Coach TJ Murphy
contact via tjmurphywriter@gmail.com or the private Shamrock Running Club Facebook page.
A competitive runner since his junior high days in the mid-1970s, T.J. Murphy is a Jack Daniels’ V.O2 Distance Running Coach and National Academy of Sports Medicine-certified personal trainer. His first experience coaching was as an assistant track coach for the newly formed Golden Gate Triathlon club in 1992.
T.J. has raced in pretty much every running event there is between the 200 meters and the marathon, and tacked on five rough-around-the-edges Ironman triathlons. PRs include a 5-flat 5k and a 2:38 marathon.
He’s also been writing about endurance athletics since the mid 1990s, having served as editor-in-chief for Triathlete Magazine and Competitor Magazine. T.J. ‘s feature writing has appeared in Outside, Runner’s World, Inside Triathlon, and he’s also the author or co-author of several books, including the New York Times Bestseller, Ready to Run.
In addition to personal training at the Woburn YMCA, T.J. is currently working on a longevity book for runners.
He is also on the competitive-running comeback trail after recent knee and achilles tendon surgeries, reminders of his vow to not repeat the egregious mistakes he made in his more stubborn-headed twenties.
T.J. lives in Stoneham with his wife Gretchen, and their two kids, Milo and Maddie.
Assistant Coach Tom Walker
contact via twalker26@gmail.com or the private Shamrock Running Club Facebook page.
Tom has been running since cross country in 1996 as a freshman at Winthrop High School, where he also ran indoor and outdoor track.
After completing his Bachelor’s degree Summa Cum Laude in Biology at Boston University, Tom worked as an Emergency Medical Technician and then started his current job working as a Senior Imaging Research Specialist analyzing medical images in clinical research trials.
In 2018 Tom joined the Shamrock Running Club, where his main goals each year are to join the 1000 mile club and invest in his own long-term fitness and health through an evidence-based approach to training and nutrition. Enjoying training more than racing, Tom values being part of the running community, and some of his most memorable runs involve exploring new streets and trails.
He believes regular exercise including both strength and aerobic training, as well as a diet centered on whole food plant-based nutrition, are essential for optimizing long-term performance and health, and welcomes the opportunity to share nutrition and lifestyle information as well as sound training fundamentals with club members interested in their own health and fitness, disease and injury prevention, performance, and longevity.
Tom lives in Woburn with his wife Melissa, and their two cats, Gomez and Morticia.