Monday, June 16, 2014

Father's Day Celebration (Part 1)

Note:

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 Marcel Sng

Father's Day - A celebration that should not be forgotten

Flexifitness was planning to celebrate Mother's Day, way back about a month ago. Since we were not able to celebrate this important occasion, finally we celebrated Mother's Day with Father's Day. We celebrated it on last Saturday.

After our games and activities on last Saturday, at 7 30pm, we celebrated Mother's Day and Father's Day together. We had dinner for all our parents and the athletes as well.

I would like to share some of the photos with you on this important occasion. 




















































































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.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Shoes - Barefooted and Running With Shoes (Part 1)

Note:

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)

Shoes and barefooted running - Both have benefits and disadvantages. 

Displaying 20140612_183705.jpg

 Picture 1 - I am careful when it comes to purchasing a running shoe.

We wear shoes to protect ourselves so that we do not get cuts, bruise etc. Bill Bowerman, a coach to Steve Prefontaine, in order to enable his runners to run faster-designed shoes such that his runners were able to run faster, and NIKE was born from there.

Despite this, mankind has reverted back to barefoot running shows that barefoot running has significant benefits after all, like preventing injuries, run faster etc

The running shoes have, from the past to present, changed a lot. I would like to share my experience with this so that maybe we can choose the best shoe to buy. We should not discount running barefooted and I have decided to do some write up on this so that we are well informed. 

I will touch on running and walking barefooted first. In the past, I thought that we are barefooted because we are poor to buy a shoe or a sandal. I have seen runners running barefooted as some people were not able to afford a shoe. 

It is only now that I come to an understanding that walking barefooted, we are actually walking mid-foot and we actually align our body, namely the joints. The problem with us is that once we are home, we tend to sit down barefooted or walk the least barefooted. We do this as a chore daily at home. 

We should keep walking or running around in barefoot so that we go mid-foot. This trains our foot to land facing straight ahead, instead of going outward. We can get ourselves out of injury. 

Try running on grass barefooted and we can, in fact, learn to run faster as we prevent the landing of heel strike on the ground first and then we roll over to the forefoot before we take off our foot from the floor.

Running and walking barefooted is, in fact, God's gift.



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.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Autism costs 2.4 million in US, in a persons' lifetime.

Note:

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)

Autism - 2.4million in expense

From Fox News

By Reuters


The cost of supporting a person with autism over that individual's lifetime can be as high as $2.4 million, a new study estimates.

 Autism Care Can Top $2 Million Per Person

The researchers reviewed previous studies conducted in the United States and the United Kingdom to estimate the financial cost of caring for people with autism, including the cost of special education, medical services and housing for adults with the condition. The estimate also includes the lost productivity of parents who must work fewer hours at their job to care for their children with autism.

The highest costs — $2.4 million in the United States and $2.2 million in the United Kingdom — were seen in people with autism who also have an intellectual disability (below-average IQ and a lack of skills that is required for everyday living). For people without an intellectual disability, the lifetime cost was about $1.4 million in both countries. In their calculations, the researchers assumed that people with autism lived to be 67 years old and that 40 to 60 percent had an intellectual disability. [Beyond Vaccines: 5 Things that Might Really Cause Autism]

The biggest contributors to the cost of care for children were special education, which can cost more than $62,900 per year for U.S. children under 5, and the lost productivity of their parents, which was about $18,700 per year in the United States. A 2012 study found that mothers of children with autism work, on average, seven hours less per week than mothers of children without the condition.

The biggest contributors to the costs for adults with autism were housing (such as the cost of long-term care homes), which were between $18,000 and $36,100 per year in the United States; and productivity losses for people with autism, which were about $10,000 per year in the United States and $21,000 to $25,000 per year in the United Kingdom.

The researchers were not able to estimate how much of the lifetime cost was paid for by insurance, and how much was due to out-of-pocket expenses, as this may vary tremendously depending upon a family's disposable income and where they live, said study researcher David Mandell, director of the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

The total national cost of caring for children with autism was $61 billion to $66 billion in the United States and $4.5 billion to $5 billion in the United Kingdom. The national cost of caring for adults with autism was $175 billion to $196 billion in the United States and $43 billion to $46 billion in the United Kingdom.

The researchers estimated that there are about 3.5 million people with autism in the United States and 604,800 people with autism in the United Kingdom.

The new findings can stimulate discussion about policy changes that might reduce these costs, the researchers said. For example, the high cost of living in long-term-care homes may mean that even what may seem like expensive efforts to help adults with autism to live in their communities could be relatively cost-effective, the researchers said.

"The high and wide-ranging economic effects of [autism spectrum disorders] should energize a search for actions that make better use of available resources," the researchers wrote in the June 9 issue of the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

The researchers emphasized that the findings are estimates that relied on certain assumptions, such as that all children and adults received medical services for autism.




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.

Knee Problems - How to solve it (Part 2)

Note:

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)

Knee Joint - Problems coming between 40 and 45 years of age.


Knee has a solid substance called the meniscus, which is made up of cartilage and it is used as a stabiliser for the tibia and the humourous joint to work in unison. The meniscus is used during movements like walking and running. There are 4 ligaments in the knee, to help in the movement of our leg.

Before getting knee problems or if one is at the early stage of an injury and is going through some kind of minor sensation of the knee, one must do something to prevent the knee problem from becoming a major problem. 

A chiropractor, doctor, physiotherapist, an osteopath may be able to assist to bring down the pain by aligning the body. 

My take is to do yoga exercises so that one's meniscus wears off slowly with age and one may avoid knee injury totally. Yoga exercises do align the joints, besides enabling the muscles and joints to be strong. 

I have already mentioned that knee problem starts at 40 for the inactive and at 45 for the active. This is according to consistent studies done.

A personal experience of this has been given when I met a runner last Sunday at MacRitchie Reservoir. He told me that in the past, he had pain, and he finds that now the pain has decreased. 

I told him that so far there are 3 people plus others have told me that they do not have the knee injury anymore. Hence, I find that doing the Sri Sri Yoga, which has some running stretches, is very good for preventing knee injury in the long run. Nowadays, now that I am 49 years of age, I do not have a knee injury and I thank Sri Sri Yoga for this. 

Sri Sri Yoga includes breathing so that one could prevent numerous diseases as well. 

It will be good for one to go for the course.



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.

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Berlinda Cheong 38, 1hr 11min, 3 min improvement in 10km Pocari Sweat Run 2014

Note:

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)


Belinda Cheong 1hr 11min in 10km race, an Improvement of 3mins.

Berlinda Cheong - On top of the world today with a new personal best time. 

 


























Belinda Cheong, 38, today ran and did a personal best time of 1hr 11min. She sent me an SMS that she has improved her time by 3mins in the 10km race. She seemed very contented from her message as there were words of appreciation also included. I realised that she had gratitude for our training, especially towards our coaches from Flexifitness.

As for me, I have been noticing that she has been training consistently to keep fit. She did minimal training with us but she was a regular in training. Her mileage has been constantly 12km approximately. 

She has been joining us in our programme and she also runs with her husband. I used to admire her determination to exercise no matter what happens. I hope that this will ripple to many who are reading this, to exercise. She also has a very good attitude towards exercise and keeping herself healthy.

I thought that her interview would be motivational for people who do not have the time at all. Perhaps, this will form an important thing for them to learn to exercise even if you are very busy. 

An Interview With Belinda Cheong

What was the race called?
Pocari Sweat Run 2014

What was the distance.?
10 km

What was your time for the race? Is that your personal best time?
About 1 hour 11 min.
Yes, this is my personal best time.

How was your preparation for the race? Did you feel prepared?
I have been running twice a week, once on my own about 7 km and once every Saturday with Flexi Fitness.

I was ready for this race and aimed to complete in 1h 10 min. In the previous run at Nike Run SG, I completed in 1h 14 min for the 10km run.

Are you happy and satisfied with your time?
Yes, moreover I completed strong, did not feel any pain and I felt really good the whole day after that.

How was the organisation of the race?
It was well organised. No bottlenecks.

Transportation arranged ($6 for the trip there at the MRT station nearest to my house).

Received a waist pouch, a towel and a medal after completing the race.

How was the route?
The route was good. Running while facing the hot sun was only a short distance away from the finishing line.

How was the drink points?
Well-spaced out. Very importantly, both water and Pocari sweat were served
at each point and they were COLD! That was awesome!

In what way Flexifitness training has helped you to do well. ?
The stretches and exercises, the interval training that Coach asks us to do and sharing sessions about achievements attained by the runners motivate me a lot.

What is your next goal. ?
The next run maybe SHAPE Run if not Nike We Run. Hope to complete
in less than 1h 10min... strong, hee...



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.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Knee (Meniscus) Injury - Who will get first - Active or Inactive

Note:

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)

Knee (Meniscus) Injury - By being active one saves on medical bills. 



One of the most common injury for one to see the doctor is on getting an injury. Whether you like it or not all will get knee problem now or later on whether you are in any profession. Hence, it is of paramount importance to know about this and be well informed. I saw a very interesting article.

This is an article posted on Facebook by a former athlete of mine, Xu Pei Hua, who was and is an enthusiastic runner until now. She is at present doing her PHD which is related to sports.
The article that she posted discusses on a knee injury, which people believe that by running a lot, we get it more. Many believe that there is wear and tear of the meniscus and ligaments are prevented by running less. 

A few years back, I remember an Australian lady telling a male teenager on running triathlons, ultramarathon and marathon. She told him that these people will suffer one day for doing all these pursuits. It was thought-provoking. I did not answer back as I was not engaged in the conversation. 

In the year 2008, I came in first in Stanchart Marathon in Singapore. However, in the year 2009, I got into meniscus problem, when I did an MRI Scan. It was at the age of 46 that I got my knee injury. I researched many articles and studies done on getting these types of injuries. 

The topic that I was interested in who will get injury first - is it active or the inactive. I found that the answers were consistent all the time. It was found that many inactive people will face knee problems earlier around the age of 40. The active people will get an injury at the age of 45 onwards. It is puzzling but it is the truth. 

However, my knee problems did not go until I start to go for a course on Sri Sri Yoga where the postures were on breathing, alignment, and they were related to all sports. (I was injured for about 2 1/2 years then). I went for other alternatives ways to solve my problems of the knee. Some told me to take glucosamine tablets. 

I did not take any tablets but I did the Sri Sri Yoga exercises, which was important to running. In 6months time, miraculously I felt that suddenly I could run without any kind of pain. 

Then, I tried to run and I found that there was absolutely no pain at all. I kept training in my running and was 6th for the Mizuno Wave 10km run at Mt Faber, last year. About 5 to 6 weeks later, I ran the Stanchart Marathon in Singapore and I became the first local veteran to do a 3hr 10min and I was ranked 10th in the International category for male. 

From then on until now, I have been doing these stretches and breathing technique to my runners too. I have not really encountered any problems at the knee area from then onwards. 

As for runners, who are reading this, I just want to share a conversation I had with Ashley Liew's mother who departed a few years back. She told me that she was worried for Ashley as she has heard about meniscus wear and tear. I told her that the meniscus will wear and tear will come much later than earlier as the muscles and bones will be stronger to prevent injuries at the knee area. A strong muscle group in the body means we are providing a good cushion for the knee and this enables the meniscus to function better as a stabiliser and not something that is used to cushion the impact of running, instead. 

From here, we know from the story that I have told and the article posted by Pei Hua in the Facebook that active people will lead a healthier life and a happier life without much injuries when they are old as compared to their inactive counterparts. 

I have discussed this topic with Pei Hua recently and I am happy that she is contributing an article to make people go out there and exercise and to save on medical bills. 

I am posting the article in my blog for the benefit of everybody, namely the public and thank Pei Hua for her finding out this interesting article and post it in the Facebook.   

First-Time Marathoners Don't Suffer Knee Damage

New MRI technology finds no cartilage loss in beginning marathoners.


Everyone and their grandmother seem to believe that running is bad for the joints, particularly the knees, even though a number of studies have shown no evidence of increased knee problems among typical runners. Today, the modern view holds that excess body weight and too little exercise are the big culprits underlying knee and hip arthritis.

Still, old beliefs die hard, while new imaging technologies promise better evidence of joint wear and tear. Then, there are special populations, like first-time marathoners who build their training to get ready for 26.2 miles. What would happen if you focus the new technologies on this group, which is widely thought to have high injury rates?

Research published in Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy did just that. And it produced results similar to those seen previously: The runners' knees remained essentially unchanged by training for and completing a first marathon. The authors conclude: “High-impact forces during long-distance running are well tolerated even in marathon beginners and do not lead to clinically relevant cartilage loss.”

The study included five men and five women who spent six months training for a first marathon, and then completed it. They averaged 40 years of age, with an average BMI of 25.9, and had been running about 14 miles a week before beginning their marathon build-up. During marathon training, they averaged about 20 miles a week for six months.

Researchers from Germany’s Freiburg University Hospital measured the runners' cartilage volume and thickness before the training period, and one day after the marathon. They used three-dimensional quantitative MRI, a new and highly precise imaging technology, to look at the runners’ femur, tibia, and knees. “This method allows detection of more subtle changes in cartilage morphology compared to conventional MRI,” the paper states.

The results revealed very small differences in the pre-training and post-marathon images. The differences judged were not meaningful.

The Freiburg team thought they might find greater cartilage thickness in the post-marathon images because low stress to the knee has been shown to reduce cartilage health. They wondered if high stress would have an opposite–and positive–effect.

It didn't. Because they observed only small cartilage changes, this hypothesis was not borne out. “Therefore, our study reinforces the assumption that cartilage cannot increase tissue mass as a result of mechanical stimulation,” the researchers write.

But neither does it harm the knee cartilage. The new study shows again that most runners need not worry about damaged joints. It appears to be a case of “Use it, or lose it.”



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.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

20-Minute Workout Boosts Cognitive Ability

Note:

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)

20 - Minute Workout Boost Cognitive Ability

In a study, no such effect from a shorter or longer workout.
Published June 03, 2014
Media: Partner Workouts

Different workouts have different short-term effects. If you want to feel the stress of a busy day gradually disappear, go on a relaxed trail run. If you've been dragging and want to jumpstart your central nervous system, sprint up a steep hill a few times. And if you want to be a little sharper for an afternoon meeting, do a moderate 20-minute an aerobic session, suggests new research out of Taiwan.


The research looked at how people did on a cognitive ability test after each of three workouts: 10-minute cycle at moderate intensity, 20-minute cycle at moderate intensity and 45-minute cycle at moderate-intensity, with each of the rides preceded by a 5-minute warm-up and followed by a 5-minute cooldown. The participants' scores on the cognitive ability tests were compared to their performance on the test when they hadn't exercised.


The cognitive ability task was what's known as a Stroop test. In it, words representing colours are presented, and the test taker is required to say what colour the word is printed in, regardless of what colour the word represents. For example, if the word "green" is presented in red ink, the correct answer is "red." The Stroop effect describes the phenomenon in which it takes longer or is harder to give the right answer when the word is printed in a different colour than the colour it names (as in the example above) than when the word and the colour it's printed in are the same (for example, if "green" were printed in green ink).


When the participants did the Stroop test after their 20-minute ride, they scored significantly better than when they'd taken it without working out first. The 10-minute and 45-minute workouts, however, had negligible effect on their test performance, as measured by accuracy and speed of response.


The researchers speculated that a 10-minute workout doesn't produce the short-term brain changes of a 20-minute workout, while, for the participants in this study, a 45-minute workout was draining enough to negate the benefits. It's likely that fitter people would see a cognitive boost from a longer workout, they wrote, but cautioned, "It should be noted that after prolonged exercise (i.e., two hours), even participants with high fitness would be expected to experience decreases in cognitive performance, possibly due to central fatigue associated with heat stress, dehydration or hypoglycemia or to negative effects on information processing."


The workouts in this study were done at moderate intensity, about the effort level you'd keep on a steady, conversational run. Want to see if the study's finding applies to you? Take the Stroop test below, enjoy a moderate 20-minute run and then try the test again.

https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/words.html#seffect


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.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Singapore Races for 2014

Note:

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 Saranniya

Singapore Races - For Locals and Foreigners to know. 

The two of the main races that one should look out for is the SAFRA Bay Half-Marathon and Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon 2014. Shape Run is another run that women should look out for. Another race that is gaining popularity in women is the  Great Eastern Run 2014.

Coach Rameshon told me that on 28 December, he would like to do a 83km run as he has already done a 60km in 2012 and 73km in 2013. Marcel and I have asked him for an interview on this. We were happy that he was giving one, as he has not done this in the past. 
 
22 Jun 2014, Sunday, 42km - MR25 Cross Country Marathon


5 Jul 2014, Saturday - Run & Raisin

6 Jul 2014, Sunday, 9am-5pm, 5km - Reebok One Challenge


19 Jul 2014, Saturday, 7.30am, 500m/2.4km/10km - Run For Life


19 Jul 2014, Saturday, 1.5km/2.2km/3km/5km - Garfield Run


20 Jul 2014, Sunday, 7am, 4.3km/8.6km - GK1World Run to Build


26 Jul 2014, Saturday, 3pm - Energizer Singapore Night Trail


3 Aug 2014, Sun, 6.30am, 1km/5km/10.5km/21km/31.5km -
Tri Factor Run


3 Aug 2014, Sunday - Singtel Race Against Cancer

17 Aug 2014, Sun, 5km/10km - SHAPE Run


23 Aug 2014, Sat, 10km, 7.00am -
Frost & Sullivan 2014 Corporate Challenge Charity Run 


31 Aug 2014, Sun, 10km/21km - SAFRA Singapore Bay Run 

7 Sep 2014, Sun, 7.30am, 4.3km/10km - Tampines Run

14 Sep 2014, Sun, 7am, 800m/1.2km/3.5km/10km - POSB PAssion Run For Kids

14 Sep 2014, Sun, 7.45am, 6km/10km - Yellow Ribbon Prison Run

28 Sep 2014, Sun -
Straits Times Run

10-11 Oct 2014, Fri-Sat - The North Face 100 Singapore


26 Oct 2014, Sun, 5am, 18km/32km - Newton Challenge


9 Nov 2014, Sun, 5.30am, 5km/10km/21km - Great Eastern Women's Run


7 Dec  2014, Sunday, 5am, 750m/10km/21km/42km - 
Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore


28 Dec 2014, Sunday, 7am, minimum 5 laps of 10km within 12hrs
- 
MR25 Ultramarathon




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.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Small Races and Big Races - (Part 3) Getting Good Timing

Note:

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)

Small Races - Can improve your time as well if it is well organised. 

In the past, when we ran races, somewhere in the 80s and 90s, it was usually the smaller ones that we were racing. I remember running National Day Runs or Jogathons and other Walkajog races. The races are usually free or you will have to pay about $5 to $10 to run the race. 

The races were usually organised by community centres. By running in these races, I was winning and coming in top 10 in junior races. There were prizes for that and they were quite lucrative. 

Even now, some races organised by the community centres have enabled one to do a personal best time in the long term. 

Over a period of time, I took part in races which involves a time trial. I used to do schools time trials on every Saturday. In my High School days, there were time trials conducted by some schools on Saturdays. This enabled me to get faster over time. 

The 5km MR 25 time trials organised at MacRitchie Reservoir, every 2 months once is also not bad at all. Over time, from 19min plus, I improved my personal best time to 16min 11sec, 5km respectively. Around that time, in Singapore Open I ran a race and came in fourth with a time of 15min 31sec on the track. Over time, as I was interested in doing well in the marathon and I shelved the idea of going below 16min time for 5km. 

Usually, I realised that the races organised in a marathon is big. So long you are a good runner, it really helps you to run in Big Races. I kept improving in running. Currently, I see that many of the races are such that it is too packed. There must be room for one to move around when one is running the marathon race. 

It is vital for one to choose a race that allows the space to move around during the race. If it is congested, it is important to shelve the race. DO NOT RUN RACES IF YOU CANNOT GET A PERSONAL BEST TIME OR GO NEAR A PERSONAL BEST TIME. In Sundown Marathon 2014, yesterday, I have heard from several people, which I will not name as the people want their confidentiality to be kept, that the race was too packed.

That is the reason why I plan out some time trials for  our group so that they can do a personal best time in 10km or 15km runs. Using a route that I kept measuring several times, I conduct time trials that allows one to improve the time trials on the track. 

By doing this, besides developing a number of runners, by doing our own group of Flexifitness valid time-trials we have got a current group of runners who can do sub-3hrs or near 3hours. I will enumerate some of the names of those who are excelling.

We have 
(1) Ashley Liew (PB 2hr 35min, 2013 Gold Coast Marathon), 
(2) Lim Thow Wee (2hr 48min, 2014 Paris Marathon), 
(3) Dr Benny Goh (2hr 57min, Stockholm Marathon) (4 marathons in sub-2hr 55min)
(4) Ernest Wong (2hr 37min, Hong Kong Marathon 2004), 
(5) Myself (2hr 24min 22sec, SEA Games, Chiangmai 1995)(2hr 49min, Stanchart 2008)

Those who can do between 3hr and 3hr 22min
We do have 
(6)Jonathan Kang (3hr 04min) (own effort as well)
(7) Jensen Toh (3hr 22min, Stanchart, 2013), 
(8) Moses Ng (3hr 17min, KL Marathon, 2013) and 
(9) Colin Chua (3hr 08min, 2013, Stanchart Marathon) (own effort and has joined us)

There are other runners whom I will not name here are capable of running a sub-3hrs. Today, I saw the person who is able to do it. 

This all shows that by proper planning, in time trials and running small races, those evolving in running can improve in timing before running in a race. 

Choosing a wrong race will make you waste your time, money and effort. Time and tide waits for no man. It is important to treasure time and to race properly and it is a good idea to do trials which are structured. 

Only, when I was doing well in races that I started not to choose minor races. One should note that winning races is not as important as compared to improving ones' time in running. 



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.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Small or Big Races - Which is better? (Part 2)

Note:

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)

Small Races - Is one step higher than a time-trial

As you can see from the Sundown Marathon, not one in my Facebook has written that he or she has done a personal best time. It was a predictable thing.

This is what will happen if there is a very big crowd running and you got to zig-zag throughout in a race. The final thing that will happen is that there will be no personal or season-best time. The end product is depression and anger over oneself.

Two of the runners that I had trained registered themselves, last year, in the half-marathon did not do well. At the last kilometre, they were blocked nearly throughout the run and they were not able to do a personal best time. 

One of Team V runner registered and he had great support from Team V and the runner finally did not do well. The runner was hoping for a sub-4hrs time. Earlier, the runner, whom I will not mention the name here, was doing okay at first. There were photos in Facebook until the 35km mark. I had to call to find out why and it was predictable on what had happened. Eventually, the time attained was 4hr 20min plus.

In the past, I had a young runner who trained very hard to see himself not doing well in the Sundown Marathon. 

Only one person who trained with me last year did well. 

I will discuss on how one can do personal best by choosing the right type of race. 



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.