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
Coach Rameshon - The coach who developed more than 10 athletes to realise the dream of a sub-3hrs in marathon races.
First, let me tell my Story (By Marcel)
The are many reasons for me to post this blog spot. I feel special knowing Coach Rameshon from young. I have seen Coach Rameshon when I was just 15 years of age and was recommended by my sister Marissa Sng. He has trained me individually, from the past. He has enabled me to do a quick 8min 22sec within a span of 3 months. I don't know how I did it but it was an amazing journey of fun and hard work during training.
While I was training with him, my school, Saint Andrews School athletes also took part in National Track and Field Championships. The school allowed me to train specifically with Coach Rameshon after knowing his credentials. While I was conditioning myself in running, Coach Rameshon told me to take up 2000m steeplechase. I was taken aback when I come to know about this and I asked for the reason to do it. He told me that I have a speed that is about 11.5sec for 100m and a jumping ability which was good. I told him that it will be difficult for me to train as after National Cross-Country Championships, as I had only one and a half weeks left to train, on the steeple itself.
Just before that he modified the training for me and I was enjoying every minute of it. Coach told me that I have courage as well as the jumping ability in hurdling a steeple. I told him that I don't think that I can enter the finals of the 2000m race for Under 17 boys. However, after his persuasion, I decided to go for it. The most surprising thing happened was when I found out that none of my school athletes entered finals of the different races that had run in. As there was nothing to lose, as the school did not expect anything from me, I plucked up my courage and went for it.
In the heats, Coach Rameshon gave me a different strategy. I was running slower from the start. Then, I was going at a moderate pace from 2 laps. From the 3rd lap, I was speeding up and ended 6th position towards the finish. I did not know whether I was in the finals but Coach told me that I was in the fastest heats. I was jubilant to know that I was in. The Saint Andrews School athletes were feeling happy for me that I had entered and told me all the best. I consoled them not to feel sad on their being out of the finals.
In the finals of the 2000m, Coach Rameshon told me to take lead earlier on first water jump and than to take it easy at the next stage of the race and allow runners to overtake me. I was going the first three rounds at a moderate pace. I realised that I was actually the last runner of the race at that point. It was really very depressing to see that but I stuck to my coach's advice, word for word. The race was not over. It was at this point that I remember Coach shift to a higher gear after running the 3 1/2 rounds.
At the 3 1/2th laps, I was closing up some runners. It was at the last two laps where I found out that the other runners were tired out. I saw some jumping in the water of the water jump. I was not as tired as them. Easily, I could overtake the runners of the tail end. It was surprising for me to see some good runners being overtaken by me. I was 14th when I had the last lap to go. Gradually, I was moving up in speed and sprinted at the last 300m and overtook another two runners. Eventually, I ended the 12th position. This was something that surprised me in my life and it was an achievement. All those athletes, I thought that cannot be beaten were overtaken by me, especially the independent and autonomous schools, such that I developed self-belief in myself. I thank Coach for this. I believe that I could have come in top 3 if I had come at least a year back.
After that, I studied for my GCE 'O' Levels and did my diploma in Law. Coach Rameshon suggested me to do NCAP Level 1 conducted by Singapore Sports Council. I completed and understood the principles of training better.
As I have spoken about myself. I will now touch on Coach Rameshon's development of runners to do sub-hours in a marathon race. The fact and figures are given below. Recently. Coach Rameshon went personally to the USA to Spartanburg to support Ashley Liew to run in the New Orleans Marathon 2015. That was his third travel to the USA to support Ashley Liew. Ashley surprised everyone by doing a time of 2hr 32min 12sec and also came in second in the New Orleans Marathon 2015. Ashley Liew posted the fastest marathon time for the year 2015. He is now second to Soh Rui Yong for the upcoming SEA Games. Other than that none of the runners are ahead of him.
I asked Coach on Ashley's potential. He told me that Ashley, in the long run, will be able to do a sub-2hr 20min. This is his belief over Ashley!
Just last weekend in Japan, our Flexifitness athletes delivered great results when they ran in Tokyo Marathon 2015 on the 22nd of February. The following athletes did exceptionally well. They are Andreas Wenger (2hr 51min 38sec), Desmond Soh (3hr 36min 30sec), Jennifer Quek (3hr 42min 19sec) and Kenneth Lim (4hr 11min 20sec).
Having said that, I would like to say that there are altogether 11 athletes who have done sub-3hours in a marathon. My only advice to runners is if you are finding to improve your running, a person that I would suggest for one to train under is Coach Rameshon. His training is very structured and the training done is to quickly evolve in running. People have spoken to me that I, in actual fact have a good running style of running. I shall list down the runners who have done sub-3hr for marathon below and am going to come out in parts to write a story on these below-mentioned athletes' achievement. I hope to be one of the sub-3hour runners in a marathon one day.
I shall write the 11 part series finding things on how these below-mentioned athletes achieved their goals in running. I believe that it will inspire one to go for it. You can see that with just 5 months training, as a 3hr 07min runner in a marathon, Andreas Wenger, a Swiss national, living in Singapore, trained with Flexifitness and did 2hr 51min 38sec). All Andreas wanted to do was to do a time of sub-3hour in life. It seems Andreas has the potential to do a sub-2hr 50min in a race soon, according to Coach Rameshon.
Runners Under Coach Rameshon who have done sub–3hrs
1. 2hr 56min – Dr Ben Tan (3rd in Stanchart Marathon 2008)
2. 2hr 50min – Dr Benny Goh (for a marathon). Sundown Ultramarathon 84km record holder, Dr Benny has 4 sub – 2hr 55min marathon timing from the year 2009.
3. 2hr 46min – N. Ganesan (former national record holder, 14min 57sec for 5000m)
4. 2hrs 37min – Ernest Wong (Hong Kong Marathon, 1998)
5. 2hr 35min – Balasubramaniam (Singapore International Marathon 1991)
6. 2hr 46min – Daniel Ling ( Stanchart champion, 2007)
7. 2hr 39min – Khoo Chin Poo (2003, Vietnam SEA Games)
8. 2hr 44min – Ernest Ng Soo Hong (Gold Coast Marathon, 1995)
9. 2hr 48min 49sec- Lim Thow Wee (Paris Marathon 2014)
10. 2hr 32min 12sec- Ashley Liew (New Orleans Marathon 2015, 25th January)
11. 2hr 51min 38sec - Andreas Wenger (Tokyo Marathon 2015, 22nd February)
Note: If you in search to improve in running as an elite runner, to do a sub-3hrs for men and sub-3hr 30min for women, or to train progressively and do a better marathon time, for example, 6 to 7 hours marathon to a sub-5hr marathon etc. Feel free to contact Coach Rameshon through the contact info given below.
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.
