Quo Vadis?

“How can you run 10 kms if you cannot walk 10kms?! ” This incredulous question that had a tinge of anger came from a veteran runner and triathlete of Chennai. He was sad about the demise of his friend and veteran runner who passed away recently. He was visibly upset at the way people were taking up running without thinking about the side effects. Recounting parts of the discussion with him below: If you are planning to run to become fit, lose weight or any other reason you must first start walking. Start by walking slowly then move to a brisk walk. A thumb rule is to be able to have a regular conversation with others during the brisk walk to understand the ideal desirable pace. If you are gasping too much then you should slow down. After consistently walking for two weeks at least the next step will be walk run where you walk for 4 minutes then run for 1 minute,  gradually the walking will reduce and the running will increase till the ideal balance of running 4 minutes and w

In moments of deep sadness you often wonder what could have been if? I heard of a fitness fan who ran and was also into core work outs who died recently after returning home at the end of work out session. IMHO large fitness groups are a recipe for disaster with mob mentality and one size fit all plans that lead an unsuspecting new comer the wrong way. Today many people are led by what they see others doing and enter into gruelling physical activity without considering if  they  can do likewise.With the rising incidence of heart attacks among younger, physically active people it is a cause of concern. One of the biggest takeaway that i have from my years of working in the life insurance field is the relative lack of self awareness of people about their health condition. People are not aware if they should indulge in high intensity activities to achieve their usual target of weight loss. The question is Should I?  and not Why can't I? Large informal groups l

#metoo should not have happened. It happened because finally women spoke up and yet they should not have been pushed to this. Our women have been subject to harassment of all kinds at all places and yet they soldier on. They do this because they are made of a tougher substance than the weak ones who attempt to harass them. Why do men harass women? I know that the safest excuse is the media and the movies, but movies reflect society. So without stepping into the chicken and egg conundrum let me say that children are moulded by their parents and by what they see their parents do. The other day when my father-in-law mouthed an expletive while travelling with the family it took me a lot of self-restraint not to react in the presence of my daughter but therein lies the danger. We do so many things not caring what the children in our family are seeing or hearing. Children growing up in homes where the father abuses or just disrespects the mother can never be expected to respect