Monday, August 19, 2019

2019 Stanchart Marathon - Weather - Hot Versus Cold (Part 3)

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)



Picture 1- Jonathan Kang, due to dehydration had to stop in Stanchart Marathon, in the past, for safety reason due to hot weather. 

It is wise to know the difference between humidity and weather as it can help one in performing. In this essay, I shall explain, not on humidity, but on weather, in layman's term, so that one is focused in does the best from the understanding, and also being aware, such that one can manipulate a situation to help in one's running performance. 

If the weather is hot, we sweat even while standing. It is good to avoid exercising at a time between 10 30am and 3 30pm, as the sun sends harmful rays to earth plus make the weather more hot than usual. As such, it is good to hydrate ourselves with water such that our body does not get overheated. When we run, we lose a lot of water. Water forms as perspiration to cool the bodily system down and act as 'air condition' for our body, so that our body does not get overheated, and one can focus on performance. The fitter one is, the faster one will perspire to cool down the system of the body, in order such that speed is not compromised. Usually, in the morning, it is cooler, and it is easier to perform. In the evening, when the sun sets, it is also easier to perform, as it is cooler. 

So, weather, in simple terms, means that the weather is cooler or hotter. Discounting humidity, the cooler the weather it is easier to run faster, as we do not lose much fluid. In a hot climate, we lose a lot of water and sweat from the blood that comes out as perspiration, and this, in turn, affects the oxygen transport system, as blood becomes constricted. So, in simple terms, when it comes to weather, it is good to run in cooler weather. 


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, August 18, 2019

2019 Stanchart Marathon - Weather Plays a Role (Part 2)

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)

 



Picture 1 - One of the Most Prolific runners of Hwa Chong Institution. Still, the Current National Schools 3000m record holder, 9min 21sec, for under 17, in 2003, who trained with me from 2001 - 2006). He used to train at 4pm.


This is the first time, Stanchart Marathon 2019 will be held in the evening. As I have trained and done workouts at a different time of the day, I would like to share with you on how weather plays an important role in running for the upcoming race.


When I was a secondary schoolboy, I used to do time trials in MacRitchie Reservoir. Although the weather was hot, I found that my time trial timings were not affected. I used to wonder why is it that I feel reasonable okay during this time of the day, which is supposed to be hot. As opposed to this, although in the evening or night it seems cooler, surprisingly, I found out that I got to or had to sweat a lot. That means that I got to hydrate more in the evening rather than in the afternoon. Hydration depends on the loss of water from the body through sweat.  

I have, for the benefit of all marathoners, especially, put a link to show that in the afternoon, the humidity is much lower than in the evening or night. The drying ability of sweat is far better than evening or night. However, the weather at this time, at 4pm, can be hot. The sun's ray between 10am and 3 30pm is not good and it can be too hot for us, at that time of the day. Humidity can be as low as 56%. Evening the humidity can go to 80%.

For runners, it is good to take note that it is important to know the difference between humidity and weather. The homework for you now is to find for yourself, before I inform you in my next post, whether humidity plays a more important role than the weather itself, on enhancing endurance sports performance.

https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/singapore/singapore


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.


Marathon - Standard Chartered Marathon 2019

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)

A Comparison between Running Morning, Evening or Mid-night

Pic 1: M.Rameshon with Wilson Kipketer (Former 800m world record holder)

As compared to running in the morning, evening and night, it is usually 4pm that one feels it is good to run. Why? Even though the weather is hot, the humidity is low. It is, in fact, one of the best time to run. However, after that, till mid-night, the humidity gets higher.

Hence, my stake is to run more in the evening or night, which is close to 7pm, as the sunsets. The weather gets cooler and it helps one not to lose bodily fluid and the need to have to hydrate too much water, while one has to focus on running performance itself. 

One thing many fail to do is to find out how to cool down the body before the run and during the run that will help in running performance.


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.