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)
Coffee - Just like drugs, it can be addictive
Note: I am writing as two of my athletes have requested me to write more articles on this topic, as they told me that the topic is interesting.
Picture 2 - (left to right) Daniel Ling (2nd), Rameshon (1st) and Dr Benedict Tan (3rd) in 2008 Standard Chartered Marathon, all of us did sub- 3 hours for the race
It is very interesting to note that I was not interested in consuming coffee or any caffeinated product, including Red Bull, tea etc., before 1989, until I was running my major marathons, like Hong Kong Marathon 1990 (2hr 30min), 1991 Pacific Rim Marathon (California), 1993 London Marathon 2hr 29min, 1993 Berlin Marathon (2hrs 28min).
I have mentioned that in 1995 SEA Games marathon, both Yvonne Danson (2hr 34min, current Singapore National Record holder) and I had to convince the then Singapore Amateur Athletics Association (SAAA) to allow us to stay somewhere near the start of the race. I felt tired out by fighting our case with Mr Ong Yoke Phee, the then SAAA manager. He was not convinced about this. I was afraid of the morning traffic and was pushy on this to get SAAA to enable us to stay near the start area, which has less than one-star hotel accommodation, but it was alright for us. It was one of the most important decisions that I have ever made in my life. The Indonesian and Philippines compatriots were already having their accommodation there.
Finally, Jayamani, a former SEA Games Marathon gold medalist and our national runner of the past, suggested to me that she will speak on behalf of us. I was on my way to see the Singapore Sports Council on Mr Ong's inaction, regarding this issue. Eventually, Mr Ong allowed us to stay there near the start area. I felt elated on hearing this good news from Jeyamani.
We went to buy the food products on the day and for the day of the race. We purchased the drink contents for the SEA Games. We were to give 8 bottles of water to the officials. In the morning of the race, my bunkmate, Khoo Chin Poo and I were not able to get any coffee in the morning. We tried frantically to find for at least a coffee drink but it was all in vain.
In the morning, setting aside my thought, I ran the SEA Games 1995 with no prior caffeine consumption. I had to muster up my willpower and to go for it and I did not want the 'not drinking coffee' to be a barrier to my race. I was actually going for the gold medal. Finally, I ran a 2hr 24min 22sec.
(Note:
With the research done on the success that coffee can give, I realised that the time could have got faster if I had drunk coffee, which is my usual self to drink before a race, in most races. Anyway, we can't change the clock of the race now).
Addiction
After the race, I was not drinking coffee until it was around 1996. From 1997, I started to take one coffee per day, as I found life boring without competition, the same feeling that Apollo had in Rocky 3 movie. Later on, the coffee consumption went to 2 per day and it was going up. The habit went on uncontrollable until it went up to 5 times per day that I placed a ban on coffee on myself, on one fine day. At first, it was extremely difficult to give up the drink, as I automatically use to drink coffee without hesitation.
Later on, I told myself that I should not be too attached to coffee that it is the end-all and be all. I mustered up my willpower and to stop the drink totally, between the year 1999 to 2006. I did not drink even any form of caffeine drink like coffee, tea, red bull or anything that I knew of. However, I limit myself to milo only for a beverage. Usually, I took the Horlicks.
Coffee Revisited
In the year 2006, again, I read about coffee in giving boost and improvement in performance on research articles that I laid hands on. This happened while I was doing my Masters in Education from the University of Western Australia from the year 2005 to 2008. The knowledge of how much to drink, the timing of the drink etc enabled me to win the 2008 Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon race, where the athletes that I was coaching, Daniel Ling (2hr 53 and Dr Benedict Tan( 2hr 56min), also came in 2nd and 3rd respectively in the race. It was a 1, 2 and 3 for us. I felt that it was one of the greatest achievement that I have ever had in my life besides doing 2hr 24min 22sec for my 1995 SEA (Thailand) Games marathon race. The reason was that I was happy that I was able to enable athletes to get where they want to go, besides developing other top runners in the past.
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.
