Note:
If you have any queries, please contact Coach Rameshon at 9100 4369 or you can email him at 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)
When I was young, in primary school, I was not able to win any medal in any track and field race. The only medal I got was from soccer, and our group called Paul House, came in as champions for inter-class for primary 6 level. I was in De Salle Primary School at that time.
Picture 1 – Now, my focus is to see how fast I can run as a 53-year-old runner in veteran races. My time in POSB Run was 39m 55sec for the 10km race.
In Secondary school, in St Joseph’s Institution, however, I was winning top 3 for the class in 1500m, 3000m track race, and 4.8km cross country race, held at MacRitchie Reservoir, in the past. For inter-class, I was able to win a medal, not only for running but soccer and basketball as well. There is a time that I was used as a referee for inter-class as there was no teacher official on that day. I had to assist. However, except for inter-class, I could not win any medal for national schools sports for running or soccer or for basketball, and that made me train even harder for it, and I was yearning to get a National School’s medal. I also did not know which to choose.
I thought about soccer as I liked it. However, my teacher Mr Coleman Baptist told me that running will be good for me. Only when I was at secondary four, I got 6th position, as I was ranked top 10 in the Under 17 boys. So, medals did play a role in making me motivated, earlier on in my life. I broke the SJI 4.8km cross country record, where I did 15m 56sec.
Later on, I started to get top 6 medals for most of the community centre races, SWIFT and SAAA Cross Country Championships. It was from 1989 to 1992, that I was able to come in first for 5km, 10km, 15km, 10miles, half–marathon and for the marathon. I accumulated so many medals. Over time, I found that going for timing and not medals is more important and I wanted to do a sub-2hr 30min time for the marathon.
I ran in shorter races like 5km and 10km. Runners like M. Maran ran against me in 5km race, in one of the years, and he was defeated by me. In SAAA 10km race, he was overtaken by me again. M.Maran is a 4.8km 14m 13sec runner, fastest ever schools runner in Singapore till now. He is also a SEA Games bronze medal winner and a current national record holder for 3000m steeplechase, with a time of 9m 11sec. He also had a personal best time of 3min 53sec for 1500m. He has got a medal for Asian Youth Track and Field Championships.
His former training partner Saravanan did 3min 53sec in 1500m. Saravanan has a personal best of 3min 59sec for National Schools 1500m, and until now nobody has broken. There was once he came for a 10km race, in that race, Saravanan was beaten. I did 32min 52sec, while he did 32min 54sec.
Anyway, I was stuck with a marathon time of 2hr 30min done in 1991, California. In order to improve my time, I decided to use my own money and my parent's money to pursue my further studies at Loughborough University.
By going for timing, medals just kept coming to me. However, my focus was the timing. The timing was important, as it in itself formed a kind of motivation, where I was not able to get the same feeling from attaining medals and rewards.
Therefore, it is good to take note that medals do help one in getting oneself motivated to aim for something material, to show that one is, in fact, good. As, one keep going in the journey of improvement, over time, the timing element comes into play as the most important reason for training and makes one sacrifice time, money and effort. The joy that one gets from attaining great success in timing, is something that it is hard to express and it cannot be expressed. Once attained the real challenge comes for keeping quiet. If one keeps crowing, then it is like you are running for fame and glory, instead of feeling a sense of achieving an excellent effort.
Picture 2 – At age 43 years old, I came in as the Men’s Open category champion and Daniel Ling (left) and Dr Ben Tan (right), were second and third in Stanchart Marathon, respectively. It was teamwork. Having won races, it was time to enable others to do well.
One will feel euphoric when one attains the targeted time in the long run that one has planned for.
If One Is Interested To Start A Running Programme, We Offer Group Class And Personal Training Session. Please Go To Flexifitness Website To Find Out More.
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.
Edited By a Flexifitness staff.
