Zac Winchester

"ISM Saddles were a major component in helping achieve the qualifications to race as a professional triathlete. Additionally, I now don't have to be concerned about damaging vital male parts, which gives me peace of mind so I can train and race harder!" 
 

HOME: Chattanooga, TN
NICKNAME: Mooley, Spud, or da Mack
MUSIC: my mood dictates my music, but I most listen to indie, alternative, punk and electronic.  
FAVORITE FOOD: I have an insatiable sweet tooth.
HOW YOU RELAX: I like to hang out with friends, and maybe grab some food and a beer. I also enjoy spacing out in front of the television with no agenda.
HOW YOU PREPARE
FOR AN EVENT:		 There is no substitute for hard work. Once the work is done, I can only have faith in my coaches and stay mentally relaxed and physically loose.  
RECENT ACHIEVEMENT: I was the overall amateur champion at the 2009 Florida Great Escape and my next race I was the overall amateur champion at the Miami International Triathlon. The subsequent race was St. Anthony's where I was third overall amateur; all three events meeting the criteria to race as a professional.
FAVORITE QUOTE: "It's nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice."  
WHAT'S IN YOUR TRANSITION
BAG YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT:		 Black electrical tape.
WHERE YOU SEE
YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS:		 A successful professional triathlete and business owner.
YOUR WEBSITE: zachwinchester.blogspot.com and fastbreakathletics.com  

ABOUT “YOU”

Just like anyone in their late twenties, I am simply trying to work as hard as I can to make a living for myself while pursuing an athletic endeavor. Since 2007, I trained and raced hard to meet the criteria to race as a professional triathlete; ultimately receiving my pro card in May of 2009. I was a butterflier at the University of Alabama, graduating in 2003. I wasn’t exactly a record setter, but I worked hard in the pool. I started swimming my sophomore year in high school, and got rather serious about it my junior year. I was fortunate enough to be recruited by a few colleges, but Alabama just felt like home (no pun intended for all you Skynard fans). My first year at Alabama was my first year to swim year round, and focus exclusively on butterfly, which is a far cry from my high school experience. So, a 1500 meter open water race in triathlon is vastly different from 100 yard butterfly races in less than 50 seconds of fury!

After graduating in 2003, I worked and traveled a bit, seeing some wonderful parts of this world and trying to figure out my place in it. I participated in a few triathlons, and it wasn’t until after 2006 when I signed up for USAT Age Group Nationals and qualified for Team USA that I got serious about the sport. I went to Lausanne, Switzerland and had a dreadful race, but I was able to meet a friend and overall champion, Marc Bonnet-Eymard, who began coaching me that winter of 2006. I never had a training routine or a coach, I just woke up every day and said something to the effect of, “I think I’ll go for a run today.” Marc implemented structure and specificity, and showed me how to train as a triathlete. To this day, I still work with Marc, and along with Tim Crowley and my family, I am going to see how far I can take my triathlon career. I want to earn enough points this 2010 season to make the start list for an ITU World Cup event, and I want to be a solid non-draft athlete at big races such as St. Anthony’s, Memphis in May, and other great events around the USA.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2008 - Beach 2 Battleship Half Ironman - overall champion
2009 - Miami International Triathlon - overall amateur champion
2009 - St Anthony’s Triathlon - 3rd overall amateur