During this pandemic period, most people are staying indoors or choose to run alone outdoors.
When you are running outdoors, it is best for you to practise social distancing and good personal hygiene to run safely at all times.
But if you missed running in a group or feel boring at times, there is an online team relay race that could bring the team spirit up with you and your friends.
This year, Mizuno has launched the first team-based online relay to invite runners to form or join a team of 4 to collectively complete a full 42.195km marathon distance without any fixed running route or race timing.
By joining the Mizuno Ekiden Singapore Online Race 2020, you and your friends will have the flexibility to run on your own indoors or outdoors at anywhere and anytime during the race period. The whole team will run to clock a full marathon distance.
So, today we are pleased to introduce a team of avid runners that have decided to try out Mizuno Ekiden Singapore Online Race.
We find out how can they motivate each other and apply teamwork to complete the race.
1. Melvin Phua
Bio: Male Singaporean, 35 year-old, Project Executive
Melvin works as an executive in the sports industry, assisting in project management. He is a leisure runner who focuses a lot on health and wellness. He has been helping his fellow colleagues and friends on their nutrition and fitness programme. He is also a road runner that took part in numerous road races.
RS: How did you guys run and train as a team during the current situation?
Melvin: During this period, we do our own runs and track them using running app. We then share and update our running progress and results in group chat.
RS: Do you think it’s important to run together physically as a team?
Melvin: I’m comfortable in running individually to compete with myself, but I feel it’s important to run as a team so I can be better by learning from others. For me, it’s doesn’t matter if it must be running together physically as a team. Due to busy schedule of everyone, we can make use of modern technology like video calls and group chat to motivate and encourage each other.
2. Liew Wei Yong
Bio: Female Singaporean, 39 year-old, Fitness Consultant and Running Coach
Wei Yong is a personal trainer and coach for more than 15 years. She took part in numerous marathon and ultra marathon and received several running awards.
RS: Training solo and in a team need a different approach, what is your training plan for team running?
Wei Yong: First of all, we will do some testing on each other fitness, gaits, muscular strength and flexibility.
From there we will take the data and come up with an individual training programme. There is no one size fits all training programmes so all these testings will be useful for me.
After getting hold of the data, I will work on their muscular strength, draw out a strength programme, a nutrition plan and also a weekly running programme based on heart rate.
I like to do weekly running plans for my runners as anything can happen within a month, held out at work, travels and all so a weekly running programme will be useful to track closely on their progress rather than a month.
RS: How will you make sure your team is ready to go for a race?
Wei Yong: We will do a time trial, 3 weeks before the race, making sure everybody is ready for it. We will also monitor our nutrition plan and sleeping pattern closely and make sure we eat well and sleep well.
RS: In a situation like COVID-19 pandemic, how do you guys train as a group when social distancing is encouraged?
Wei Yong: In an event like this, I am the trainer for my group. I will do our strength training through video and Skype.
It will be a live training session for four of us. I will also do up a video for them to follow the exercises at home or if they can’t join in the live streaming.
We do track each other performance through the watch app. From the data collected from the watch, you will know who is having difficulties during the run.
You can follow Wei Yong on Instagram: @weiyongliew
3. Chian Jia
Bio: Female Singaporean, 42 year-old, Senior Manager
Chian Jia is a leisure runner. Beside running, she will go to the gym for some strengthening exercises and yoga classes. Occasionally, she will go for hiking.
RS: What do you think is the most important factor for team running?
Chian Jia: To me, the most important factor is encouragement. As a team, we must understand that at times we might feel sick or get held up at work or home and unable to come for training.
When a team member gets discouraged due to his/her running performance, we must always encourage our teammate to not give up.
RS: Running in a team require teamwork and trust. If one of the team members got pull back from that, how will you guys overcome this hardship together?
Chian Jia: This will definitely happen as we might be held back by our personal problem at work or home or fall sick and unable to train.
As a team, we must not let any of us felt left out and this is what the team is for, it is about teamwork. We go as a team, we compete as a team. We will try to plan the whole training programme again.
4. Jonathan Ho
Bio: Male Singaporean, 36 year-old, Finance
Jonathan started ultra trail running in 2016 and completed Vibram HK100 – 100km, Ultra Trail Australia – 100km, Moganshan Ultra – 70km, and Vibram The Half – 56km.
RS: What is the secret that help motivates each other in a team?
Jon: The best motivation is self motivation. Having a team reinforces this commitment. Everyone will be there to train – a reminder of days when the bones feel lazy We also check in with each other to ensure proper rest, recovery, and diet outside of the run training, and build a friendship outside of running.
RS: If people who run solo want to join to run in a team, what is the best piece of advice for the newcomer?
Jon: Find a team that suits your training needs. A casual run group will train differently from a competition run group. More importantly, have fun with the training and the group.
Succeed together as a team
Whether you are forming a competitive or casual running team, the core principle of running should always be to improve your well being.
If you wish to experience the values of perseverance, resilience, and teamwork of an online marathon relay race, give it a try at the new Mizuno Ekiden Singapore Online Race.
You can recruit your team members at Spacebib official telegram and facebook group.
Form your team of 1, 2, 3 or 4 members or join any public team to start your challenge. Great prizes are waiting to be won.
