Top Three Men’s Open 10km Winners in the POSB Passion Run for Kids 2016 Event – all from FlexiFitness! Evan Chee (3rd), Ruben Loganathan (2nd), Coach Rameshon, Coach Saravanan and myself (1st)

My family has been doing running training with FlexiFitness since the middle of 2014. At FlexiFitness, there is a sizable group of athletes of various sizes, shapes, nationalities, ages, talent, ethnicities, capabilities and personalities.

It all started when my two little gals found it too tiring to keep up with their swimming training. My wife, as smart as usual, figured out that running will be the next step as the kids had developed a mild form of clinical aquatic allergy.

It was our luck that Moon’s classmate and good friend, Shelley, who is also her distant-aunt by marriage, suggested that we should check out Coach Rameshon’s FlexiFitness Group. Coach Rameshon (aka Coach Ram) is not just another running coach – he has been holding that ever elusive Singapore marathon record of 2’24’22 since 1995 (which has been unbroken for over 20 years).

As of 2016, there has been tons of talk that someone will break that record but so far, no one has shown up to get that job done. Interestingly, Coach Ram, who is the same age as me at 50, is planning to out do himself in a few year’s time instead. Just like my mom used to tell me when I was a little boy, “Why not?”

I have come across a few running coaches before in life but none of them, I mean NONE of them work so hard in encouraging his athletes to run SLOWER rather than faster. Most times during training, we were told to control our excitement and NOT to compete in our training.

I admit I am a reasonably competitive guy. It was totally working against my DNA to be told to go ‘moderate’… Well, to cut the long story short, his predictions in my personal running journey has always been very spot on.

As a practicing clinician, I thought I had a great understanding of physiology but how wrong I was! Coach Ram knows sport physiology much better than many that I know of! Mind you, because of my work, at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, I am always in contact with many very brilliant people. I have simply come to the conclusion that I shall listen to Coach Ram and keep my mouth shut except when I have a very pressing/intelligent question to ask, which is also hard…

Now, a few of our family members and friends are in the same FlexiFitness group. My gals always look forward to their training sessions. My ever feminine wife is also running like an energizer bunny now. All these make me one proud man.

Nothing to brag about but this year I came in top of the field at the Asia Masters Athletics Championship 5000m in my age group, running a personal best time. I also topped the field in the September 2016 POSB 10km race. These are the results of excellent coaching and training methodology. I had never imagined myself being able to run after leaving my mommy’s tummy over five decades ago! Not to mention this wildest dream that I was going faster than I had ever been in a tropical country! The side effect is that I have to switch my clothing outfit into a much smaller size.

Well, a secret here too – I have an excellent sport masseur, Moses. In the Holy Bible, Moses was known for parting the Red Sea but my Moses in Singapore is known for parting lousy muscles. However, the next BIG secret is: I have never been massaged before in my life!!

I had disliked the idea of being massaged as I found it too intimate, nothing personal here. However, when my mileage piled up in life, I found I had more aches and pains. From a reluctant soul to a regular to be fixed up by Moses, I certainly am converted by his magical touch even though it is excruciatingly painful at times.

I had never begged for someone to stop ‘hurting’ (or ‘helping’) me… Moses is great with his understanding of runners because he himself is an excellent runner too! He was running under the FlexiFitness group too but now he is a little too busy to join our sessions.

Magical, isn’t it?

[Read FlexiFitness Magic Part 2 here]

[Read Part 3 here]