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)
Long Runs - It is an important part of a runner.
Picture 1 - A scene at Upper Pierce
Sunday runs are important for long-distance runners. It can range from 10km to 20km. For elite runners, it can range between 20 to 35km. Paul Tergat, 5 times World Cross-Country Championships winner did 38km in his prime days for one longest run of the week.
Careful guidance is needed to increase the long run to improve in running. An important thing to do is to use one's common sense to gradually increase the run's distance progressively.
It is stated in the Runners' World that we should do the longest run on a Sunday as a workout itself. It means that it is not a speed workout but a stamina workout, instead. One should, at all cost, avoid all forms of training of other components of fitness, like strength training, agility training etc as it can be very tiring and it can affect one's training in the future.
However, one could do a long bout of stretching after a run, especially after the run to recover fast. One must have the discipline to do this.
During the longest run on the weekend, Saturday or Sunday, it is good to go slower than moderate pace. One should enjoy the run. One way to test that you are enjoying is to check whether you are able to talk to your friend or not.
If you are not able to do that, it is good to slow down a bit. Experience in running showed me that compared to a flat course and hilly course, it is wise to choose a flat course instead.
One should be able to draft out a plan so that there is not much of repetition in running the same place unless you have to do the repeated terrain with no choice. The terrain should be easy to run on.
One such route that I used to take is to run from the zig-zag bridge to the northern route. From there, we go to the upper pierce, Gate 1 and Gate 2, routes made of gradual rolling hills, with the scenic course and we run back to the northern route and return to the zig-zag bridge. There was water point along the route, as there is a toilet at Upper Pierce.
It takes about an hour and a half to two hours to run this route. I usually find myself running a bit faster as I could go into a zone of focus as the route is very scenic.
Nowadays, this area is out of bounds for the runners at MacRitchie Reservoir. However, we are allowed to run around the 10.55km run around the reservoir.
Some routes are made of Broadwalk, made of wood, and it is flat, usually. The route can cover about 5.6km at the Northern Route side and 2km at the Boys Route area.
One could run to Kheam Hock Road from MacRitchie, and it is linked to CCAB MOE Evans Road. From there we could run to Nasim Road, as an extension, to increase mileage.
My only suggestion to runners is to avoid running too much on the terrain that links one from MacRitchie to Rifle Range road. My experience shows that one should limit their runs if one wants to run long term. In running here too much, one could get knee pain and, in the long run, knee injury.
It is important to run you long runs less hilly as possible. This is my advice for runners to enjoy running. Happy running!
By Narayanan
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.
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.
