It is the second day of 2016 and another scorcher is on the cards in Cape Town. Whilst throngs of holidaymakers are flocking to the beaches of the Mother City, Richard Murray is running long. And slow.
"People can't believe how slowly I run in training," says the Durbanville-native of his preferred running speed. "We ran around most my favourite loops this morning for almost two hours; out along Wellington Road and back through the greenbelts and dirt roads past Fairmont High School; all home territory! It was flipping hot but it was good. I had to be careful that Rachel (Klamer - Murray's girlfriend and fellow Olympian) didn't drop me on the hills. Her easy running pace is quite a bit faster than mine."
Richard Murray is no sheep. He admits that he has his own ideas and in turn tends not to "follow the pack." Be it training, racing or his ascent up the ranks of World Series Triathlon, Murray is his own man and he likes it that way.
"I guess I'm a lone ranger and a social guy all the same," he explains. "I enjoy the group aspect of our training camps but also like to go out on my sometimes, especially if I want to go easy."
Training camps. For many, the mind conjures spartan living, a monk-like existence as well as hyper-intense and competitive track sessions or group rides. Several weeks spent cutoff from the "real world," the only contact being with fellow athletes and the head coach. With this preconceived notion in mind, how then does a social guy like Murray cope with these extended periods of monastic living? Does he not pine for normalcy?
"I actually really enjoy our camps," he says with no hint of hesitation. "Joel (Filliol - Murray's coach) and I have a really good relationship; he reads people really well. I tend to compare a training camp to a long interval: really intense and focussed for a set period of time followed by good recovery at home or wherever we are based. The camp environment suits me well."
Such is his working relationship with Canadian Filliol that Murray elected to skip the last training camp of 2015 in favour of some down time back in South Africa.
"I wanted to spend some extra time at home this year," explains Murray of his time training on familiar roads and trails. "I've been away since April so it has been a long haul."
This all changes in a week or so when Murray and Klamer join up with the rest of the JFT squad in Fuerteventura, a popular holiday destination in Spain's Canary Islands. Holiday destination is a misnomer in this case as the first training camp of the Olympic Year beckons, where Murray and co are to be put through their paces with Rio constantly in their subconscious. So with four years having passed since his Olympic debut in London, how has Murray evolved in terms of mindset? Who does he see as the major players?
"Back in 2012 I was labelled as a dark horse," he says going on to add that he only qualified for London in that calendar year. "Now that I'm pre-qualified makes things much less taxing mentally. You have to remember that I was only twenty-two years old going into London so there is a lot of water under the bridge.
"The Brownlee's (Alistair and Jonathan) had massive home pressure and expectation back then and are still amongst the favourites in mind. Javier Gomez, Mario Mola and Vincent Luis are all on that list because they are sub-30min 10km guys. I definitely have my work cut out for me, that is for sure."
The fact that Murray mentions the weight of home expectation of years past (London 2012; Sydney 2000) is interesting. With this in mind, does the fact that Rio de Janeiro is almost neutral in terms of the favourites make the race more open? Is the location a factor?
"I don't think so," he states emphatically. "It all depends on the course and athletes. What I can say is that having raced the Rio test event in 2015 was an advantage in my mind. It was a last minute decision and well worth it in terms of gaining a mental edge."
With training camps and mental advantages dominating the mind of Richard Murray, readers might be surprised to learn that one of South Africa's genuine medal prospects knows how to compromise, even while prioritizing.
"The 2014 season finished early and I needed to improve my swimming. It was also Rachel's turn to spend Christmas and New Year at home in with her family so I spent December and January in Holland. Experiencing a European winter was a great experience and I also got some good work done. This year is my turn to spend the Festive Season at home in the sun."
Murray waxes lyrical about his time spent running around familiar surrounds on a day known to many South Africans as "Tweede Nuwe Jaar." His enthusiasm and zest for life is infectious, even while talking over the telephone at 8:30pm on a Saturday evening. As is his single-mindedness and well-developed sense of intuition.
"I tend to get sharp very quickly," he enthuses of not needing too much speedwork to get race fit. "As I get fitter my heart rate drops but I maintain the same slow training pace. I prefer to train at a lower heart rate during the season instead of increasing my pace.
"I just like to moderate things and plan for the right moments"
Single-minded? A Lone Ranger at times? Intuitive?
Maybe.
But also a man of compromise.
