Q & A with Ian Murray

Ian Murray might be best known for being one of the greatest triathlon and iron man coaches in the world. But, the reality is there can not be a much greater accomplishment in this world than being the guy who married Alexandra Paul. How did he get Alexandra Paul and we get Rue Paul? Well you can read below and see the master at work. On a drive through the mountains of Topanga Canyon in Alexandra’s electric car driving to the gourmet organic vegan eatery, Madeleines Bistro, we got all the dish from this Aspen native and his angel of a wife.


 Tell us about where you grew up?

I grew in Aspen and feel most at home in the mountains. It’s hard sometimes to realize how much something means to you until you are separated from it – even more so when you’re raised with it. I moved from Aspen to Southern California at age 21 and live near the beach now. The ocean is a power force but I haven’t yet found the same comforts that I find in big mountains. I still go back home often and love the persistent, subtle threat of mountain weather where things can change in an instant, where it can snow in June, where nature still rules supreme on a daily basis. Bring that on!!!

 Where are your favorite places to ski?

I’ve skied nearly everywhere: pretty much all the Rocky Mountain resorts in the US, off the helicopter in Canada, in Europe, in Japan, and more. All that being said, my favorite place to ski – and hang on to your hat for specificity – is Aspen Mountain, just to the right of little lift 6, on a run called Bear Paw. As you enter Bear Paw from the top you’ve gotta ease right just a hair and wait to slide over the top section which is a bit flat. On the other side of that is the first old mining road and from there down to the bottom is a line that Andy Mill would call “All World”. It’s steep and the Aspen trees are spaced perfectly. There are 3 small roads to cross and each one provides just a little lift so you can float sections of the run. That line is my favorite place, in all the world to ski.

 What is the most radical thing you have done on a mountain?

I was never one for the huge cliff drop that ended in an explosion at the bottom. I preferred to link drop after drop with some nice turn shape in between. I found more art in connecting a bunch of moderately impressive bits into a whole that I hoped would be jaw dropping. Taos on a good snow year is the place for that. I had some incredible days there where I was just dialed into a chute off of West Basin Ridge where I could do no wrong. On one run I ramped up off the side of this rock and connected with the top of this pine tree to bank back down onto the snow. That was like move three of five in that run and it stands as a highlight for me.

  Tell us about Triathletix? What do guys specifically do and who do you do
it to? Who are some of the neat people that you guys have trained?

Triathletix is a triathlon coaching company based in Santa Monica, California. We are engine behind the Triathlon Training Series DVD and CoachedRun.com. We do all things triathlon: consultation, program design, bike fitting, video swim sessions, run gait analysis and we race a ton too!!! It’s hard to say who’s more satisfying to coach; we helped Erika Aklufi win the World Championships in Aquathon (run, swim, run) and we helped Haim Geffen finish his first Ironman at age 65 after beating cancer. We help all sorts of folks meet their goals and everyone of them is a joy.

 Was Alexandra the first baywatch babe that you asked out or did you get
rejected by Pam Anderson and Yasmin Bleeth and then Alexandra felt sorry for
you?

Wait… are you saying there were other actors on that show? Every time I watched all I saw was Alexandra and she had this incredible light surrounding here. It’s funny, now that you mention it there were some other voices but for me they were always in the background behind the chorus of angels that still sing when I look at her.

 Could you tell us your tips for scoring a Baywatch Babe?

No, I can only say that finding the perfect partner is a blessing and that I’m greatful for finding mine everyday.

 Where would you like to retire?

My twenty some years in Aspen were a total joy. Every time I go back to see my Mom, who still lives there and still skis like a fiend, I get lit up. I think that would be a great place to spend much of my final years, but the truth is as long as I’m with Alexandra I’ll be happy anywhere.