Sunday, July 25, 2010

Kiplimo Chemirmir - The Runimal

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)

Kiplimo Chemirmir

Picture 1 - Kiplimo winning in a race


Some call him Kip, Kippy and others call him Limo. Kiplimo Chemirmir, who was born in Kenya and is based in the USA, is a runner who does good stretching as part of his training regime. He trains very hard and also has a system to make the body to recover fast. He believes that he can run from a middle distance, 800m to ultramarathon distances.

His time from 800metres and above are all fantastic. It will be good to know Kiplimo more from his interview. Let us find out more about this world-class athlete who has several personal best starting from 100metres. He has the aspiration to run in the London Olympics 2012.

Interview on Kiplimo Chemirmir

Picture 2 - Kiplimo Chemirmir after a half-marathon race.


What distances do you usually run in races?
Hahaha, this a tough question I always fail to answer this. All I can say is I run any distance from 800meters to 50k if you ask me how do I do that or how is it possible, I will tell you that it is possible because I don't believe in impossible. I train myself to face every challenge that any distance will throw at me and, above all, I believe that God has created me to be a Runimal. It is rooted in my heart and I can't set limits on myself for I believe that I can do anything that I set my eyes on and train for it. It is the same thing as in life it all requires one to prepare oneself for dreams, don't choose nor knows no limit.

What is your latest win and where? Can you inform us of the time that you have done?
My latest win was too hot to handle 15k and I'm hoping to win El Scorcho 50k tonight.

So far, I have competed in 20 races this year, won 9 of them, finished 2nd in 5 of them, 3rd twice, 4th once, 5th twice and worst of them, 9th once.

What are your personal bests for 100m 200m 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m steeplechase (if you have any), 5000m, 10km and half - marathon and marathon time (if you have any)?
My PERSONAL BEST'S are.
100 - 11:80s
200 - 21:33s
400 - 47:09s
800 -1:46
1500 - 3:40
1mile -3:52
3000 S/C - 8:51:10.
4km - 10:13
5000 - 13:38
8km - 24:18
10km - 29:22
15km - 45:51
Half marathon - 1:06:15
Marathon - 2:33:24 hoping to run 2hr 18min before the end of this year and see if I can. If not, I might go back to track next year. However, before I do that, I have aspirations to run the Boston marathon one day.

What is your age now?
I'm 27 years old now. Just turned actually :)

Are you married?
I am in a relationship with the most beautiful woman on earth. She is a tough long-distance runner. Her name is Rachel Lindner. Hope to marry her soon :)

Where are you staying now to do your training?
I'm based in a calm and beautiful city in Texas U.S.A - called Flower mound.

What are your important wins in the past 3 years?
Um, to be honest, I usually think all the races that I have won as important and very special, for behind every win, I leave a mark with my name with it.

Do you believe that training in a group is better than training individually?
Definitely 100% yes!

Can you tell us diet if affects training?
According to my experience, yes! It is because running is not just about waking up in the morning and storm out of the door for a run. In fact, running starts from the kitchen, what you eat is what you are, you eat healthily you will become healthy and perform better because your immune system has all the energy and nutrients that it needs to keep you going. But if you eat junk food, you will suffer, an athlete doesn't have to eat delicious food from the restaurant, cooking at home is the best way for everyone who wants good results for himself.


What is your long term goal?
My goal is to join the U.S Army and run for the U.S in 2012 London Olympics. I want to build a couple of classrooms for a primary school in my village where I come from, Kenya. Also, I would like to build a bridge that will help hundreds of kids to get to school in time during the rainy season. I would like to build a training camp for a handful of unfortunate talented runners and help them get a manager who will help them to travel to Europe and U.S to run and make money to support their families. Lastly, I would like to build a Children's home and Church in my village in Kenya. We don't have any as we have to use school classrooms on Sundays. :(

What is your advice to people who want to take running seriously?
Train properly, change your shoes often to avoid many avoided injuries, eat healthily, stay healthy, stay out of trouble, be discipline, have faith in what you do, don't give up even in a dare, do what you must to make things better, love what you do and you will never get tired of it, have a decent programme, find a training partner or a good and motivating training group, train hard as without giving your best of efforts you will never achieve anything and success will still be a dream-like to many who have failed for fear of pain. Never stop giving your best even when you don't perform well for there is always a second chance to make things right, if you fail to reach your expectations just go back to training and train hard and correct the mistakes. Believe in yourself. There is much you can do that you don't know yet. I believe God gave us a great talent and its our responsibility to nourish them. So friends with the efforts that you put in you can be anything you want to be, fast or tough. It is all up to you to decide.

Above all, never ever forget to pray, God is gets our attention through our prayers and our faith draws Him closer. The root that is in your heart and you will never be disappointed!

Why do you run?
I run for many great reasons but, above all, I don't run because I want to be famous or anything. I run for my life, I run to make my future better. You know in Kenya running is a job, we don't do it for fun, although we make it look like it is fun but deep inside we take it seriously, and to defy and overcome poverty and help my family, I have to run with my heart. When I was young, my mother taught me that life is not about oneself but it is about caring for others. If you set this example, many who will see you or come after you will be inspired and motivated to emulate you. Life becomes great when we all achieve. So you can see that I not only run for myself but I run for many who depend on me and have looked after me. This is why I run and there is nothing greater to me as I love doing this which brings more blessings to me :)

Do you like running or competing? :)
For me, as an elite runner, I like to compete because I want to win, that makes me a competitor.

What are the values very important in running?
Most enormous values of running is discipline. Running makes life great and the best thing about running is it will bring you many wonderful friends and with running you will get to visit places that you never dream you would ever visit. Once you become a runner, you will explore many amazing things that are not familiar to your heart. 

I saw your training program. It superman effort to do that? Can you explain how you are able to do it?
First of all its about timing your feelings and know that it is the right time to do. It is because intense training like this is not something that you can just wake up and do. It requires a heart. This kind of training helps me to run any distance that I set my mind in with no fear or weakness, the training is very painful to even to mortal like me and without a great heart that has miles and miles of patience and perseverance, it won't be easy to wake up for it.

I like to do it with my heart than do it later, for I know if I do anything with my heart, physically it will be a little easy but still I will feel the excruciating pain of it, but after all its done, it will be good to go hard for the next 6 months, enjoying victories in the various races that I have to compete in. However,  although I know that the training will help me stay on top shape, it doesn't mean I won't be training hard, training never stops for me.

''Runimal''


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.

Importance of Motor Skill in Children

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)

Motor Skills - What parents need to know before their child become a champion one day or grow up holistically.

Picture 1 - Better motor skill enables a child to be a well-coordinated person


I met Gregory Tan at Loughbrough University of Technology for our degree course. We became good friends and also realised that both us were from the same secondary school, St Josephs' Institution and have the same alma mater 'Ora et Labora' which means work and pray. In England, at times, we used to play soccer together whenever we were free and had nothing to do. 

In 1997, as a coach and Head of Department, Gregory Tan was able to make Greenview Secondary, an unknown school to soccer to come in as a champion for the National Inter-Schools' Soccer Championships.  He was the Head of Department of Greenview Secondary School from 1996 to 2000. The next four years of his career, Gregory was in Co-Curricular Curricular Activity Branch as a Specialist (Tennis). Subsequently, in 2005, he did his Masters in Education (UWA) in Human Movement. Between 2006 and 2009, he was in Fernvale Primary School as the Head of Department of PE. At present, he is in the organising committee of the YOG doing the function of Assistant Committee Manager.

 1) Which secondary school and college were you from in your younger days?
My alma mater is St Joseph’s Institution and I was from Catholic Junior College.

Picture 2 - St Joseph's Institution Badge


2) Where did you get your degree and masters from?
I graduated and did my Post Graduate Diploma in Education at Loughborough University, England. Pursued Masters in Education (with an emphasis in Human Movement) in the University of Western Australia.

3) What is your speciality?
I am fascinated by the development and learning of motor skills.

Picture 3 - Children's motor pattern start to develop at a very young age.

4) Why do you think that motor skill is vitally important to the primary students? What are the disadvantages of a child not having proper motor skill when they are young?
The learning of motor skills is similar to the learning of languages. It is easier to learn a new skill/language when one is younger. Children are generally more curious, eager and enthusiastic. If we miss this crucial period of learning, we miss a chance to develop the fundamental movement skills of a child. Without the proper development of such skills, children will tend to shy away from participation in any form of physical activity, especially sports and games in future.

5) Can you name me some of the important motor skill that can be developed in a child?
We need not go so far as to spell out complex motor skills like a somersault or a backflip; but the key motor skills for a child to learn are the fundamental movement skills like running, throwing, catching, kicking, dodging, jumping etc. Of course, within each skill mentioned they can be further divided into more specific skills e..g. for throwing, there can be overhead throw, underarm throw etc.

6) Between which age group does this motor skill start to form?
Skill mastery will vary according to individual differences, the quality and quantity of instruction and practice. In short, nature, as well as proper nurturing, will contribute to the competency of a child’s motor skill. As a guide for kids age 5 onwards, parents should have some knowledge of how to structure a development programme for their children.

7) Is there any consequence that they may have to go through? Does motor skill affect self-esteem?

Picture 4 - Self - esteem is very important as it involves self-worth


Children develop self-esteem and social skills when they play with others in the playground. They will lose out on this great opportunity to grow holistically if they lack the necessary movement skills to enjoy or join in a game.

8) Can you elaborate whether motor skill affects whether you want to be a champion?
Surely. Without a good grounding of the fundamental motor skills, an athlete will find it harder to master complex movements which will be a requirement if he or she wants to be a champion. For example, if a tennis player doesn’t possess a good throwing technique, he will find it hard to master the serve as the throwing action is the core of the service motion.

Picture 5 - Everything starts from proper Motor Skill learning from young.


9) What is your advice on improving or developing motor skills in children?
It will have to be a national effort to ensure that our children and future generations develop proper fundamental motor skills. There is a need to address the competence of our coaches and PE teachers especially at primary school level so that we can ensure quality instruction is provided during lessons.

10) How many days per week is needed to optimally develop motor skills in children?
On average, fundamental movement skills in children need at least 14-16 months of structured teaching spread over 4-5 years of their primary school years to nurture and develop. But as mentioned, it is subjected to individual differences and the quality of instruction too.



From Gregory Tan : All the Best in your teaching and coaching!


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.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

How to improve Standing Broad Jump (Part 2)? Simple Strengthening

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)

Standing Broad Jump (Part 2) - A test of the dynamic power of the legs.

Strengthening Exercise

The hip flexor muscles are actually the muscles that run alongside your hips. By strengthening your hip flexor muscles you can improve performance in various other activities such as running, jumping and kicking. When we pull the legs in towards the chest, the legs form 90 degrees, which is perpendicular to the body. At this point, the hip-flexor muscle is not engaged as much. It is only when it crosses the more than 90 degrees, meaning the knee going towards the body, that the hip-flexor, which is the muscle between the quadriceps and the abdominals, will be exercising. If you pull in and the knee touches the chest, the hip-flexor is worked even harder for this exercise.

Training for it
Doing 10 of these x 3 sets will help build the hip-flexor muscles. Do this on alternative days. After this exercise, allow rest to take place the next day. There are varieties of these type of exercises as well.


Kiplimo Chemirmir - One of the top Kenyan runner showing how to strengthen the hip-flexor.


This exercise will enable us to engage the hip-flexor muscles, thereby allowing a better extension of the knee so that one can land further during a broad jump.

Picture 2A - Knee Extension while in mid-air, the key to a better jump is a strong hip-flexor muscle. The feet, calves and quadriceps muscles will only help before the take-off only.


Picture 2B- A progression from the jump above. The knee extension allows one to go further. Upon landing, one should land with hands from high up in the air coming to the front bringing the hands in front, possibly touching the ground.



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.

Halasana - Benefits of Plough Stand

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)

Halasana (Plough Stand) - Excellent for Lower Back

Halasana - Hala (plough) and asana (pose), in Sanskrit, is a yoga posture in which the practitioner lies down on the floor, lifts the legs, and then places them behind the head. For people who do this form of exercise will not complain about back problem. However, those who have problems of the back should get advice from doctors or physician before embarking on the journey of doing Halasana.  

Picture One - Kiplimo Chemirmir, one of the top and elite long-distance runner from Kenya, is doing Halasana with perfection (Note: Fastening of the hands in this manner expands the lungs to breathe in more air. More air means more oxygen.

Benefits of Halasana

(1) The entire spinal column is being stretched, nourishing the spinal nerves.

(2) The muscles that are supporting the back are stretched and strengthened.

(3) The internal organs are stimulated.

(4) The mind becomes calm and peaceful.

(5) This a very good stretch before and after a run. Doing 20sec of this stretch is sufficient.

(6) It is an excellent stretch before and after doing workouts and before a race. A 1 min stretch will be a good thing to do if one is about to do a bout of intensive exercise or run.


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.

How to improve Standing Broad Jump?

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)

How to Improve The Standing Broad Jump?



Firstly, the standing broad jump is a jump which has a ballistic action, which involves the engagement and recruitment of glutes muscle, calve muscle and predominantly the quadricep muscles. Having strong feet will give one a very good push off from the ground.  

Technique
1. One should lift up from the ground by giving a good push off by the feet. The engagement of quadricep muscles at this is very important.
2. While in mid-air, once should bring one's hand as high as possible to bring the centre of gravity up.
3. While in mid-air, one should bring the knee to the chest, engaging the hip-flexor muscle to work. This will allow the further extension of the legs when landing. One can land further with this action.
4. Upon landing on the ground, one should land and at the same time bringing the hand forward and place it on the ground, so that one does not lean back and fall back.

My Experience in the Army

I remember as a long-distance runner, who was not a marathoner. In the army, I failed the standing broad jump for the NAPFA Test. I was told by the instructors during my recruit days to do tuck jumps. Over time, from about 190cm, I was able to jump 243cm in a span of 3 months. I was doing about 5 tuck jumps once or twice per week.

Over a period of time, with circuits done in England, when I wanted to jump further for the standing broad jump, I had to resort to jumps which had a lot of variety. Some of the jumps which will help people to jump further in standing broad jump are given below.

Note
1. Do this on alternate days.
2. If Sunday is the test date, one should rest on Friday and Saturday.
3. One should be able to see results in a broad jump if done for 6 weeks. Within 2 weeks one could see results. 
4. One should not do this daily. Resting on an alternate day will give the muscles to recover.
5. If it is impossible to do these exercises on alternative dates, one could do at least one week once.
6. Weight reduction for overweight person allows one to jump further over time.



Picture One - 25metres one leg hop on the right leg and then hop on left leg for 25 metres.
Picture Two - Tuck Jumps (5 times). The knee should touch the chest when going up



Picture 3 - Star Jump 5 times. Jump as high as possible as you come up.




Picture 4 - Depth Jumping - Jump up on the box and jump down on the cushion and jump onto the other box. Do this for a minute continuously.


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.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Desire leads to Pain - How to run with less worry?

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 (Part 5)

This is a short story about a kite. The story is very beautiful to read and reflect. I became fond of it as I liked the moral of the story. It is one of the best stories that I have come across.


There was once a kite which looked very majestic. It was flying gracefully very high in the air. It stayed high up for about an hour. After that, the weather suddenly started to become not favourable. Clouds gathered and the wind suddenly started to howl and whistle loudly. The kite started its descent because of the downward powerful push from the wind.

As the kite descended, it went down all the way to hit the surface of the sea. As it brushed on the surface of the sea, it appeared with a fish on itself. The fish was actually swimming up to the surface of the sea and then swim downwards. However, while it was doing this it, unfortunately, got caught on to the kite.
Seeing this, a bird which was flying and passing by chanced to see the fish on the kite. The focus of the bird's eyes was only the fish. It was hungry and thought that it will be a good idea to eat the fish and was starting to make its way towards the kite aggressively. The other birds which were aware of the sight started to fly towards the kite and were trying to vie for the fish and wanted to be the first to consume it.

Owing to the sudden changes in the wind direction, the kite was flying up and down most of the time. Also, all of a sudden it was moving sideways, then again repeatedly it was going up and then down. It happened like this for several times and the predator birds just kept gathering in strength to catch the fish. The kite felt miserable over this incident and was trying to keep away from the predator birds. As time passed, it started worrying more and more.


While more and more birds gathered, finally there was a strong push all the way downwards to the surface of the sea. It happened so fast that it was the similar brushing of the kite on the surface of the sea that took place earlier on when the fish got stuck. However, this time, it became miraculous when the fish was let off, by the fish taking its opportunity to escape itself from the kite. It ended very successfully when it finally managed to escape.  

As soon as the fish got away, the kite was feeling lighter than before and felt itself flying higher and higher. It was raising itself so high up until it reached the earlier height it attained before and felt itself having the freedom to move in the sky, without being attacked by any predator birds. It was feeling the difference of having the fish on itself and without. The kite felt on top of the world and felt very happy eventually.


Moral of the Story
Everything in life comes in a package. The truth is pain and pleasure are one. People are attached to pleasure and not to pain. Refusing to believe this is only making ourselves look foolish, that's all. When we desire more, there is all the pain that we got to go through to attain it. More desire means more pain. More pain means more misery. If we put a ceiling to our desire, the only thing we feel will be happiness. Desire has no end. We can keep on desiring. Even when a desire is fulfilled, the desires keep coming back. Also, when the desire is not fulfilled, it will only bring dissatisfaction. One would feel miserable. By having no desire, one will have a feeling of freedom from wants.

The key thing is to desire the necessary wants and drop the unnecessary wants. It is good for us to realise the truth that everything surrounding us is temporary and changing. It is not permanent. Hence, it is good to be aware of what happens when you cling on to something which is after all temporary.

Application to Running - My Experience
If you have fewer desires you will have more time for yourselves to train. The goals will be easier to attain. Examples like the desire to study and run form as necessary goals. When you are very interested in more material gain, one has to check whether the gain is for simple living or for a complicated living. The key is simple living and high thinking.

The lesser the desire, the stronger is the will to attain what you are aiming for.



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.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

How to improve pull-up (Part 2)? Feng Meng Ke's Story

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)

Feng MengKe - The Incredible

This is an interesting interview and it is on determination. Feng MengKe of Hwa Chong Institution obtained zero for his pull-up score for the NAPFA Test, in late April. He is from Health and Fitness Club and School Cross-Country Club. Once I knew this, I told him to improve on his pull up score in order to improve on running.

I told him the story of Colin Ng, who is now a J2 student as well in Hwa Chong Institution (College) to infuse faith, hope and believe in him. Most of the pull-up sessions MengKe did on his own for training. Sometimes, he used to come down for training and do the pull-up training during our CCA training. Just a month back, his pull-up score was 8. In the recent test, he scored 9, eventually.

I remember MengKe not able to do any pull up. He did not have the strength to go up and I had to counsel him on his goal to do well in pull-ups. He took the advice seriously and finally did the impossible. I believe that this interview will be an inspiration for all those who want to improve the pull-up score.

He was asked to share his experience on how he got 9 pull-ups within 3 months.


An Interview With MengKe
Which level are you at in Hwa Chong College?
I’m currently J2 in Hwa Chong.

Which items of the test battery are you weak at for the NAPFA Test?
Pull-ups.

What is your pull up score about 3 months back?
0.

What is your pull up score now?
9.

How did you train up for pull up? Can you give us in detail?
At first in my first Napfa test near the end of April, I could not do any pull-ups despite having started training for it since about a month. At that point, I felt very disappointed with myself because I felt that I should at least be able to do 1 or 2. Hence, from that day on, I decided to train harder. I trained every day from Monday to Friday and rested on Saturday and Sunday. For training, I trained with a friend. We assisted each other in doing pull-ups. We did about 4 sets of 6 pull-ups. Other than this, I would go to the gym and train pull-ups there once or twice per week. I used this method to train until it is about the June holidays. By this time, I could do about 3 to 4 pull-ups on my own. I improved by about 1 pull up per week. During the June holidays, for training I just did my maximum number of pull-ups without assistance about 3 times per day, usually in the morning, afternoon and at night. I rest on 1 day in a week, usually either Saturday or Sunday. In addition to this, I went to the gym once a week. Using this method, I increased my pull-ups by on average 1 every week. By the end of the June holidays, I could do about 8 pull-ups. After that, because of the block test, I did my maximum number of pull-ups only once every day and by the time it was my napfa test, which was 2 weeks after the June holidays, I managed to do 9 pull-ups during the test.

Do you feel that the pull up score affects the running performance?
Yes, a higher pull-up score makes you feel stronger.

What is your advice to people who have failed the pulled test?
You need to train consistently. By training consistently, you can improve more quickly.

What is your advice to people who has zero for pull up?
You need to work hard and train consistently. It is possible to improve from zero to a high score but you need to be willing to work hard.

Do you feel that the pull-up score will enhance one’s self-esteem (self-worth)?
Yes, you will feel more confident about yourself.


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.


Monday, July 12, 2010

Henry Rono - The Person Who Broke The World Record 4 times ( Part 1)

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)

Henry Rono (Kenya) - One of the Most Spectacular Runners I have ever come across

Picture One - Henry Winning Many Races


When my fellow school-mate of St Joseph's Institution, Ow Kok Meng, who at present is the HOD of Pasir Ris Secondary and also the main organiser of the Real Run (New Balance) races on an annual basis, discussed on anything related to running, we always got ourselves excited when seeing world-class races on the television. At secondary two, we used to watch Henry Rono winning the 3000m steeplechase race and the 5000m race during the Commonwealth Games. It was very inspiring and we used to look up to him a lot.

We were impressed and were amazed by his performances. It was that kind of performance that made us stay motivated in running. Ow Kok Meng later pursued in running and did his personal best time of 3min 59sec for the 1500m. This time that Ow Kok Meng did in the past is still the best time ever done by an SJI boy. When we were young, Kok Meng used to pull me along for running. I was very reluctant to come down for training as I was not interested in running, as a whole. Only later on I got myself hooked into running. I attribute my success to my alma mater SJI and I will always remember the motto Ora Et Labora (Pray and Work). Later on, Ow Kok Meng gave up competitive running but he was still engaged in the running scene, even until now.

In Loughborough University of Technology, during our Sports Technology lesson, which was Athletics, Sir George Gandy gave us some materials to study on. The material was on speed endurance. We studied the way the former world great runner Abdi Bile trained. It was very interesting. I applied these principals upon returning from England. Now, I am aware that Bile was in fact trained by the Great Henry Rono. Hence, Henry Rono is a force to be reckoned with.

Coming back to the story on Henry Rono, I realised that the races he ran and the competition he had with Steve Ovett were all memorable. Hence, I realised that it would be a good idea to let many know about Henry Rono before we read about his interview.

Picture Two - Henry Rono leading the pack in the 3000m Steeplechase Event


Rono was born in Kenya and belonged to the Nandi tribe. During his formative years in primary school, he started running. Over time, in 1977 he studied at the Washington State University. He had a coach by the name of John Chaplin. Bernard Lagat and Mike Kosgei and other Kenyan runners also studied in the university. After Gerry Lindgren and Steve Prefontaine, Rono became the only third person in history to win the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship three times, in 1976, 1977, and 1979. His winning time of 28:07 in 1976 remains the fastest 10,000-meter cross country time in NCAA history. 


Of the years, 1978 was the best year in Rono's running season. Within 81 days, he broke four world records: the 10,000 meters (27:22.5), the 5,000 meters (13:08.4), the 3,000 meters steeplechase (8:05.4), and the 3,000 meters (7:32.1); He improved the 10,000-meter record by almost 8 seconds, the 5,000 by 4.5seconds, the steeplechase by 2.6seconds, and the 3,000 by a full three seconds. In the same year, he also won the 5000 m and the 3000 m steeplechase gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. During the All-Africa Games 1978, he won 10,000 metres and 3000 metres steeplechase gold medals. After turning 58 in February 2010, Rono is attempting to break the world masters mile record for the 55-59 age group. He also wrote his autobiography, entitled Olympic Dream, in 2007.

Having said that let us now Interview this Great Runner, Henry Rono, who has written a book on the Olympic Dream.

What is your age now?
I am 58 years old.

What are you doing for career?
I am a National Coach of Yemen in Cross-Country and Track and Field events.

When did you take up running?
I started late when I was 18 years old in 1970.

How many world records did you break in the past?
I broke four world records.
5000m - 13min 08.4sec on April 8, 1978, at Berkely, California, USA,
3000m Steeplechase - 8min 05.4 sec on May 13, 1978, Seattle, Washington, USA.
10,000m - 27m 22.4 sec on June 11, 1978, in Vienna, Austria, Europe
3000m - 7min 32.1sec on June 27, 1978, in Oslo, Norway.

Which part of the world were you training in the past?
I was training in Kenya, Gilgil Army Barracks between 1973 and 1976 during the Olympic Year before heading to Washington State University in the fall of 1976. I established an international training program which saw many people attending because of the four world records in 81 days (1978) that I broke.

Can you give your personal best for the following events?
800m: 1:52 min
1500m: 3:42
3000m steeplechase: 8:05.4 min
5000m: 13.06.2 min
10000m: 27:22.4 min

Are you still competing for your age?
Yes, right now I'm planning to run in the age group 55-59 and be able to run the mile (1600m) in 4:40s that is to break the record for my age group.

Picture 3 - The Still Running Henry Rono At Age 58


Can you tell us the recipe for winning races? (We appreciate if you can give us some details on this).
How to get there is a long process, which needs dedication, discipline and believing in yourself.

Which race was the toughest race, to date? Can you elaborate more?
I ran in the year of 1982 when I was out of shape. I ran with Alberto Salazar in a condition that I was not ready. However, I wanted to show my spirit of running to the world by competing and it was the toughest race in my running career.

When did you complete writing the book on the Olympic Dream?
I finished it in 2007.

Can you tell us more about the book?
There is a summary of the Olympic Dream online if you google it. Just look for the summary on my Facebook.

http://www.amazon.com/Olympic-Dream-Henry-Rono/dp/1434327876

What is your advice to people who want to take up running seriously?
To have a long term plan and take all steps until you reach the top of the mountain.

What is your advice to people who are 40 years and above?
Take all the steps to train and at the same time be your own doctor doing daily research in exercise and life sciences.

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.