Name: Vanessa Murray
Hometown: Christchurch, New Zealand but reside in Melbourne, Australia.
How did you get into cycling? My intro to cycling was through triathlon. I met my husband, and he raced Ironman. At the time I did some running for fitness, was an ex-competitive swimmer but had never ridden a bike. He suggested I jump on a bike and give a sprint triathlon a go and from there my love of cycling and triathlon began.
How many years have you been racing on Zwift? Actually, not that many. It was only in 2021 that I really started to explore Zwift racing. Living in Melbourne, Australia through COVID we had one of the harshest/longest lock-down periods across the globe (and were not allowed to go more than a 5km radius from home) and it was over that time that I really got into Zwift racing. At the time I was still training for world championship triathlon events and used Zwift racing in my preparations but also just to really push myself and have fun during what was a challenging time.
Are you part of a Virtual team? Yep! I am part of BL13. Last season was my first season racing for a team. I had so much fun, and the team was so welcoming and supportive. Although I love to race and work hard on the bike, I have enjoyed having some experienced Zwift racers around me to offer tips and tricks.
What do you love most about racing? I love pushing myself and getting the best out of myself IRL and in virtual racing. Particularly in a team racing environment as you aren’t only racing for yourself but for the success of a team. Triathlon is a very individual sport, so I have really enjoyed the team element of Zwift racing. Being an endurance athlete, I have also really enjoyed developing my top-end power – this is tough! Being an endurance athlete, I am well used to dialing in Z3 power for 180km, but developing my top end power has been challenging, which is why I have also enjoyed it and love seeing improvements and working on something new and different.
What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? I do prefer a traditional scratch style or points race. The points races have been the most challenging for me – learning to sprint and recover quick enough but that’s part of the challenge and why I have learnt to love them. A iTT is much more similar to my triathlon-style racing, so I enjoy mixing things up when it comes to Zwift racing and working on my lesser-developed skills.
What is your most memorable racing experience, inside, outside or both? The Ironman World Champs in St. George in 2022 was a great experience – being on the Zwift Academy Triathlon team was an awesome experience but the race was also very memorable as I was able to overcome 2x punctures on the bike to become an AG Ironman World Champion. Backing this up in Kona 2023 and becoming 2x Ironman World Champion was also top of the most memorable list.
What is your favourite food to eat post-race? Guilty post-race pleasure is the one and only golden arches. Can’t go past a cheeseburger, chocolate thick shake and some salty fries with sweet and sour sauce.
What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? There are so many great race series with a great community behind them. Jump in and get involved and ask questions… there are so many people willing to offer help and advice. I would suggest joining a virtual team as this gives you access to a great support network. Although I had a lot of IRL race experience when I joined BL13, I was very green on the virtual racing side of things, and it was so great to have plenty of teammates on hand to learn from and help develop my virtual racing skills. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to be an elite-level cyclist to get involved in virtual racing – there is something for everyone.
Any upcoming races you are looking forward to? I can’t wait to get involved in the ZRL race season again – I’ll be taking part once the AUS time zone changes over. I’m also hoping to give the Zwift World Series racing a crack from round 3 if I can nab a qualification spot. IRL I have the Ironman 70.3 World Champs coming up in December so full focus will be on that, and I love incorporating some hard Zwift racing and workouts into my build – so see you online!
Where can people follow your racing adventures? Insta – @vanmurraytri Strava – https://strava.app.link/YfNftE220Mb
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