𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢?

That’s tough to answer. My parents divorced when I was two, so I grew up between the Jersey Shore and Levittown, PA. I moved to Wisconsin in 1994. I then moved to Sydney, Australia in 2001, before moving back to NJ in 2005.  I now live in Northfield, NJ.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩/𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙥?

My favorite sport growing up was soccer, but the first thing I ever wanted to be was a professional baseball player. I grew up playing soccer, baseball, basketball, and ice hockey in high school. But my love was soccer. I was lucky to play through high school, college, and beyond.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨?

Endurance sports are my life in one way or another. From coaching to my personal training/racing, it is not only my favorite hobby, but also my job as a professional coach. However, the best part of my life is my family. I am married to the most amazing woman in the world, and I have two very active children. I coach them in soccer, and I also coach several other soccer teams and players from 3 year olds through the high school ranks.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙡𝙤𝙣/𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨?

In 2012 some friends asked me to participate in the MS150 ride (a 150-mile bike ride to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society). They knew I loved running, and they told me I would be a perfect fit. I told them I didn’t even own a bike, and 150 miles was a LONG way, to which they replied “Don’t worry. We will rent you a bike. And you are only doing 75 miles.”. “Head explosion” was my initial reaction, but I was convinced. I started riding a gym bike to prepare for the impending ride 4 weeks away. The first time I stepped on that road bike, I was hooked. I LOVED it. Absolutely loved the feeling of flying on the bike. I had always seen the Atlantic City Triathlon in the newspaper and on my way to work, and I decided I wanted to take part. So, I came home from the MS ride, told my wife I was going to buy a bike in the new year, and sign up for a triathlon. The next season I did my first triathlon, and then 4 more!

𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝?

I have been coaching in one form or another since I was 14. I have always enjoyed coaching (and learning through coaching). All my life I have wanted to work with athletes. When I started doing triathlons and doing well, people would consult me for advice. I thought maybe this is the chance I always wanted. I started working with one or two athletes in 2015, and then quit my job to be a full-time professional coach. It has been my life ever since: helping people to achieve their wildest dreams.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝?

I get to live vicariously through my athletes. When they have a success, a personal record, or just have an amazing day, it is the most fulfilling feeling you can have. Especially when they come back and tell you that they could never have done it without you. So, fulfillment is my favorite thing about being a coach. I help people crush their goals and sometimes achieve their dreams.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝/𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥?

I have learned that the most important aspect in a coach/athlete relationship is communication: two-way, honest, transparent communication. We (the athlete and coach) are a team. An athlete’s training can only be as good as the programming I can provide, and the workouts and training I provide can only be as good as the athlete’s communication. The best way to get better as an athlete is to do the work, and then communicate how it went to your coach.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚? 𝙒𝙝𝙮?

My favorite race is probably Ironman Wisconsin. It was my first Ironman. It is an honest (challenging) course, with beautiful scenery. It is where I went to high school and college, and the vibes and energy are amazing. I have only done that course once, but I am hoping to go back one day. A close second would be Ironman Lake Placid. That place is simply magical. Just awe inspiring.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨?

I love spending time with my family. We spend a lot of time in the pool or at the beach. And if we aren’t there, we are probably doing some sport or activity somewhere. We do a lot of fishing, eating pizza, dancing, hiking, playing soccer and basketball, and chasing our dog around.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡?

Play the long game. Rome was not built in a single day, but they were laying bricks every day. That is true with your training (and life goals in general). You will not achieve your goals overnight, but if you lay bricks (do the work) every day, you will slowly but surely inch towards your goals. There are no shortcuts. There are no hacks. The secret to improving in endurance sports is to patiently do the work. Full stop. Period.

𝘼𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛?

I LOVE coaching. I quit my former career to make this my full time “job”. Job is in quotes, because when you are as passionate as I am about what I do, it hardly feels like a job (most days). I am excited every day I get to go to work. Other than being a husband and dad, being a coach is my next favorite thing to be.

Coach Zach is accepting athletes on a limited basis. Schedule a Free, ZERO PRESSURE Consult HERE.