Member Spotlight: Anthony Murray

Name: Anthony Murray
Age: 25
Home location: Sydney
Sport: Cycling
Years in sport: Since the age of 5
Sports participated in: Gaelic, Soccer, Adventure Racing, Running, Swimming, Duathlon, Mountain running, Surfing
Years in current sport: 1 year focused cycling
Current Club: Subaru Albion

1. How did you get into cycling?
Cycling was always in my life growing up as my dad would always be watching the Tour de France on the TV. It  all really started for me when I tried adventure racing and started getting some great results. I was also encouraged by members of the Covey Wheelers to develop my cycling. So that was it I suppose!

2. What inspires you?
Hmmm…I suppose people who tell me that I cannot do something, this fires me up and makes me what to prove them wrong, ha ha.
I draw inspiration from professional sports people as well, I admire their focus and dedication.

3. On average, what does your training week involve?
At the moment, I train 7 days a week. There is never a day where I am not on the bike. The club training I am doing at the moment is at a new level for me.

4. If we were to look in your fridge, what would we find?
Not much…eehhh…milk? Chicken, steak, lots of fish.

5. Is there anything that you would prefer to eat the night before and the morning of a race?
Night before: chicken fillet breast and fries :/
On the morning before a race, I would usually eat porridge and tinned fruit with honey.

6. Do you have any tips for recovery?
Each evening after the Ras, we would take an ice bath, wear compression socks,drink a protein shake and lie down and elevate our legs.

7. What would be your best advice for someone starting out in the sport?

• Have your equipment right. Make sure your bike is in perfect working order.
• Get a proper bike fit to prevent injury.
• Listen to everybody’s advice, but pick and choose what you think will suit you and your goals.
• Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, they are going to happen whether you like it or not.
• Cycle with like minded people you get along with to make the journey go faster.
• The most important thing is to enjoy it all and don’t take it too seriously. Have fun!

8. How do you move past obstacles to your fitness goals?
I have had loads of injuries in the past and at the moment I have a knee injury after the Ras. Keep fit while you are recovering, I swim to maintain my fitness. Remember not to eat the same amount of food if you are not training at the same intensity.

9. How do you reward yourself?
No beer that’s for sure! I don’t really reward myself enough. As a club, we don’t like the Thursday turbo session as its an hour long watts test. We always go for a pizza and some wine after the test to unwind and reward ourselves.

10. What was your best race to date?
The Ras, its been the hardest one to date for me!

11. What was your worst race to date?
The Grafton to Inverell Cycle Classic, a 235 km race, 6.5 hrs in the saddle over mountains. I broke away with a group of three and fell off my bike with 5 km to go and I was feeling good for the finish. I fell down in a heap and finished at the back of the group. I was going for the win as I had trained hard for it. Words cannot describe the disappointment.

12. What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are keys to your success?
I always stick to the training program completely and never miss a session.

13. What would be your ultimate achievement?
At this point in time, I would like to get on to a pro continental team closer to home and get paid to cycle 🙂

15. Have you experienced a breakthrough, and if so, what led to it?
When I arrived in Australia, I was thrown in the deep end of Aussie club cycling and I was hanging on to the back of the bunch, but now, I have made the podium on a few occasions.

16. What was the best advice you were ever given?
Dedicate and Applicate

17. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Ehhh….no.