I repeat myself, quoting Aman Yadav, we runners are in the eye of the 'air-pollution' storm. Lets act more responsibly than we possibly have ever done. 

Being in the car, at least in the front seats, without a seat belt, is illegal. So is riding a motorised two wheeler without a helmet. And the legal age to drive or ride is 18 years. Basically, these rules apply to adults. Intent is stop them from harm, probably death before their expiry date. We all think we all are immortal. It’ll never happen to us or our loved ones. Even if we think death will someday come, tomorrow just seems very distant. So we don’t care.

Why invite it sooner than it’s due?

Why do we needs laws for this? 

Commonsense anyone! 

Somehow there are no rules yet against running, playing sports or physically exerting outdoors when the AQI is in the Brown & Purple zone.  Do remember that right now we are far beyond start of Brown zone. 

It’s just very unfortunate that couch potato activists are even being allowed to decide about runners & folks who are physically active outdoors because we simply can’t seem to agree on something so basic. 

As for, 'but I have been running this air for last 10 days or 10 years', you could smoke for 40 years but you would only die once, that too from smoking related condition. And someone else could even smoke for 50 years and die, but not because of smoke related issues. But then again, someone might only need less than a year of smoking to kill him from lung cancer.

It simply isn't a sane argument. 

Air Pollution might have running a major favour. It's upto us what we make of it now. 

Besides everything else, use this time to strength train and become a far better runner. You might want to check this blog of mine to know much more about it. 

It took one single mad man to drive his car onto to a cricket ground while a match was on. There were only 15 people on the ground. Cricketers have come together for this rather than be divided if the driver of that car and his friends were mistreated by the ground’s security earlier or if it’s his right to drive wherever!

Can we appreciate a simple fact that with rights come duties. 

We, runners, happen to be in the eye of the ‘air-pollution’ storm. It’s not very often that powers-to-be listen to us. We have this mike for a very short span. Let’s not get into one-upmanship. It doesn’t matter whose is bigger if it’s not functional. We are not being functional right now. 

Our actions today, will change tomorrow. For us. For our children. Do we care or are we simply too selfish to think beyond our own selves. I urge you to think long term. Short term will sort itself out. 

2nd edition of Juniorrun in New Delhi has been moved from 12th November to 3rd December. Now that's a bold move, I know, but the right one. Thank you Juniorun New Delhi 2017 (2nd Edition). 

You might also want to read my blog Air Pollution and Running on 28th October 2017. 

Keep miling and smiling.