Rote Learning (Stories From The East - 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)

Stories From The East - Stories that fascinated me during my intensive running days.


Rote learning

There was once in India where the Indian Army decided to recruit many people into its defence force. Hence, they selected as many people as they can. Those selected were sent to different units for training. At times, these units were inspected annually by the top brass people in the army. It was very rare that a person by the rank of General to inspect the camp.

In one of the units of the army camp, there was once a sudden order from the top Commander that this particular company would be inspected. In the army, a company means a smaller division of the unit. The company was called Jaguar company.

As soon as the officers heard that the General by the name of Anand Raj is coming, they were stressed up. They were thinking about what to do with the predicament of this General visiting the camp. They started to brainstorm and decided that all men should be confident of themselves in answering the General's usual questions, especially to the private soldiers. It so happened that the Jaguar company had a person by the name of Somu who was slow to react to simple questions. The higher echelon people, the sergeant and the corporals were terribly worried as to how to deal with the problem. During the theory and practical sessions, Somu had fumbled and failed most of the tests. He had also made a mess of many situations. Somu was also 21 years of age and was inexperienced in many things related to the Army. As Somu was not clever enough to answer, an officer by the name of Muthu instructed Sargeant Raman to teach him to answer properly if Somu was asked some questions by General Anand Raj.

Just before the day of the General's visit, it took the sergeant the whole day to teach private Somu to answer the usual questions that General Anand Raj used to ask always. He told him that the first question that the General will ask on a person's name. The third question will be on how long a person has been in the army. The second question would be on what is the age of the person. Finally, he was known for asking the soldier whether they know Tamil and English. To this the sergeant told him to answer as, ''Both, sir".

The hours of preparing Somu to answer to the usual questions came to an end. Eventually, Somu seemed to get the answers right. The day came when the General came and inspected everything of the Jaguar Company. He was very happy with everything until he met Somu. When the General came very close to Somu, the latter was very scared and nervous. He began to fumble. Somu was muttering, "Why me?" He could not know what he is going to answer. He told himself to answer in sequence as taught by the sergeant.

The conversation went like this:

Gen Anand Raj: What is your name?
Somu               : Somu
Gen Anand Raj: How long have you been in the Army?
Somu              : 21 years, Sir. (To this the General seemed puzzled)
BG Anand       : mmm...Strange...What is your age right now?
Somu              : Three,  Sir (Somu started to show confidence by smiling)
Gen Anand      : What! Preposterous! Either you are mad or I am mad?
Somu              : (Somu was wondering why the General Anand Raj was behaving like that and then answered)....... Both, Sir.

The moral of the story is to not do rote learning. One such rote learning is doing well in academic studies and uses that intelligence to rationalise your training program. Hence, we must be aware that we attached to the intellect. If you want to come up with a program, it is good to read some books on running first. At least one should read 10 books on running before coming up with a simple program. Another advice is to talk to people who like to run and also to have contacts with coaches. One should be humble enough and learn from mistakes and over time gain valuable experience. By doing rote learning, one can get an injury and also progress at a slower rate. Sports Science knowledge like physiology and psychology are very important topics to learn before coming up with a training program. If these don't help, the help of an experienced runner could come in handy.

Last year, around August, I met a friendly German runner by the name of Thomas Ganzhorn. He was asking me to assist him in running. He told me that he follows a book written by a German. I wanted to see the book. He showed me the program to do a marathon timing of sub 3hrs. The program seemed very good. However, just imagine if 100 people are following that program. It is advisable to take note of the training one has been doing in the formative years. It is good to know whether one has been recently training and also about the injury that took place recently etc. Adapting the training program would help. Individualising the program would be the best solution. Thomas was able to tell me the things he did in the past. Hence, I came out with a revised program. He was very appreciative of that.

Seated From Left Ben Lau, Ashley Liew (2hrs 51min), Brendan Lee (3hrs 05min), Thomas Ganzhorn (2hrs 55min) and Amrit Singh.
Standing From Left - Agnes Tan and Chong Yi Mei

Thomas used to e-mail some questions and over time he was able to do two personal best timing of 53min 30sec for 15km time-trial and 2hr 55min for last year's Standard Chartered Marathon 2010. On the day of the race, after finishing the marathon race, he wanted me to meet his parents. We were not able to meet due to some circumstances and he had to fly back to Germany. Now, he is able to draw out his own program independently and let me show his program for his progress through the e-mail. He has done a personal best of 16min 47sec for the 5km race, recently. Not bad for a person who just started running seriously.

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 to do marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners to do sub-4 hours for 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.

Marathon Runners That I Coached - (Part 3) - Ng Soo Hong 2hr 44mins.

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)

Ng Soo Hong - The Best Training Partner Ever

When I was training middle and long-distance events in Clementi Town Secondary School, I came into contact with my friend by the name of Ong May Yan, a teacher from Teck Whye Secondary School. She knew that I was training hard and competing and at the same time I was able to bring Clementi Town Secondary School to second position in one of the year between 1990 and 1991 in the National School Cross-Country Championships. While I was coaching, Ong May Yan gave me two of her school athletes by the name of Ng Soo Seng and Harpreet Singh (4.8km - 14min 47sec). Ng Soo Seng, over time, did a time of 18min 30sec in the National Track and Field Championships 5000m. He was overjoyed with this time as it was his personal best. Both the teacher-in-charge and I were very happy.

One of the reasons why I was doing well in running between 1990 and 1992 is because of Ng Soo Seng. I enjoyed my training with him a lot. In 1992-1994, I had to leave for my further studies. Soo Seng's interest was diminishing at the same time as we were not able to run together.

When I came back from overseas, I realised that Soo Seng was very interested in motorbikes and not running. It was all because of his friends' influence. From a small bike, he was looking to buy a 1000cc bike. He finally got the Class 2A bike which made him go faster in the wheels, except for the legs.

Nevertheless, he introduced me to his brother Ng Soo Hong. The brother was slightly taller than Ng Soo Seng. Soo Hong kept training with me first in MacRitchie Reservoir. Over time, Soo Hong showed me a lot of route in Singapore. One of the reasons why I know more running routes in Singapore is because of Soo Hong.

Soo Hong and I nearly ran every day together. I used to travel to his house in Bukit Timah to run with him. Soo Hong was always punctual in his training and he was appreciative in training. All the workouts, Soo Hong did with all his mind, heart and soul. He was only 19 years old. He was faster in speed and he had a fast 1500m time. 

In my workouts, the only problem he usually faced was to go fast at the start and slow towards the end of the run. I used to give a pep talk to run in an efficient manner, by slowing down the first part of the run. I tried many times and this did not work. Anyway, I decided to save my breath as he still kept running fast in the first part of the race. However, over time, he was able to come back a bit faster than before.

Our long runs were going very well that I recommended him to run the Gold Coast Marathon in Australia in 1995. To this, he was forthcoming and registered for the race. Before the race, I used to give him breathing exercises which will last 30-45mins four times per week. This was done after a run. I wanted him to do well in running. Hence, I made him do the breathing exercises with me. He was religious in doing the breathing technique exercises.

After some time, I suggested him to register for the Gold Coast Marathon 1995, just before my SEA Games in December. His race was somewhere in July. In the race, Soo Hong did a wonderful time of 2hrs 44min. The then MR25 President by the name of Terence was very happy with the performance and he reimbursed back the money that Soo Hong had to use for the flight to Australia, Gold Coast. This made Soo Hong be a force to be reckoned with.

After a period of time, Soo Hong trained intensively in the 2.4km NAFA ENCOUNTER 2.4KM RACE. In the race, I did 7min 02sec while Soo Hong did 7min 21sec. I was impressed with his time and congratulated him for the feat. I also felt that once the distance became shorter Soo Hong can be stronger than his longer distance event. That was in December. While I ran in the SEA Games, Soo Hong ran in the Singapore Marathon. The weather was too hot that he did 3hr 00min. I knew that the humidity of Singapore was not good and the weather probably had killed him.

On the other hand, in Chiang Mai, I did 2hr 24min 22sec and did a big personal best. I retired straightaway as my funds were running out at 29 years of age. To improve more than this, I realised that the support from associations was vitally important. At the time when I retired, Soo Hong also retired as he knew that I am no more serious. I felt that at a young age of 19 years, Soo Hong could do a time which is difficult for many at his age to do, even me. My personal best at that age was only 3hrs 20min for the marathon.

Anyway, Soo Hong was seen running for his Army Unit 2 PDF, a few years later, which is also my army unit when I was a reservist soldier. We do not talk to each other now as to how we talked in the past. Nevertheless, Soo Hong can be said to be the best partner for training for me. My personal best has to be attributed to him and his brother Ng Soo Seng.

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 to do marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners to do sub-4 hours for 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.

The Golden Fish - Story on Desire

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)

The Three Wishes -  What to desire and what to not?

Mythical stories from the east that fascinated me in my running days.

There was once a fisherman who was fishing as usual in a river. On that particular day, he was not able to catch any fish. He was getting disappointed on that day. After waiting so long, all of a sudden, there were movements from his fishing line. He realised that finally, he had caught a fish. He brought the fish towards him to have a closer look and realised that the fish was no ordinary one. It was how a goldfish would look like. The colour was bright golden and the fish's skin was very shiny. He was amazed by the fish. Seeing its splendour, the first thought that came into the mind of the fisherman was to release the fish by throwing back in the very river.

The moment he threw, the golden fish came close to the fisherman and told that he has saved its life and for that, it granted three wishes and disappeared into the river. It all happened too fast that the fisherman was shocked to know that the fish was able to talk.

He was not able to tell this to anyone about as people would not believe and think that he is mad. Eventually, he told himself to try out the granted wishes and see if it works.

He was thinking of the first wish for long. Nothing was coming in his mind. He was thinking whether the golden fish told was just a joke. Nevertheless, he told himself that he certainly would like to try to ask for a wish. Finally, he did. He was in a toilet cubicle when he wished. He told himself to say for fun to see if the wish worked and wished for a long nose. Out came a very long nose from his own normal nose. When he saw what happened, he did not want to come out of the toilet for fear that people may ridicule him.

He realised that whatever that is happening in front of him is all true. He decided to quickly amend the wish as soon as possible. Without reflecting, he wished, "Let me not have this nose." Immediately, the nose vanished totally and the fisherman was not having any nose. He realised that things were happening fast, crazy and getting worse. He told himself, "How am I to go out in the world like this?".

Finally coming to his senses, he became sincere and told himself that he was not interested in anything except his own nose. There came his own nose and he straightaway felt on top of the world. From that day onwards he became happy in life throughout.

Moral of the story
Actually, in life we are happy. Happiness is our state of being. The feeling something is lacking will make us wish for things. Sometimes we wish for things that we do not want. We should be happy with our own self. When we compare with people who are rich and wealthy, we tend to feel that we are lacking something. When we compare with people who are poor, we tend to feel that we are fortunate in life. We become happier by comparing with those who do not have rather than those who have.


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 to do marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners to do sub-4 hours for 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.

Paul Thompson - The Ever Running Paul Thompson

 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)

Paul Thompson - Running Strong in the 40s

The Man Who Stayed And Competed In Singapore For 6 Years

Picture 1 - Rated 2nd in US and UK in 2010 RANKING for 40-44 years of the age group for the half-marathon (2010 New York City Half-Marathon 1hr 09min 09sec.)

When I (Rameshon) retired from serious running at the age of 29, most of the time, Yvonne Danson, the National Record holder for Singapore in marathon, with a time of 2hrs 32min, kept encouraging me to come back to competitive running again. That did not work at all as, in fact, I took a lot of time to think before giving up running competitively. I was more into coaching. However, within myself, I could only commit myself to semi-serious running only 3 months of the year to keep myself fit. I did this until I reach 40 years of age. I wanted to run competitively again in the veteran men section and see for myself how fast I can run. At present, my challenge is in the Men Veteran section. Running in the Men Open section is now not my focus anymore. It is left to our young Singaporeans to do it. Also, I realise that by being competitive, I tend to be more conscious of diet, exercise and fitness. However, my competitiveness is not like how it was in the past.

In the late 1990s, I once saw the MR 25 people doing their bi-monthly time-trials for 5km in MacRitchie. I saw Yvonne Danson there. She told me that Paul Thompson is a good runner. It is only after the run that I realised that Paul was, in fact, a fast runner. I also found that he did not have any contenders to fight. I was thinking that what a time to retire. When I wanted a challenge, there was no challenge. Now that I have retired, suddenly there is somebody who could have spurred me to improve upon my timing for my races. Anyway, I thought it was too late as I had already made up my mind on this. I was really enjoying the luxury of leisure time. Anyway, leisure time was spent mostly on coaching.

While that was going on, Paul took part in many races in Singapore and did very well to the point that he started to go to Malaysia to run. He did very well there as well. My communication with him came, when Paul, in a friendly manner, came to me one day, after a competition and talked to me about ageing and being competitive. He was telling me about whether it is possible to run and do well at the 40s. We shared our ideas on this.

It was in 2003 that Paul showed his invincibility in the Army Half-Marathon by doing a 68min 39sec. That run that he ran was very inspirational. He just spoke to me about ageing and running slow. There at the race, he did an impressive performance that I will always remember. I know that I will rebound back after the 40s. I came in champion in the Standard Chartered Marathon 2008, in the Men Open Local Section, doing a time of 2hrs 49min. In 2009, I was, in fact, getting much faster than the year 2008 running performance. However, I got injured because of not much time to train around that period. My focus was on school work.

I believe, even after the year 2003, Paul, with his resilience, was able to do a 2hrs 29min 56sec. This was his dream come true. Finally, he was able to do the sub-2hrs 30min that he was aiming for. My hope in writing this post is to encourage those above 40s to learn from Paul on getting motivated to run, regardless of the age we are in. I believe Paul's philosophy on running will be very helpful to many, young and old. 

Over time, I have seen his wife Shamala during races. They are working in US together. Sometimes, I have seen the two of them coming together for the Singapore races. Today, I realised that Paul is still able to continue his Sunday's 22miles. I feel that Paul is still in good form to run. He has discussed with me that in time to come when he comes to Singapore for holidays, we can run together when that time comes. I am very eager to run and train with him for that short stint.

Picture 2 - Paul Thompson after a race supported by his wife Shamala

As such, with the introduction of Paul, I would like to present the interview questions coupled with his knowledgeable answers for the benefit of the readers of this post.

Interview Questions

Picture 3 - Paul Thompson - 68min 39sec in the Army Half-Marathon 2003. Receiving a prize from Singapore President S. R. Nathan.

What was your age when you did the marathon time of 2hrs 29min 56sec?

I ran 2hr 29min 56sec at age 40 and 4 months. It was the London Marathon in 2006. It was my debut. For most of my running career, I had no interest in running the marathon but as I closed in on age 40, I set myself the goal of a top 3 place for the over 40 age group and a sub-2:30. I finished 4th master/veteran but had 4 seconds to spare at the finish. I went through halfway mark in 72min 04sec. It was very fast as I tried to chase the leading masters' runners. With 100m to go, in full sight of the finish, Buckingham Palace, 20,000 spectators and the BBC TV cameras, I collapsed to the floor: I got up slowly and walked before breaking into a jog to get over the line.

Picture 4 - Paul Thompson (In Action During a Competition)

What is your PB for 800m, 1500m, 1600m, 2.4km, 3km, 5km, 10km and half - marathon?
Track Race Timings Done in My Late Teens
800m - 2min 03sec,
1500m - 4min 15sec,
1600m - 4min 35sec,
2.4km - never done it,
3000m- 8min 45sec

All These Race Timings Were Done After My Teenage Age Years
5000m   - 14min 48sec
10000m - 30min 22sec
Singapore's Army Half Marathon 2003     - 68min 39sec 
New York City Half Marathon (Mar 2010)  - 69min 09sec  

http://www.nyrr.org/resources/photos/2010/nychalf/local/gallery.asp#4

What is your personal best for Army Half - Marathon, done in Singapore? Which year was it?
See above. 68:39 in 2003. I came 2nd to a Kenyan elite runner by the name of Joel.

Which race is your best event and you are interested in it?

It used to be cross country (I've run for the North of England and won national team medals running for the county of Yorkshire, UK. Unfortunately, there are little real cross-country races here in New York so I now focus on the half-marathon races. My best race, age-adjusted, was the New York City Half Marathon in March this year when I ran 69:09. It's hard to beat a run that takes place in Central Park and a traffic-free Times Square.

Where and at which year was this feat done?
See above

Where are you staying now? In which country are you staying?

My wife Shamala, a Singaporean, and I moved to New York in 2004. We first lived in Brooklyn and then relocated to a small town that is a 60-minute train ride into Grand Central Terminal. We both work in Midtown Manhattan - Sham next to the iconic UN building while I'm on 5th Avenue one of the world's premier shopping streets.

Which country do you find very conducive for training?

A tough question. What I can say is that despite really enjoying the running scene in Singapore and Malaysia these countries are certainly not the best place for running for one simple reason - it's too hot and humid. The human body is simply not equipped to run fast in 90F and 90% humidity: 50-60F and low humidity are optimal. The US has much to offer and is hard to beat - from the cityscapes of New York City to the Colorado Rockies. But the US suffers from a lack of public footpaths - the UK has plenty of these.

How do you find staying, training and competing in Singapore in the past?

My wife is from Singapore so there is no surprise in finding what I really enjoy in Singapore. I ran for MR25 for 6 years and it was a great club - a perfect mix of local and foreign, young and old, male and female. When I first arrived in Singapore, my very first task was to join the MR 25: it was like an instant family. The racing scene was fun too - a mix of road races, long and short, cross-country, tri-terrain etc.

Picture 5 - The Family of MR 25 Club Members

Can you elaborate that one toughest race that you have ever encountered in your life? Can you give a 100 to 200wds answer for this question?

My first marathon - London 2006 - was my hardest race by some margin. That day I realized that you have to respect the distance and to anyone who can stay on their feet for 26.2 miles. As I have said earlier on, I went out too fast, passing the halfway mark, just past Tower Bridge in 72:04, I felt relaxed and strong and was barely 50m behind the top masters' runner. By 20 miles, it was game over: I had no 'gas in the tank'. It was a simple case of survival. I survived - but not before collapsing in sight of the finish line on The Mall. I ran 2:29:56 for 4th vet/master and 72nd overall (from 36,000).

How many marathons have you done?

Three. London Marathon 2006, London Marathon 2007, and Boston Marathon 2008. Each time I thought I'd learnt from the previous ones and came back stronger - but each time I just got slower!

What is your future goal, if you have any, on running?

I have a number of goals. First, to enjoy it and to run until I can run no more. Wherever I travel I get out for a run. I can't understand why people run on treadmills: we were meant to run outdoors, preferably off-road, whatever the weather. Second, as I age to slow down as slowly as I can! Third, to run for my country, England, as a vet/master. The latter will prove hard while I live overseas and get no opportunities to prove myself against British athletes.

How was your performance in the recent race?
My very last race was the New York Road Runners Prostate Cancer 5 Miler. I ran 25:57, my slowest 5 miler for many years and my first defeat in the Tri-State area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) by another vet/master since May 2008.

What advice would you give to a person who would like to run competitively after 40 years of age?

First, find a way of enjoying it. If you do not enjoy the experience don't bother. Second, be realistic. After our early 30s, our muscles weaken and lose their flexibility. So don't expect to run as well as when younger. Third, do not train as intensely: you'll get injured. Finally, savour that moment when you beat young bucks. I get a real kick when I can beat 25-year-olds who are running to impress the spectators.

What is your advice to those who want to take up running for health and fitness, regardless of their age?

I love running. It helps define who I am, has enabled me to befriend the best people I could ever hope to meet, and I can not imagine life without it. But it does not have to be all-consuming. The most important thing is to enjoy it. Find like-minded types to share it with. And whenever you travel take your shoes: you'll see and experience things non-runners never will.

The author would like to wish Paul Thompson all the best in the coming races.

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 to do marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners to do sub-4 hours for 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.

Marathon Runners That I Coached/Assisted (Part 2) - N. Ganesan (2hrs 46min)

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)

N. Ganesan (Current 5000m - 14min 57sec - National Record Holder )

The Invincible Runner Who Had His Dream Fulfilled

N. Ganesan - Training and running for 6 Div in the past.



Note: When both, N. Ganesan and I, met we had a dream. We worked for it and finally attained it. Working with Ganesan, I realised that he was not attached to fame for we know that fame is only temporary. The struggle and sacrifice to do what which were worth doing. As for me, I started off as a coach. I applied the coaching principles on others and found that the method works. Later on, I implemented them on myself and did well. I always believe in helping others and also know that the help will come back. I also like the phrase 'Help ever, Hurt never'. By helping others, I have reached my goal. While helping others, I did not at any point lose any form of focus in my own training.

The N. Ganesan Story

When I saw Ganesan, he was coming in first for cross-country races in the junior section while I was coming in first for the senior races. After the race, Ganesan and I spoke for a while and I realised that he was not a proud runner. When I had to go for my training run at Macritchie Reservoir, I used to meet this ardent young runner. Soon, we became friends and we used to chat. As he was young, Ganesan used to be courteous which was outwardly shown. After some time, I told him that he is bouncing most of the time during his run. He was told to run more horizontal plane and not go vertically up. He was told not to waste his energy by running in an upward motion. I knew that this runner could go far if he reduces his bouncing. Later on, his bouncing reduced and subsequently his speed went up.

Also, my friends by the name of Tulasi Das and Dayalan who were from Red Hawk Club were also the friends of Ganesan. Both of them told me that Ganesan has the tendency to stop during a race, especially the 10km race. I did see this once when Dayalan showed to me Ganesan stopping in a 10km race and laughed at it. I even saw Ganesan, not only stopping in the race but also turning behind as well.

At first, Ganesan used to join us for fun runs. However, over time, after seeing Harpreet's meteoric rise, he decided to come under me to train. In one of the cross-country race in MacRitchie Reservoir around the early 90s, I won the Men's Open individual and he won the men junior individual race. Both of us were featured in the Chinese newspaper, either Wen Bao or Zao Bao.

Both of us became the best of friends from that day onwards. After some time, Ganesan and Harpreet used to train for the National School Cross-Country Championships. In one of the race, 1991, N. Ganesan, finally surpassed Harpreet Singh's personal best of 14min 47sec for 4.8km to 14min 46sec. In 1991, even though Abimanyu, trained by Sivalingam, was the favourite to win in the National Schools' Cross-Country Championships for A Division, he was capable of doing sub 15min for the race, he was defeated by N. Ganesan.

After some time, while teaching for three years, in Clementi Town Secondary School, finally I decided to go for my further studies. As Oct 1992 was approaching for me to go for my studies, I was still doing long run training sessions with Ganesan, Harpreet, Elangovan and Li Tienye. I was thinking of giving these talented athletes to a teacher-coach, rather than a coach because I did not want these athletes to neglect their studies. I found usually teacher-coach is more responsible than coaches in guiding their career.

The national coach, Sivalingam, at that time told me to give all of my athletes to him. I was apprehensive over this. I did not want the students to suffer in their studies and have a problem when they come out to work in adult life. To me, my focus was on studies and running and I found both to be of utmost importance in life to continue running. I did not want to compromise on this. Like how I suffered earlier, I did not want these athletes to suffer. I was, in fact, thinking about their welfare before leaving Singapore for England.

Hence, with this in mind, finally, I gave all my athletes to Eric Song, the then ACS (Independent) sports secretary at that time. Before giving all the athletes to Eric, I made Ganesan to do a personal best of 15min 31sec from a time of 16m 46sec. This feat to do took me only 3 months and Ganesan did not do any full time training.  This feat  enabled him to come out of Army by they getting time-off to run after 3pm. Ganesan also was playing hockey for SAFSA. It was a bonanza for him as he was talented in both sports, unlike many of us. However, he told me that he wanted to focus solely on running.

As I left for my study trip to England, I told him on the ways to train for stamina and told him not to neglect this component. I also taught him stretching exercises which would prevent all forms of injury. Finally, I left for England. I realised that I had to be responsible for myself. By releasing N. Ganesan, Elangovan, Harpreet Singh, Li Tienyi and Johnson Ng, I felt a kind of freedom which actually allowed me to have more time for my own running.

In England, I usually get excited in receiving my former athletes' letter and I realised that they were improving. Before going for my studies, I took a 10 day off from  Loughborough University as I had to represent Singapore in the 2nd Asian Men's Marathon Championships in Bandung, Indonesia. The race had some sections of upslopes and downslopes. I came in with a time of 2hrs 34min. The champion was from Eduardo from Indonesian. The impressive Indonesian defeated all the top Japanese marathon and Korean runners in the race.

Over time, in England, I settled down to do my studies. While I was doing my assignment on Mamimum Oxygen Uptake (VO2 max), I started some form of running by assessing the academic pressure of the University life. While training with a low volume, I decided to run only with my friends and not with the Loughborough University Athletics team. I used to run for a few kilometres and then join in the runs with my friends Raihan and Thomas Tan. Sometimes, I even run with Arul, my hostel friend. I started running in the cross-country races in the League One Birmingham Cross-Country League. Overall, I ran in three English Cross-Country races in England.

I used to correspond to my former athletes by writing letters. My other runners from Dunearn Secondary School sometimes wrote to me. Usually, the letters come from Xu Pei Hua and Mei Zan, the former top two female runners of the school. I still have communication even until now the female runners. Only Xu Pei Hua runs now but it is for fitness and not serious. There was once a letter which came to me and in this letter N. Ganesan wrote to me that he finally did 2hrs 46min for the marathon. It was verified in the newspaper too.

I felt happy with this because not only was Ganesan on his way to do 15min 31sec in 10 months, after doing 15min 41min, but also he was able to do the marathon. As a coach that was a mommoth task for me. From the day Ganesan was able to run the marathon, I did not hear of him stopping during any race by his friend who used to laugh at him for this action. I realised that he was also mentally strong then.

Over time, in the Inter-Varsity Track and Field Race, in 1992/3 Ganesan did a time of 15min 06sec for the race by becoming the champion. Till now, there is no one who has broken this record that he had set. Over time, Ganesan finally managed to do 14min 57sec for the 5000m race. As soon as he broke the record, he told me that he incorporated one of my workout into the training program before breaking the record in Germany. He also did a personal best of 3min 58sec for the 1500m on the track during the period. Before doing this timing, I do remember coming to Singapore to push him to do 4min 06sec for the 1500m, in 1993. Earlier on, he was stuck with 4min 09sec. He was very depressed with this. I came forward to expedite his progress before going back to England for my second year studies.

Over time, Ganesan sustained an injury called the heel spur, bone jutting out of the heel bone. It is a bone growth at the heel area such that it causes pain whenever the heel strikes the ground, the area with the extra bone will have pain, sometimes it can be severe. The pain can become unbearable . Later on, he went for an operation. It was alright at first but later on the pain came back. Finally, he was seen keeping himself fit as a Physical Education teacher. He also just got married after years of running and being as a teacher.

In summary, N. Ganesan's feat is given below.


Distances and Personal Best Timing that N. Ganesan had achieved.
1500m - 3min 58sec
4.8km - 14min 46sec (1991, National School Cross Country Championships)
5km - 15m 06sec (IVP Record, 1993)
5km - 14m 57sec (Germany, National Record - 5000m - broke Jagtar's Singh's record)
Marathon - 2hrs 46min (Not his important race, but a personal best)

 

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 to do marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners to do sub-4 hours for 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.

The Sub 3hrs Marathoners

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)

The Sub 3hrs Marathoners that I have coached/assisted.

There are people who I have helped to enable them to do well in the marathon on my way to do the 2hrs 24min 22sec. The following people are those who at one time or another came and joined me to do a personal best for their marathon. I will elaborate on these gentlemen on how they were able to do the sub 3 hrs later on or on another posting.

Proudest Moment - I came in as the champion, with Daniel second and Dr Ben Tan coming in third.

YEAR Name  Timing Race Venue
1990 Balasubramaniam  2hrs 35min Singapore Marathon
1992 N. Ganesan  2hrs 46min Singapore Marathon 
1995 Ng Soo Hong 2hrs 44min Gold Coast Marathon
1998 Ernest Wong  2hrs 37min Hong Kong Marathon
2004 Khoo Chin Poo 2hrs 39min SEA Games (Vietnam)
2006 Fabian William Raj 2hrs 59min Hong Kong Marathon
2007 Daniel Ling 2hrs 46min Std Chartered Mara (S'pore)
2008 Dr Ben Tan 2hr 56min Std Chartered Mara (S'pore)
2009 Ashley Liew 2hrs 51min Std Chartered Mara (S'pore)
2010 Dr Benny Goh 2hrs 50min Boston Marathon

Short story on each one of them will be coming up soon.


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 to do marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners to do sub-4 hours for 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.