Passion and Inspiration

Was flipping thru the papers today. cam across this article on our nation's fastest marathoner, current record holder Rameshon. Inspirational, I look up to sports people like these, keeping their passion going.

I especially like that part when he said "I keep fit to run, not run to keep fit." mmm... a good perspective. check out the article below. (hope I am not infringing copyrights, gosh! if I am, my apologies).

Great interview. spice my day.

Straits Times, Mind Your Body March 5, 2008

Meet Singapore's fastest marathoner
Murugiah Rameshon, 43, the current holder of the marathon national record, talks to LisabelTing about his passion for running and his sex appeal. Mr Murugiah Rameshon, 43, has a passion for running. He currently holds the record for being Singapore's fastest marathon runner. He ran 42.195km in 2hr 24min 22sec during the 1995 SEA Games held in Chiang Mai.
He also came in second in last year's Standard Chartered marathon, with a time of 2hr 51min 22sec where he was pipped by 29-year-old Daniel Ling, who had a time of 2h 46min 31sec.
In 2006, Mr Rameshon was chosen to front an adidas promotional campaign, with large posters of him placed in prominent spots like Raffles City. The physical education teacher and cross-country running coach in Hwa Chong Institution also hopes to instil the love of running in his students.

Has keeping fit always been important to you?
Yes, very important. I was already passionate about running in Secondary 3, and by 18 or 19, my potential had been stretched all the way. When I was 29, after I broke the record, I wanted to devote 10 years to coaching, so I did.

How do you start your day?
In the past, I used to start the day with a morning run. But now, I have to go to school in the mornings, so I try to squeeze in some running later in the day.

What's your workout schedule like?
I just finished the Hong Kong marathon on Feb 17, so now I'm resting for two weeks.
I like to do a lot of steady runs because research has shown that steady runs are better than interval training. Usually, on Sundays, I'll run 30-35km, and on other days, I'll run around 10-20km. I also believe in resting, so every week, I'll have a rest day. But if I run only 10km one day, then on my rest day, I'll run another 10km - otherwise, my weekly mileage won't be high enough.

What do you eat?
I'm vegetarian, and I like to eat a lot of complex carbohydrates. I also like vegetables a lot. I haven't eaten ice cream in a long, long time...but sometimes I eat chocolates, as I find that you can use it to fuel your body for longer runs.

Do you do any other sports besides running?
I like playing soccer, but that's a sport in which you can get injured easily. I've had the painful experience where I got injured and couldn't play for six months. So now, I play with the boys from the cross-country CCA whom I coach because they don't play rough.

What motivates you to keep on running?
Having a healthy lifestyle. I run so that I will be strong and fit in later life, and not have to rely on people. Also, I hope to have a disease-free life.

How long more do you plan to keep running for?
Until I'm 70 or 80....for as long as I can. Even if you're old, you should do some form of exercise to keep your bones and muscles strong.

Why did you choose to become a PE teacher?
Ever since the age of 14, I have been very enthusiastic about coaching. Even now, I like to read research on the science of coaching.

How do you inspire your students?
I think the main thing is that I also do everything I ask them to do, like running. Telling someone to do something is not as easy as doing it yourself.

What do you like to do to relax?
I like to run. It really relieves stress. There was a period when I thought that running would be stressful, because you can't balance that and work. But when I stopped, I observed that my stress level increased, not decreased. If I stop running, I become agitated and irritated.

Do you have any advice for people who want to start running?
You should not just run, but get involved in cardiovascular activities as well, like soccer, swimming, skateboarding or wakeboarding.

Do you run to keep fit, or keep fit to run?
I keep fit to run, not run to keep fit. If you run a half-marathon to keep fit, it's the wrong concept. Take playing soccer for example: If you play to keep fit you might get injured because you're not fit when you play. But if you're fit before that, you can enjoy yourself more.

Do you think you're sexy?
(Laughs) That is something I would like to avoid answering at all costs. I just like to stay slim, so I think that's sexy for me. It's not about how others perceive me...as long as my wife thinks I'm sexy.