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)
Picture 1 - Off to Gold Coast Marathon 2013 with a positive mindset
(Left to Right) Ranjith W, Noorshidah Ibrahim, Coach Rameshon and Ashley Liew
In our preparation to Gold Coast Marathon, of the whole Team of Flexifitness, Ranjith W, Ashley Liew and Lim Thow Wee looked very prepared for the race. Ganesh, Ranjith's friend, where the latter encouraged the former to go to Gold Coast Marathon to race, did a time of 3hr 10min, instead of the targeted 3hr 05min. Ganesh was with us throughout the 4 days stay at Gold Coast. We even had lunch and dinner together when the opportunity arose. Ganesh recounted that he was following a pacer who ran with the 3hr 00min helium balloon on both shoulders. At the 26km mark, his pacer threw out and had to stop. That made the group disperse and made them run at a different pace.
As for me, after having done an 8min 40sec for 2.4km 7 weeks before the race, I injured my hip-flexor muscles and had some problem training on the last 3 weeks of the marathon. Fortunately, it got better in the last week of the race. However, it was too late. I was happy to do a 5min per km pace till the 33km mark. After 33km, I hit the wall. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the run. In the race, actually, I was running easy and was not running moderate or hard. At 33km, I believe that I had no more glycogen left due to low mileage because of my injury.
The good thing that happened to me is that when I reached the half-way mark in 1hr 45min, I felt that, after 5 years I am finally crossed the half-way mark. I was looking for meniscus injury problems that I endured for 3 years. Throughout the next half of the race, I did not have any single sensation or any sign of injury. This proves that I am able to run the marathon with no form of injury or sensation. This means that I could go up on speed soon, of course, very carefully.
As for Xu Pei Hua, she had some form of training for the marathon. She did 54min 07sec for 10km Southern Cross Race.
Picture 2 - (Left and right) Noorshidah Ibrahim, Xu Pei Hua, Coach Rameshon and Ashley Liew.
Picture 2 - (Left and right) Noorshidah Ibrahim, Xu Pei Hua, Coach Rameshon and Ashley Liew.
Finally, as for another runner/coach Noorshidah Ibrahim, she was feeling very stressed just before the run and this is just my perception. It may be wrong. Noorshidah was not prepared and wanted to pull out of the race. Fortunately, she ran and finally completed the run in 5hr 16min.
Picture 3 - About to run the Gold Coast Marathon (left to right) Noorshidah, Coach Rameshon, Ashley Liew and Ganesh.
She told me that young people should invest their time to improve in running and not waste time. They are having the luxury as they are single and not married yet. At present, Noorshidah had to do a lot of chores that she finds it very difficult to fulfil all the task and this leaves her with very little time to attend to her training in running.
Picture 4 - After a tough day running a marathon, we enjoyed dinner in a Punjab Restaurant in Gold Coast, Australia
(Left to Right) Doris Teo, Lincoln Han, Ganesh, Ranjith W, Lim Thow Wee, Eliz, Noorshidah Ibrahim, Xu Pei Hua, Coach Rameshon, Ashley Liew
Let us hear her story on her journey to Gold Coast Marathon 2013. This is just Part 1.
GCAM Part 1
As a mother to a very active 2-year old boy
who has been in love with distance running since the age of 13, I have often
found myself having to juggle being a full-time mum, a working professional and
a long-distance runner. The demands of my social, family and work-life often
leave me conflicted and trying desperately to find time for all the important
things in my life. Often, I would find my personal goals taking a backseat to
all the other demands people made on my time. It was thus with no little
trepidation that I made the decision to finally fulfil one of my goals – to
run a sub-4 hour marathon overseas. The Gold Coast Airport Marathon (GCAM) 2013
in Australia was the perfect avenue for making my dream come true.
Making the decision was fairly easy, but
actually carrying it out proved to be quite a daunting task. For starters, I
had not done any running since I had gotten pregnant with my son in November
2010. The terrible effects of pregnancy and delivery took their toll on my
physical health and put a stop to my running for the next one and a half years.
Believe me, morning sickness does not just come in the morning! Morning
sickness to my horror and indignation lasted throughout the day and night. And
unlike other fortunate mums-to-be, my all-day sickness lasted for the first
five months of my pregnancy. Furthermore, complications that arose from the
delivery of my son, slowed down my recovery substantially and forced me to have
to take a far longer break from running than I had anticipated.
As if my life was not complicated enough,
with me being a new mother, my family life spiralled out of control at the same
time. Losing my mother barely two months after the birth of my son, the lack of
a strong family support network, and the new responsibilities I found myself
having to take on in the care of my elderly grandmother – all these things
coming at me altogether near drove me out of my mind. Both my husband and I did
not have any family support in terms of taking care of my newborn son, and
being inexperienced first-time parents was difficult and challenging for both
of us; particularly, as my husband had to work full time while I had to stay
home as the primary caregiver to my son. The whole of 2012 was a whirlwind of 2
hour feedings and countless nappy changes. As all experienced mums can vouch,
babies puke and poop almost constantly, especially in the first year! At this
time, I was also dragging my infant son along to the many hospital appointments
for my elderly grandmother. Many a time, I felt overwhelmed and stressed, as if
I had lost myself somewhere in the midst of being a loving mother and a filial
granddaughter. In living for others and putting the needs of others first, I
was losing my direction, losing track of my own personal goals and my sense of
self.
The
GCAM thus holds a very special significance for me, as it was the one thing –
the only thing – in my life that was all about me and all for me. It was a way
for me to express myself and re-affirm my identity to myself; that I was more
than a mother, a wife, or a granddaughter. I was also a runner and I needed to
remind myself of that.
In January 2013, I began to run again and
at the same time, I also went back to work part-time, so that I would be able to
look after my son and my grandmother. In the beginning, I thought that being on
a part-time workload would enable me to balance my responsibilities towards my
son and my grandmother, my family life, and my work duties while also fitting
in running. However, reality soon caught up as I found myself struggling to
find time to train. Between fetching my son to and from daycare, going to work
and keeping up with my daily chores, I could scarcely find the time to run.
Every minute of my time was taken up. At first, I tried to run to and from
work, thinking to make the most out of my day. However, my practice of
appearing at work drenched and in my running attire was frowned and remarked
upon, such that I was forced to stop. As the year progressed, I found myself
mired in more and more work responsibilities, which meant that completing them
required me to sacrifice my off days and weekends. I found myself postponing my
runs, as once again my commitments to my family and my work took priority over
my own goals. Weeks would go by without my having had a
single run. I began to worry about my lack of preparation for the upcoming
marathon. Things came to a head about two months before the marathon when I
felt so discouraged and frustrated and considered pulling out from the marathon
altogether.
Fortunately, my circle of friends and
well-wishers vociferously objected to my decision and encouraged me not to give
up. After thinking long and hard, I decided to stay on with the marathon. At the very least, I would be able to
complete the marathon and that would have to be enough for now. This was my
only chance to do something just for myself since I became a mother.
So as unprepared as I was, I found myself
standing at the start line of the GCAM on the morning of 7 July 2013, along
with thousands of others in my quest to finish what will be my first marathon
in nearly 4 years.
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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.
If you like our blogpost, please like us in Facebook https://www.facebook.com/flexifitness.runningcoachsg
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.
