Athletes Asyraf Kamal and Azwan Bunjing share real-life strategies to help runners reach peak performance without burning out

As the marathon season heats up, Garmin Malaysia shares the experience of Asyraf Kamal and Azwan Bunjing also famously known as Awan Run, two passionate and experienced runners who’ve learned that progress doesn’t come from simply pushing harder, but by training smart, staying consistent, and letting your body adapt. Sharing tried-and-tested methods, these tips aim to help runners of all levels build strength, speed, and endurance, while avoiding injury and fatigue.

Asyraf Kamal is a passionate runner who thrives on pushing his limits, often running for over 24-hours purely for the exhilaration. From securing podium finishes in ultramarathons to competing in world-class races such as the Boston and Osaka Marathons, Asyraf exemplifies the balance of structured training, smart nutrition, and unwavering consistency to keep breaking personal milestones across cities and countries. 

Awan Run, is a devoted competitive runner and co-founder of his own community, Working Class Champs. He has raced full marathons in Kuala Lumpur, Osaka, Seoul, Dubai, and Sydney, pairing community leadership with personal ambition. A silver medallist at the 95th Malaysia Open National Athletics Championship with a marathon PB of 2:40:31 in Seoul, Awan is preparing for the Garmin Run Asia Series 2025 Malaysia while chasing the Abbott World Marathon Majors, having conquered Boston and eyeing the remaining six.

(L-R) Azwan Bunjing at the Boston Marathon 2025; Asyraf Kamal at the Osaka Marathon 2025.

Tip 1: Train with Structure, Not Guesswork

With any sport, training without structure means that you are most likely running aimlessly, unsure of whether whatever you are doing is doing any good. For Asyraf, “training smarter” is about efficiency, longevity, and doing the right things consistently, instead of cramming in every possible workout. He believes every run should have a clear purpose, whether that’s building endurance, sharpening speed, or simply recovering. “Easy should be easy,” he says, reminding runners that not every day needs to be a test of limits. Now, his week is broken into easy runs, speed sessions, and long runs, all guided by the data from his Garmin Forerunner 265 smartwatch. Garmin’s heart rate zones and training load metrics tell him whether to push harder or scale back. Awan agrees, pointing out that even experienced runners benefit from structure. “A plan keeps you accountable. It turns running into a progression, not just a habit.” Whether you’re training for a 5K or a full marathon, mapping your sessions with a clear goal for each day helps every run count. An ultimate tip is to make sure to plan easy days in after a hard or long training session, never do hard sessions back to back. 

Here is a structure breakdown to Awan and Asyraf’s training schedule:

Asyraf Kamal: 

• Monday: Rest/recover
• Wednesday: Speed/double session/mid week long run
• Thursday: Tempo or strength
• Weekends: Long runs or long trails

Awan Run:

• Monday: Easy run or rest
• Tuesday: Intervals 
• Wednesday: Easy run
• Thursday: Strength training and threshold 
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: Long run
• Sunday: Easy run or recovery

Boost your training by understanding your lactate threshold, find out more with Garmin here.

Tip 2: Prioritise Rest and Recovery

If there’s one thing both athletes wish runners understood, it’s that recovery isn’t optional,  but an active part of progress. It is surprising how many runners take recovery lightly, often leading to slow progress and being more prone to injuries. Asyraf says the opposite is often true, “Rest is not weakness, it’s part of the plan. Too many runners ignore recovery and are busy chasing their goals until it’s too late. Training smart means knowing when to push and when to pull back.”  Both runners use Garmin’s Body Battery and Recovery Time features to monitor fatigue and avoid the trap of overtraining. “By having good sleep, nutrition, and rest days, it can help you to recover better and keep gaining new fitness levels,” says Awan.

Wear your Garmin smartwatch to sleep and discover the benefits you can reap here.  

Tip 3: Mix Up Your Training to Break Performance Plateaus 

Sticking to the same pace and route may feel comfortable, but it won’t push your performance forward. However performance plateaus is something runners shouldn’t freak out about as it is completely normal. Asyraf switches things up by giving himself fun challenges in his training. As humans we need variety, “ I like to change the workout routine, run with friends or a group, try different routes or tweak my weekly mileage. Sometimes the body needs variety but the key is staying consistent to breakthrough to a new personal best,” he explains. Similarly, Awan adds fresh elements to his routine when plateaus happen. “I personally incorporate strength training in and out of the gym, reviewing race or training data to identify weak areas which I can better work on. To keep me motivated I set short-terms goals that eventually build to a bigger one”. Both runners share that the Garmin Run Club allows them to meet other runners that could be a support system and train with coaches who can help with their plateau and growth.  Tip 4: Building Endurance Gradually 

Endurance doesn’t come overnight. For first-time 10KM or half-marathon runners, Asyraf’s advice is simple: You don’t have to rank on top for every run. Follow a plan, but stay flexible. Gradually build your long runs, as these sessions are where endurance and mental toughness are forged. Most importantly, Asyraf added, “Beginner runners often run too fast and too often. They think every run needs to be hard which then leads to injury or burnout. Be consistent, not perfect.” Awan adds that it doesn’t have to be non-stop running at first, instead, mixing run-walk intervals is a smart way to adapt your body. For half-marathons, he advises practising race-day pacing and nutrition well before the event so nothing is a surprise. Both athletes utilise the GPS on their Garmin watches to track and stay within optimal training zones and know their pace throughout their run courses.  

Tip 5: Use Data to Train Smarter, Not Harder

While Asyraf prefers his own training plan, he still uses Garmin’s heart rate zones, pace alerts, and VO₂ max tracking to guide his sessions. “Garmin features help me to understand when to push and when to hold back, super useful with the data provided for marathon prep,” said Asyraf. Awan has tried Garmin Coach in the past and found it especially helpful for runners returning from a break or injury. He also uses interval mode, morning readiness reports, and cadence monitoring to keep his training efficient and safe. For those unsure of how to start, the Garmin Coach is one way of building a baseline and structure for monitoring data. 

For beginners, Awan recommends starting by monitoring these metrics: 

• Monitor if your Heart Rates zones match your training goal of the day.
• If the cadence number is low, check if you are overstriding. If yes, use the metronome feature.
• Check week to week distance, make sure there is no drastic increase. 
• Check Training Load, focus to see if all the aerobic and anaerobic load is covered, if not, adjust it accordingly through your training plan. 

Get started with the Garmin Coach plan, your personalised running guide here.

Garmin Malaysia has been nurturing the running community for years through the Garmin Run Club (GRC), a well-established running network spanning major cities in Asia. Here in Malaysia, GRC offers free weekly sessions led by coaches Faiz and Akashah, making running more accessible, educational and enjoyable while helping runners achieve their personal best. The sessions take place every Tuesday at 8.30pm at Institut Sukan Negara, Bukit Jalil. Join them along with GRC’s friendly pacers and stay updated by following @garminrunclubmy on Instagram.

If you are a runner looking invest in your running, consider exploring Garmin’s wide range of running wearables and gadgets such as the Forerunner series and HRM series for a 360-view of your metrics at garmin.com.my