Fitness First Prepare Runners to Go Further at Maybank Bali Marathon
Maybank Bali Marathon 2019 is named one of the most “remarkable races in the world” by lifestyle media authority The Active Times. This year’s race, held on 8 September 2019, welcomes runners from around the world to join in the 42-km long full marathon and 21km half marathon along the flat road and rolling hills passing local villages at Gianyar, the east region of Bali.
To prepare members who are joining the big race, Fitness First Indonesia welcomes runners to level up their fitness abilities by laying out multiple workout options at all of its 11 clubs in Jabodetabek area, focusing on group workout as well as personal fitness development.
Fitness First’s program for running activity, Running Club, has been actively training runners since its inception in 2016, growing rapidly from 120 members to 1,500 in just 3 years. The program invites members to join fellow runners to explore Central Jakarta on every Sunday’s morning during Car Free Day when the route is cleared exclusively for exercise.
The goal is to help members reach peak running ability in an enjoyable, social environment. In a group of 15-20 people led by 3 well-trained pace setters called Running Buddies, members run through a route length of 10 km in 60 minutes and progress slowly in successive weeks to 23-km session in 140 minutes.
There are 4 groups in each outing, representing various levels on fitness as well as running ability. This is a perfect strategy to motivate members, because on one hand, members can get inspired by other groups to train harder, and on the other hand, members who progress significantly will be moved to higher-intensity group so they can enjoy matching running tempo and train more effectively.
Throughout each workout session, members receive guidance from Running Buddies on how to run the correct way that minimizes the risk of getting injured. Members are taught how to warm-up the right way through proper muscle stretching, as well as how to stabilize their pace, conserve energy and build endurance for a long period of running.
Apart from Running Club, runners are also given a set of weekly training program if they want to train by themselves. The program range from easy run, tempo run, long run, interval training and strength training. For even more effective results, runners can also train with Certified Coach to get a more tailored training session that is suitable for their immediate needs, for example building core strength or targeting the right leg muscle size for optimal running performance.