5000m - A Review on Singapore Athletics. (Part 3)

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)

5000m - The name of the game is precision in pacing and being ready for it.

Picture 1- N. Ganesan, from 16min 46sec personal best, during teenage years, to 14min 57sec, breaking the national record for 5km




Life Time Best 5000m - A Ranking- (All are Singaporeans)

1 N. Ganesan - 14min 57sec (Current National Record holder)

2 G. Krishnan - 15min 03sec

3 Chamkaur S - 15min03sec

4 Mok Ying Ren - 15m 05.98sec

5 Jagtar Singh - 15min 06.5sec

6 P.C. Suppiah - 15min 10.6sec

Definitely, N. Ganesan stands out as the best runner so far in history. The rest of the runners mentioned in this list are between 15min 00sec and 15min 11sec. After doing this time N. Ganesan had a series of injury, especially at the foot area. He had heel spur. Due to repetitive running, sometimes if you are unlucky, and the calcium content increases there, a growth of a bone will form at the heel area. It is, I think, not an injury but it can be painful and it can increase in intensity over time.

He went for an operation thinking that it may solve the problem, but it didn't. Anyway, an operation by the doctor was the last thing in Ganesan's mind. After some training with me, after the operation, he told me that the pain was coming back. It was heel spur again. He stopped running intensively after that. He did not want to operate again and face the same problem another time. Enough was enough for him.  

Several attempts were made by G. Krishnan and Chamkaur Singh to go below 15min 00sec in the past. It was a valiant challenge but it was not successful. Now we have Mok Ying Ren attempting. This is a good sign. Over time, I also believe that young runners Ashley Liew, Soh Rui Yong, S. Jeevanesh, Galen and Oon Shui Kun are in contention to bring the time down. In two to four years time, there is a possibility for the time to go under 14min 40sec. This is my prediction. I can see this already starting to take place.

Coming back to the story, I remember running the All-comers meet somewhere in 1991/2 Singapore Open. I was attempting to do a 15min flat for the run. I told myself that if I can stick to a pace of 1min 12zec I should be able to achieve this feat. In the race, a runner from Korea and India ran.

They were about to go for the Hong Kong Marathon with me which was a month later after Singapore Open Track and Field race. The Korean came in first and the Indian runner came in 4th in Hong Kong Marathon. I came in 5th.

In the 5000m Singapore Open, we ran together at the start. I was very happy and thought that it was time for me to do a 15min  00sec. Both Ganesan and I were in top form, but I was clocking very fast times at that time. I also rarely run the 5km races.

Just as I started the race, I realised that the South Korean and Indian runner, both having a PB between 14min 30 and 14min 45sec, ran behind me. I thought that it will stop there and they will move in front. They didn't. Hence, I overtook them and did a 1min 10sec. For the first round, this would have been okay but I went on like this for the first 6 rounds. Even at the 2km mark or the 5th round of the 12 1/2 rounds, both runners did not want to overtake me. I did not know how to pace myself well at that time and because Ganesan was not on par with me at that time I did not run together with him. I hit the 2.4km at 7min flat or (sixth 6 round) and finally got tired out. My legs were full of lactate. I did not know what to do but to just continue and counsel myself why I ran too fast in the first six rounds.

Over time, I was getting slower and slower after each lap. I realised that it was because of not sticking to the pace of 1min 12 sec I was now going backwards. It was a grave mistake. I thought that the pace was okay. The Korean and Indian overtook me after 6th lap and surged forward.

Slowly, I was losing to a runner from Hong Kong who just did 3min 55sec a few minutes before the race. I was also losing to Ganesan. I was thinking that this was it, and I am gone. Over the last few rounds, I was able to recover and told myself that if I just do my best I will be able to do a personal best time on that day. I overtook Ganesan and moved forward.

Over some time, for the third position, the Hong Kong runner and I had a tussle till the end of the race, for the bronze medal. I tried all my best to overtake the Hong Kong runner, who was, I think of British origin, but he overtook me and sprinted towards the last 100metres. I lost him by few seconds but I clocked a time of 15min 31sec. Ganesan did 15min 41sec. It was a 1min 05sec improvement in the personal best time for N. Ganesan with 3 months training with me. My timing was disappointing but I was happy because it was a personal best time.

I also realised that to do a sub-15min, the important thing to do is to come out with a strategy. The 15min barrier is a big stumbling block. The barrier is not a stumbling block for people like M. Ramachandran, the king of long-distance events, from Malaysia, who could come close to doing a sub 14min at that time. Many have failed as top Singapore athletes to do sub-15min.

I feel that getting the right pacing is the best in attempting to make one go down in timing. I knew also that it was pointless to attain the timing if one is not sure on the precision in attaining the time of the pace which has been set. During the run, they may be the temptation of feeling like you feel like you are superman before the race and lose the goal. We may go out too fast, or after a few rounds, we try something funny, like going too fast and not stick to the game plan. Another thing I have seen is that during the run, the mind plays with you that you are tired, etc. It is important to take stock of what goes inside the mind and channel that energy to positive.

Let us hope that the national record time for 5000m can go down below 15min and in the long run top athletes attempt to go below 14min.

Speaking about breaking records, Ganesan and I, in the past knew that records are meant to be broken. Let us hope that times in Singapore for long-distance and middle-distance will keep improving.

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.