Zach Bitter Bio

Athlete: Zach Bitter

Lives City/State: Sacramento, CA

Go to Orange Mud Gear: HydraQuiver Vest Pack 2, Gear Quiver, Handheld, Transition and Seat Wrap

Primary Sport: Ultra Marathon

Tell us a bit about yourself. What’s your passion, your joy in life, anything special you’d like to share.

I really like the planning side of competing. I like diving into the science of endurance and nutrition and ultimately take a “see for myself” approach in implementing it. I also enjoy coaching and working with others to achieve their goals. Movement and being outside on a regular basis is a must!

What sports do you participate in?

Mostly running of the ultra nature. Although far from experienced, I enjoy all sorts of outdoor sports such as; cycling, skiing, hiking, and fishing.                                             

What is your favorite race food?

I don’t eat much solid food while racing, but tend to focus on water based fruits and salty chips when I do.

What is your go to hydration mix?

Xendurance Fuel-5 and Xendurance Hydro-X

Do you have a major quirk you’d like to share?

I have over 100 shoes in my possession. In my defense I work for a shoe company (Altra). 

If you were relate to an animal, what would it be?

A cockroach. It’s all about survival in this ultra game.

If a newbie to your sport asked for one piece of advice, what would it be?

Find a way to enjoy the process. At the end of the day, the race is a small portion of the whole picture. With so many ways to “move” you may as well pick one that you enjoy. 

Do you have any racing pet peeves? (Gel packets, mud, thorns, smelly runners, etc).

Definitely disrespect towards volunteers and race organizers.

What do you do for fun?

Geek out on all aspects endurance. I listen to loads of podcasts.

What is your post race ritual?

Hang out and talk to other participants. I love hearing the stories.

How long have you been running?

In any structured sense, since high school.

Why do you enjoy the sport? 

It offers so many variables. I am very curious, so all the variables lends itself to my curiosity.

What's your favorite trail race?

Javelina 100

What's your favorite local trail?

Marin Headlands

What's your go to piece of Orange Mud gear and why?

Gear Quiver. It’s simply yet effective. Its versatility is nice when on a trip and don’t know exactly what type of running you may be doing.

Profession and educational background?

Endurance coach and strategist at zachbitter.com and field marketer for Altra Footwear. My education was education with a focus on social studies and special education.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your sport? 

Desert Solstice 100 mile Track Invitational (11:40:55).

Do you have a set training schedule and if so, what's it like? If not, how do you decide what to do? 

I have a long term plan, but its flexible enough to respond to how I feel and progress. I follow a high volume philosophy that focuses on periodizing workouts towards a goal race.

What's your dream race? 

A flat 24 Hour Event

Favorite book for athletes?

Once A Runner

Do you listen to audiobooks or music during exercise?

Yes, more so podcasts than anything, but I’ll use music and audiobooks occasionally as well.

What advice would you give to a new runner coming into the sport? 

Enjoy the process.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

It changes regularily. There are so many inspiring things going on in ultra running all you need to do is follow the sport.

Have you struggled with any injuries? How do you manage them? 

I’ve been pretty much injury free since college.

What was the best advice you were ever given? 

If you don’t enjoy the journey you won’t enjoy the outcome.

What is your favorite local running or biking store? I have three:

Healdsburg Running Company, San Francisco Running Company, and Reno Running Company. 

What blogs and social profiles would you like us to feature here?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zach.bitter/

Twitter: @zbitter

Instagram: @zachbitter

Website: zachbitter.com