Oon Shui Kun - 35min 11sec With 10 Weeks Training (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)

Next Issue
An Interview With Oon Shui Kun before his going to National Service.

In This Issue
Oon Shui Kun - Undiscovered Gem, Showing Potentials As Predicted.

Picture 1 - S. Jeevanesh, Oon Shui Kun, Jian Hong and Yeo Si Heng.

Note: It is in the hope that the necessary organisation see this and recruit these type of talent for the glory of Singapore Athletics.

My Experience.

I remember running many 10km races, in the past, from young. In the Army, I got myself selected to go to Lumut in Perak, Malaysia, somewhere in 1986 for Inter - Army Track and Field Championships between Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia Armed Forces. In the race, I came in sixth, doing 36min 31sec. At that time, I was about 21 years of age.

Overtime (Mar 1993), I did 31min 46sec in the Loughborough Echo 10km race. In that race, I came in 10th and was the second-best runner from Loughborough University running team. By doing a sub- 32min, I managed to beat the qualifying mark of sub-32min to run for the Inter-University Games in England. Since the race was around my examinations period, I decided not to take part in the Games. It was a blow for me as I really longed to run in the race. The qualifying time for 1500m was 3min 40sec. The fortunate thing was that I was able to meet the qualifying time. The qualifying mark for all other races to 5000m was very difficult and it was 13min something.

Coming back to Oon Shui Kun, from secondary 1 to secondary 4, he has not run races in the past. His only first race was run last year in the National Schools' Cross-Country Race 2010, with 3 months training. Shui Kun was leading the race in front of Zhiming of Raffles Institution and S. Jeevanesh from the same Hwa Chong Institution (college). Due to inexperience in running, Shui Kun collapsed at the last 200m race. He was drenched and dehydrated.

In the second race, 5000m National Schools Track and Field meet, with resilience, Shui Kun came in third, winning many favourites in the race. The surprising thing was it was the second major race of his life. After the competition, he took part in the canoe competition and made the school canoe team as champions.

After that, Shui Kun kept studying for his GCE 'A' Levels. After the exams, with 7 weeks training, he came in 4th in the men under 20 category running 5km at Bedok Reservoir. Yesterday, he finally did a 35min 11sec for the 10km, 3 seconds faster than Ashley Liew who did 35min 14sec. Ashley Liew has already done 34min 48sec for the 10km tarmac course last year. Ashley Liew will soon be going to the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2011, which will be held on 20 Feb 2011, same time as Asian Cross-Country Championships 2011.

Comparing my 36min 31sec in 10km at the age of 21, overtime bringing the time to 31min 46sec at eh age of 27, I believe that at the age of 18, Shui Kun is already ahead of me doing 35min 11sec. Hence, hopefully, the necessary organisations take note of this potential future national record holder and assist this young gentleman to realise his potential.

Last year, I heard that Shui Kun wanted to give up canoeing and take up running. I had to tell him to continue canoeing and do running as well. I told him that in fact, running will help his canoeing. From third-best in the canoe group, Shui Kun ended as the second-best in canoeing. I told Shui Kun that the ventilatory threshold in running is higher than canoeing. One cannot elicit a high ventilatory threshold in canoeing due to not engaging more muscles groups than what running does. Hence, because of Shui Kun, Hwa Chong Institution won 1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze in National Schools' Canoe, Track and Field and Cross-Country Competition, respectively.

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.