CNN Blog Features Triathlon Training Series Head Coach, Ian Murray

Head coach of Triathlon Training Series and USAT 2007 Developmental Coach of the Year, Ian Murray, has landed a guest writer position on CNN’s Sanjay Gupta blog.  Coach Ian is coaching one of the participants, Rickey Williams, in CNN’s Fit Nation Challenge.  The Fit Nation Challenge is following a handful of obese Americans on their journey to compete in the 2010 New York City Triathlon.

In his article for the CNN blog, Coach Ian Murray stresses “consistency” above all else.  On the heels of that advice, he went on to highlight a few of the key areas on which beginner triathletes (and elite racers, for that matter) can focus.  First, progressing slowly is a solid rule of thumb when beginning any new sport or activity; let alone triathlon.  People new to triathlon sometimes forget that they are training for 3 individual, rigorous sports at the same time.  Take it slowly, folks.

He also went on to stress the importance of form and technique.  Muscle memory is achievable and something for which all triathletes should strive.  Not only does it help prevent injuries, but it also helps with efficiency.  In the sport of triathlon- regardless of Irorman distance, sprint distance, olympic distance or XTERRA triathlons- efficiency is king.

Don’t forget to take preventative care of the body.  Get professional massages or conduct self massage on your own legs and shoulders to help eliminate knots and help identify problem areas before they become a problem.  Like the cliche about water states, “If you are thirsty, then you are already on your way to dehydration.”  The same applies to the rest of the body.  All you have to do is listen to it closely.

In one of our other TTS blog posts about Coach Ian and the CNN Fit Nation Challenge, Coach Ian said the following.  It was so “right on the money” that we decided to include it again in case you missed it the first time:

“Though I’m personally coaching Rickey in this CNN Fit Nation Challenge, thousands of other beginner triathletes are achieving amazing results working from the same Triathlon Training Series DVD set that Rickey is using to guide his training,” Murray said.  He went on to explain the key challenges facing aspirational triathletes, “The reality is that people are busy with families and careers.  Sometimes syncing schedules with a coach is simply not doable.  That’s where our DVD set comes in to help people achieve their goal.  At the end of the day, triathlon can be a tricky sport to begin.  There are so many elements to consider: running shoes, bike, swimming, wetsuits, cycling shoes, etc.  Our DVD addresses all of that and more.”