SCMS2015: Useful Tips for Runners @ Workshops | PrisChew.com

A series of community workshops are currently being held – to kickstart runners’ training – for the StanChart Marathon Singapore (SCMS) 2015 on 6 December.

Starting the workshop with a warm-up run.

Workshops were conducted by Journey Fitness Co

These workshops, held at each of the five zones – East, Central, North, North East and West, started last weekend and will continue this coming weekend. They are all conducted by Ben Pulham and his colleague Jon Fong, both co-founders of Journey Fitness Co in Singapore.

Click here to find out what Ben & Jon shared with runners at the workshops.

As an ambassador for the SCMS this year, I got the opportunity to attend two of the running clinics – the ones at the East and the Central zones – and had the chance to speak to some of the participants there, as well.

A running drills taking place.

Participants learnt a lot from the workshops

A number of the participants definitely learnt a lot from the workshops – and felt that the tips picked up were very useful. Said Alan Wong, 47, an IT Consultant, “I think these (the tips) were very useful as I needed to learn the basic techniques of running. This is my first time doing a workshop like this – and I will definitely put these drills into practice during my training.”

Agreed fellow participant Nawal Gupta, 42, Financial Manager at an investment management company, “It was quite informative actually! All this while, I had only thought that running was important and that drills did not make much difference. So I was pleasantly surprised by how these drills can actually help you run – without much of an effort – so that was an eye opener.”

Eager participants.

Continued Gupta, “When SCMS had first announced the clinics, I was surprised why they did not have an actual running clinic – to make people run. But I now realise that they are trying to do something different here – to teach us to run more intelligently.”

Workshop was a godsend for him

For William Gant, 46, General Manager of Commercial For Uranium at Rio Tinto mining company, the timing of last Sunday’s workshop at Toa Payoh was a godsend – as he had signed up for his first-ever Half Marathon and didn’t have a single clue at how to prepare for it.

Participants in action.

Said Gant, “This is my first-ever Half Marathon and I was a little nervous about it. So I was really glad that there was this opportunity to come out and do a workshop because I am not sure what i am supposed to be doing. So this clinic has really opened up my eyes a little.”

Gant continued, “The drills were a little goofy and funny to do, but that sort of demonstrated that I am kind of goofy too! So I need to work on more than simply running – I will have to strengthen my core and maintain a bit of focus. I particularly liked the idea of keeping your chin up so that you can maintain the right posture. I really picked up a lot from this clinic.”

Ben Pulham (extreme left) briefing participants.

Came to refresh himself with the basics

Participant Nishin K Vasu, 29, a Software Engineer at Continental, admitted that he had attended a similar workshop to prepare last year’s SCMS Half Marathon. But he still picked up a lot from this year’s edition.

He said, “Though I attended last year, I still felt that there were some things that I could take home (from last weekend’s workshop) and continue to improve on for my running. So I just came to see if there was anything new – and to refresh myself on the basics again. And also there were a couple of new things that Ben (Pulham) taught this time around.”

A Running Drill in action.

Continued Nishin, “Last year the workshop had more sessions on how to control heart rate. This time around it focused just on the basic drills – that was the main takeaway I got from the session. But I will continue to practise these drills so that I can constantly run and improve – and stay away from injury.”

Nishin added that he suffered injuries regularly when training for the Half Marathon last year and so being sidelined with injuries, is something that he hopes to avoid this time around, by putting into practice, what he had learnt at the workshop.

Click here for a sneak peek into what Ben Pulham shared with runners at the workshop.