If you are keen and have queries, please contact Coach Rameshon at 9100 4369 or you can email him at m.rameshon@gmail.com or swift.rameshon@gmail.com. Please refer to website http://flexifitness.com.sg (for more information on him and his programmes)
By Rameshon
Bsc (Hons) Degree in Physical Education, Loughborough University (1992-1994)
Masters in Education (University of Western Australia, 2005-2008)
Lim Thow Wee - Next Chapter - Gold Coast Marathon 2013
Picture 1 - Lim Thow Wee and Dr Benny Goh, collecting the race pack
So far, with the inclusion of Lim Thow Wee, Team Flexifitness has five
runners going for the Gold Coast Marathon race. I believe that people who want
to do a sub - 2hr 50min will be able to do here.
I have signed up for the marathon race and I am running as well. My aim
is to do a sub-3hr time for the race, if I can do faster than that I will be
the happiest person on earth.
As for Lim Thow Wee, he would like to do a personal best time there. It
is good that he is finally heeding my advice of coming with me for the race.
Gold Coast is the best race ground for Lim Thow Wee. He has fortunately
registered online for the race and he is more than eager to go for it.
Picture 2 - Race Gear of Lim Thow Wee and the lucky number 47013
Ashley Liew, Ranjit and Norshida are also going for the Gold Coast
marathon race. My prediction is that Team Flexifitness will be aiming for at
least 2 or 3 people doing a sub-3hr. This is our target.
In this race, I feel that Lim Thow Wee will do well as I recently found
out that he did not take advantage of Carboloading. In a race, two things will
help marathon timing. One which would help is the training which involves
diet as well. Another factor that will help in marathon is carboloading.
It was only after interviewing Thow Wee that I felt that he may have
done a 2hr 50min in Seoul Marathon with diet manipulation over the last one
week. That is why I have been asking my group people to come with men when I am
going overseas, so that I can monitor their food. They can ask me questions if
they have any doubt about it. Carboloading knowledge is a simple knowledge for
one to know and yet is a powerful tool to enable one to do a big personal best.
If you manipulate your diet wrongly, it will not give you the desired result,
eventually.
Picture 3 - Supporter of Thow Wee's passion, wife Eliz Wong
My discussion with a number of people in Singapore shows that with good
carboloading technique one can improve one's time towards the last portion of
one's race by focusing on diet on the last one week of the race. One who
ignores this will not be able to attain one's best in a race.
An Interview With Lim Thow Wee
What made you to
achieve the sub-3hr finally?
In year 2008
I came in 10th in the Stanchart marathon race with a time of
3hr 10min. Later on, in
2010, I did 3hr 02min for the same
race. After that I did not do any serious marathon. Seoul Marathon 2013 was my
first serious marathon after 2010 Stanchart Marathon.
How was the weather there in Seoul? Were you prepared for the
intense cold weather?
I
was well prepared for 4 degrees. I prepared well with proper gears and wore
proper clothings.
I
remember that I took part in last year's race in New York where the temperature
was 0 degree.
Picture 4 - Can you
spot him? Thow Wee warming up before the start of the race.
Do feel that weather
has affected your race?
No.
For me, anything above 0 degrees will not make my mind to complaint.That was
how well I was prepared for this. I was mentally and physically prepared.
If the temperature
was 10degees, would you have gone faster for the race?
I
don't know about this. In Hong Kong, the weather was fine by I did 3hr 09 in
year 2011.
What was your
strategy at the start of the race?
4m
05s per kilometres was the key. I was hitting the timing nearly all the way.
What was your feeling like during the race, half-way?
I
did 1hr 25min at the half-way mark and felt very comfortable. At the same,
time, it was a waiting game for me not to be overconfident. I was waiting for
the 30 to 32km mark. I did not know what is in store for me.
How about
carboloading, did you do any of this?
I
did not pay particular attention to carboloading but I was loading 3 bananas
per day on Friday and Saturday. I just took Korean noodle and nice nearly every
day and avoided deep fried food.
Which was the most
challenging point during the marathon race?
It
was the 30km where I had this great challenge that I had to conquer. At 35km,
it was a real struggle and it was all the way, till the end.However, I
remembered to keep channeling positive thought. Some things that you have
taught me on mental training worked well for me. Visualisation really helped me
a lot.
Can you further
elaborate on your awareness of positive and negative thoughts during the race?
Yes,
my focus was on every km, and I had to wait for each km to pass. I was thinking
positive thoughts all the way. Along the way, somehow, I was aware of the
negative thoughts. I had to resort to some biblical words to keep my mind and
body strong towards the end of the race. I ensured that there is no space for
any negative thoughts.
At which point of the race were you confident that a sub- 3
hr is possible?
At
the 35km mark, I was becoming more confident. However, it was only after the
41km mark that I knew I can cross the sub-3hr mark. This made me very happy.
What message would
you like to say for those who were near sub-3hr and were not able to do?
Don’t
treat 3hr as a barrier. it is just a number digit. Once you have crossed the
mark, you will realise that 3hr 00min and 2hr 55min are just digits away. There
is actually no psychological barrier and it is just imaginary. We just create
this barrier for ourselves that hampers us. It was a lucky thing that I pursued
in my dream.
What was the reaction of your wife, friends and family
friends?
They
congratulated me a lot for this feat.
What is your short -term goal?
Gold
Coast Marathon 2013. I am hoping to do a personal best time there.
www.runningcoachsg.com
Note:
By Narayanan
Rameshon has taught in Hwa Chong Institution, plus several schools, and Republic Polytechnic as well. He has won many accolades and he was awarded Merit Award for 1991 marathon performance in breaking the national record of Singapore, at that time. He has made 22 male athletes do a marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners do sub-4 hours for the marathon, as well. He was inducted to the ‘Roll of Honour’ by the then College of Physical Education, organised by Singapore Olympic Academy, in 1998, for breaking the National record repeatedly 4 times, till he did 2hr 24min 22sec).
He also has a Coaching group and he trains them on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7pm at Botanic Gardens. Those interested can call him at 91004369 for coaching assistance, to improve performance. There is also personal training that he does for many in a week. You can e-mail him at swift.rameshon@gmail.com.
