn't sound something to eagerly look forward to. Collecting running shoes, certificates and medals without running sounds more like a hobby. Playing football or badminton every weekend sounds relaxing and I’d call that a hobby.

If pursued with intensity then regular running can encompass every aspect of your life. For a good workout, and sustainable and continuous improvements in running, even the smallest of day to day activities have to be monitored in order to synchronize these with your running schedule. Everyday decisions have to be constantly undertaken such as, sleep enough and on time, wake up on time, eat correct, don’t drink that beer, don’t lift too heavy weights, don’t lift weights that light, think less about how hard it is, ignore the pain, let the injury heal, manage office work, learn about running techniques etc.

So relaxing. My hobby is to regularly feel like dying and then question why I do this.

The decisions during a day in order to maintain a good running schedule are endless and to be honest I don’t think it’s as fun as it’s made out to be but for some reason regular runners endure this life and the training. It seems more like a habit and a life choice which attracts a particular mindset, rather than a hobby. It ultimately becomes a lifestyle in which you keep questioning the rationale for engaging in it.

It’s fun but only sometimes and usually when you stop and think about it.

Odd Even Cars and Captain Planet

Hearing the objection and nod of disapproval from numerous people to Delhi Government’s odd-even car proposal, has made me realize how unconnected and unconcerned most of us are with the environment and the most basic and necessary of things which is required for our survival- AIR.

Living in Delhi has been equated to living in a gas chamber by the High Court of Delhi. Our air pollution levels are off the charts. 

Runners and cyclists are inhaling several times more of the air pollutants. This is not a city where running, cycling, walking or living is feasible anymore. Yet, many of us are trying to shoot down the Delhi Government’s much needed initiative of even-odd cars or arguments from the supporters of the proposed rule.

Maybe the reason for that is that the people of Delhi cannot connect the relationship between clean air and healthy living. However, runners and cyclists in Delhi and elsewhere are more aware of the menace of bad air and they also seem to be more proactive and receptive to the even-odd rule. 

It seems that the non-athlete sedentary Delhi-ite has not yet been able to fathom how bad the situation is and how much worse it will become if no action is taken immediately and if actions which are being undertaken are thwarted for flimsy reasons.

The regular Delhi person seems to be content with the, if I can’t see it then it’s not bad or if I close my eyes, then the monster will vanish approach. Forget the obliviousness and apathy of adults; our children’s lungs are already compromised and will further deteriorate.

Remember the superhero, Captain Planet. Nope? Or do you remember him only faintly? Don’t fret. I can understand. He is one of the most basic superheroes. He, (i) is not good looking; (ii) is not overly muscular; (iii) has no background childhood horror stories or tough upbringing or emotional issues that you can relate to; (iv) has no over the top superpowers; and (v) he is in general a very amiable character.

Due to all these “shortcomings” which don’t give him an "edge", Captain Planet never became as famous as Superman or Batman. Hell, even Ant Man is now more famous than him. Captain Planet is like the guy in class that you would say Hi to everyday but will conveniently forget when you graduate. 

But unlike Batman and Superman and other superheroes he was possibly the only one who wanted to save our planet from pollution with the help of the people. His superpower in fact generated when all the kids combined their powers. He was basically a lesson from his creator/writer that we need to get together and save the planet.  Captain Planet was the only superhero who told us to protect our environment and not pollute it at the end of every episode.

His theme song was:

Earth!

Fire!

Wind!

Water!

Heart!

GO PLANET!

With your powers combined I am Captain Planet!

Captain Planet, he's our hero,

Gonna take pollution down to zero,

He's our powers magnified,

And he's fighting on the planet side

Captain Planet, he's our hero,

Gonna take pollution down to zero,

Gonna help him put us under,

Bad guys who like to loot and plunder

"You'll pay for this Captain Planet!"

We're the planeteers,

You can be one too!

'Cause saving our planet is the thing to do,

Looting and polluting is not the way,

Hear what Captain Planet has to say:

"THE POWER IS YOURS!!"

Nice guys never win

Captain Planet was quite possibly the only superhero who wanted to really add value to our life and save us and the future generations from the menace of pollution created by humans. He was an animated lesson in environment protection.

However, just like we ignored him since it was convenient, we are ignoring the Delhi Government’s initiative and the benefits of the odd-even car rule since it will not be convenient to follow the said rule.

All the objections that I have heard till now can be dealt with.

Last mile connectivity at work place is absent is not a correct statement. There may be less connectivity but there cannot be an absence. A commercial establishment will never be set up in the middle of a desert. No profits can be made if a business is run in the middle of nowhere. If not taxis, buses or rickshaws, then there will be some local “entrepreneur” who will be running an auto service. Maybe you could give walking a shot! Your employer in order to protect his profits will ensure that some sort of transport is provided. Your colleagues can come and pick you up on bad days or till the time arrangements are made.

What will happen in case of a medical emergency? I trust you will agree that no cop will stop a car if he can see a patient in pain inside. Moreover, ambulances will move faster if there are less cars on the roads.

People are leading normal lives in smaller cities and villages where transport is negligible. Even with the odd-even car rule, we will still have a hundred times more connectivity and transport facilities.

For every objection there is some rational explanation, solution or alternative. The only problem is that it is inconvenient. The government is figuring out solutions to loopholes and they are devising ways to control any chaos that may arise from the rule. But shooting down a policy that allows you, your family and future generations to live a healthy life is not humane or rational, just because it will inconvenience you and just because you do not (at this point in time) realize the importance of clean air.

I’m not even venturing into the fact that less traffic on the road will mean substantial time savings which can be used to lead a happier and less stressed life. 

I'd use the extra time, low traffic and clean air to rigorously pursue outdoor activities. I wish there were more cyclists and runners in Delhi. They would have been able to influence those who do not realize.

Read this http://www.firstpost.com/india/india-races-past-china-in-pollution-delhi-air-one-and-a-half-times-worse-than-beijing-2540114.html for another reminder of how dire the situation has become.