I first joined Warrior last summer because the training sessions had clearly made a difference for people I knew. I enjoy teamwork, and Warrior has great team spirit. My Warrior friends had lost weight, got in shape, and put an end to niggling injuries through regularly attending sessions. I’d been running competitively for about seven years and had recently completed several ultra races, the longest being a 120km race. My ankles were sore and my muscles tight, but just pulling back from running didn’t do the trick. Instead, I got heavier and less fit. Although running had made my legs and shoulders strong, other parts were quite weak, so I felt unbalanced. I joined Warrior because I was looking for more well-rounded training, and, since my main running partner just left Penang, to make new bootcamp friends. But could it fit into my schedule? I gave it a try. At first the strength training sessions took several days of recovery, so I usually only managed two sessions a week. The coaches were genuinely helpful, showing me many stretches – did I need that! – and offering lots of valuable training tips. At the end of every session, cooling down in the wet grass, gazing at the moonlit clouds, I felt full of life and joy. That wasn’t my first thought when the alarm clock went off though — a 5:30 am start was no breakfast smoothie! Over time, however, I found the flow and became much more conditioned. In fact, I felt so much better that I signed up for the Spartan trifecta — I’m pretty motivated for that now. I did a Spartan race last spring and failed lots of obstacles, so to sign up again meant focused training. Well, I have accepted the challenge.

I average three sessions a week (and bootcamp binge when school is out!). I like the variety of the training sessions as the coaches plan creatively, making every session different. We want to train hard, and the sessions combine that intensity with warm up, laughter, and stretching, taking care to adapt the exercises to suit each individual. I love feeling stronger, and I enjoy getting sweaty with friends and covered in grass. I still run about 50-80 km weekly mileage and do my own workouts as well, but I wouldn’t be in this place without Warriors. Train hard, fight easy! I would love if Warrior Fitness kept these up in the future: 1. Keep including kids, 2. Keep up the community spirit, 3. Keep up the good work!