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)
In the past, I used to do several talks. The biggest project on running that I have ever done was the EKIN Project. I was doing for NIKE, who were formerly my sponsors. They were my first full-fledged financial (cash) and non-financial sponsor (in-kind) for running and I was given a number of talks in the past. I have given talks just before Stanchart Marathons, a few years ago.
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)
In the past, I used to do several talks. The biggest project on running that I have ever done was the EKIN Project. I was doing for NIKE, who were formerly my sponsors. They were my first full-fledged financial (cash) and non-financial sponsor (in-kind) for running and I was given a number of talks in the past. I have given talks just before Stanchart Marathons, a few years ago.
In one of the talk, with a group of nurses, my topic was on running. I did this in the year 2008. Of the questions raised, one of the male nurses asked me a very important question on running. He asked, “What goes into your mind when you run, what really motivates you to run.”
I asked him, “Why are you asking me this as you can ask me about how I train etc and so on”. He told me, “It is willpower to run. For us, we want to run, but we are lazy. I am wondering what thoughts go through your mind to continue running.” At that time, I was purely puzzled and I told that I am very motivated to run and it is very easy to run. I told him,” I feel like running, so I run and I do not feel bored to run.” For me, even now, I feel that the best answer is to see and hear a real-life exemplary. It can be elite runners etc. I told him, “If you read the autobiography of great runners you will be very motivated.” That was how I did it.
Looking back, as time passes, I can see that sometimes we feel lazy. Even if we have goals, there is a possibility, as we may relent to indiscipline and try to laze around by meeting up friends or go for coffee or watch the television, instead of running and getting the stress of life out of us. Personally, to me, there is more to this when we talk about motivation and enthusiasm.
Only after meeting Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder of Art of Living, I realised that there is a thing called fatigue. There is also this thing called the four sources of energy. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar told that we get energy from food (which has water as well), breathing, sleep and from inspiration (which includes meditation, positive words etc). All these four can increase one’s energy, and that energy is connected to enthusiasm.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “Enthusiasm is like the tip of the fire, it is always up, not down.” He also said that when one is joyful, one is able to counter tiredness and fatigue.
I shall discuss these four sources of energy in detail on another blog post, in order not to bore people reading who are reading on. In this section, I shall summarise on the benefits of breathing technique, which is the most important source of energy.
Only in 1995, I realised that I was feeling burnout from running and nothing could help or save me. People encouraged and motivated me to continue training. They also told me to train with them as a group. To this, I did not budge as I just did not feel like running.
Then, I chanced upon a book on sports which told about the breathing technique. Straightaway, I took a flight to India, Bangalore, Kanakapura Road, to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ashram. I did a basic breathing technique course and learned about Sudarshan Kriya. Immediately, after that, I did an advance course. After completion, in order to refresh myself, I did the advance course again, twice. My energy was up. I could feel it. I felt recharged instead of having this run-down feeling.
When I came back from the Ashram from India, I kept practising the Sudarshan Kriya, again and again, until I took part in Chiangmai 1995 SEA Games Marathon. I did 2hr 24min 22sec and broke the men’s open national record for the marathon, while Yvonne Danson did 2hr 34min to break the women’s national record. Both of us were the only two from the track and field events to qualify for Olympics from the SEA Games performance.
The training times before the SEA Games were all improving consistently all because of the positive things I have learnt from the Ashram plus the breathing technique as it is known that proper breathing technique normalises the emotion and enables one to perform well in sports and one can, in fact, perform better at peak performance. As such, I feel that breathing correctly and doing deep breathing technique does bring about an increase in the energy level of a person, which in a way increases enthusiasm also. My burnout feeling vanished after coming back from India to train for the SEA Games in 1995 and I did very well. I was overjoyed and I did not know how to express myself. I was on top of the world.
About the other three sources of energy, food, sleep, inspiration, I will discuss in my next blog post. Just take note that if a fish comes out of the water, it cannot live without water. Likewise, in water, we cannot live without air, even for a few minutes. That shows how important breathing compared to other sources energy is and it is good to attend to the breath to be centred to oneself and increase one’s enthusiasm.
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 the 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.
Edited By a Flexifitness staff!
