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)
Post Race Recovery - Recovery in a hot weather country is different from recovery in a cold-weather country.
It is important for one to read books on how to train in a hot and humid climate. It is disadvantageous to run in countries with such climate, where thermoregulation plays a dominant role in determining performance. A person's core temperature is found to be higher in a temperate climate than in a cold climate. It has been found that a mere warm-up in a humid country can induce a 50% maximum oxygen uptake used. It means that it is easy to go to a 90% to 100% effort easily.
As for a cold country, where the humidity is low and the weather is cold, the core temperature is lower in the body, such that even if one warms up, it takes a longer time to bring the maximum oxygen uptake to 50%.
One will perform better in a cold climate which ranges from 10 degrees to 18 degrees centigrade.
As for post-race recovery after a marathon, one will be more dehydrated in a hot and humid country as opposed to a cold country. The muscles will be fatigued, which will be seen especially towards the last 10km of a race.
It is easier to run the last 10km of a marathon in colder countries rather than a hot and humid country.
Hence, the post-race recovery days will be different between the temperate climate and cold climate countries. When I say cold countries, I mean about non-extreme countries, with a centigrade of 5 to 18 degrees.
Having said that, in a temperate country, it is good to have a longer recovery. For a week, it is alright not to do anything. Even if one goes to a swimming pool, one could take it easy during the week. Run less. In the past, I used to run 3 days after a marathon race and end up in fatigue and injury over the months.
I have run two races in a week after a marathon and ended up going through all sorts of problems later. It was true that I came in the first position but it was of no use. Anyway, it was not my personal best time. I will share these stories of mine on a later date in this blogpost.
In another scenario, where it involves training, I started doing a 10km run after a week's rest. I was tired for the whole week because of this. It happened another time where I did the same action of resting for a week and running 10km. I could not recover.
My mantra in a hot climate is to rest for a week. After 3 days of rest, one could go for a brisk walk between 3 to 4km for the rest of the days for that week. On the second week, one could do cycling and swimming more and do jog/walk kind of training. One should also stay 5km per day kind of training 3 times per week for the second week after a marathon.
On the third, for me, I start with a 3km and then go to 5km the next day. Subsequently, I go to 8km and rise to 10km and move up if needed per day. It all depends on the goals that we are aiming for.
On the fourth week, it is good to do the original training one has been doing. I will go back to 8km morning and 8km in the afternoon for nearly all days of the week. This is the type of training I was doing in the past when I was training seriously.
The key point is to come back slowly and gradually so that it forms a smooth transition for one to run faster in the next marathon. Precision is very important and it depends on one's fitness.
Remember that it is good to gradually come back to training seriously rather than becoming overanxious and get into a number of problems, like getting injured and falling sick.
By coming back fast, one just delays the progress.
One might ask me where is the proof. The only way I can answer this is that I have experienced this in my lifetime as a runner.
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.
