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)
Archana - Aiming to do 55min for 10km in the long run.
Next Issue - An Interview With Archana
Last
week, Archana, 45, ran in the Run 350 10km for women's race. S.
Jeevanesh, a former Hwa Chong student, who is in the army now also ran
in the race in men open, where he did a 37min 02sec with minimal
training.
As for Archana, she came to see me about 5 weeks
ago. I gave a once a week coaching session on a personal level. She
told me that she wanted to run in the 10km race and would like to do a
1hr 20min and improve her 1hr 40min run and walk time trial that she did a few
months back.
Later on, I saw tremendous progress in her run performance. However, things stalled when she fell sick and it
lasted one and half week of no improvement.
One day, about two weeks to the race, she asked me on what kind of time could she achieve for this 350 Run. I had to be frank and told her that she may do about 1hr 25 to 1hr 30min. When I told her this, I thought that she will be happy. However, it ended up in her
reminding me that I have promised her that she is on her way to do 1hr
20min.
I told her that it was true but I had to tell
that the falling sick a few weeks back had affected the training and I had to review her
timing again.
She did not budge to this. She was adamant on going back to the 1hr 20min target. Nevertheless, I told her that I have to tell her the truth. I cited to her that there are people that I
reviewed recently and they had their time to be reviewed to go faster.
She asked me on how to get the 1hr 20min. I told her that, since time is not on our side, she has to do the unorthodox type training if she wants to do 1hr 20min in a
short space of time. I asked her whether she is willing to do what I
would like to give. She was prepared to do anything but the time to go to 1hr 20min.
Hence, I gave the unorthodox intensive running workout so that she was able to expedite her performance. I
planned out three workouts of short, sharp and simple ones, but intensive ones. She did all of it, although she had a reservation to do the last one, 5 days before the race, I had to ask her to do it. She could see that the training was all mental, and it was all about willpower. Finally, she finished her 3rd unorthodox training on the track, I told her that she is ready to do 1hr 20min.
On
the Sunday itself, Archana told me that she did her personal best time of 1hr 20min and below. I congratulated her. She wanted to know her personal best time. I messaged one of my friends, on the website results of 350 Run race and the person told me that it will take about 2 days.
Finally, somehow, my friend Han Lincoln posted the results link in my Facebook. I am thankful to him because of this. I
found that Archana had done 1hr 17min plus for the 10km run. Considering
her past timing, I am happy that she had conquered her 1hr 20min
challenge. She has promised me to give me the answers to my interview questions as she will be talking about her series of next challenge and her long term goals.
www.runningcoachsg.com
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.
