Elite Training Center for Sale: Pete Rea on the End of an Era at ZAP Endurance - 09-16-2020

09/16/20 • 35 min

Run to the Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide to Running

It is the end of an elite era. The beautiful training center in Blowing Rock, NC that has been home to some of the best endurance athletes in the country is for sale. What does that mean for the elite athletes that live and work there? And what about the adult and teen running camps that ZAP has hosted for the past 18 years?

Coach Claire talked to head coach and owner, Pete Rea to find out.

Pete Rea, the Elite Athlete coach at ZAP Endurance Team USA, has an impressive resume. He has led 51 athletes to Olympic Trials since the facility’s opening in 2002, and also coached the following:

42 Senior US teams
9 ZAP athletes to spots on Senior World Championship Teams including 6 to the US World XC team
4 USATF Club XC Team Championships (‘06,’07,’09,’14)
1 US marathon champion (Tyler Pennel)
1 Olympian (Pardon Nghlovu - Zimbabwe 2016 Rio Games Marathon)

Pete together with his wife, two-time Olympic trials qualifier Zika Rea, are coaches at the facility, host adult running camps during the summer and retreats all year. The facility has a state-of-the-art weight room, a bio-lab for physiological testing, and a 24-bed lodge. RunnersConnect has held fall running retreats at ZAP for years and it's always been a highlight of the season.

Big changes are coming to ZAP, however, and Coach Claire talks to Pete to discover what’s in store for the team and their beautiful 45-acre center. They also talk about the evolution of running since the ‘90s, what Pete sees as the future of running, and what’s next for him and the athletes he coaches.

Prior to ZAP, Pete served as a private coach to athletes of all ages and abilities in Atlanta, Georgia. He was also the distance events coach at The Walton School in Georgia. Pete was a distance running standout both as a prep athlete in Connecticut, at the University of Connecticut, and as a post-collegiate runner in the early 1990s. Pete has been a freelance writer for over 20 years for publications such as Running Times, Running Journal, and more than a dozen fitness publications around the US.

Questions Pete is asked:

2:59 You've been the head coach at ZAP Endurance, formally ZAP Fitness, since the beginning in 2002. A lot has changed in the world and in the world of running since then. Can you talk about what those early years were like in the sport and at ZAP and how it’s changed?

5:59 How has the environment at ZAP changed now versus in 2002?

6:57 You mentioned that the ZAP facility is for sale. That’s a big part of why I wanted to have you on this show. Can you talk a little bit about that, what’s going on and what the future’s going to be like?

8:24 How does not having a training facility in the future, how does that change the group training model? Because they won’t be getting up together. They won’t be probably having their meals together as much anymore.

9:16 You mentioned that ZAP does group camps and group retreats, and that’s actually where we first met. RunnersConnect always has a training camp at ZAP. So what is that going to look like in the future?

10:33 What has the year 2020 been like for the athletes that you coach at ZAP?

11:59 What about the athletes that you have that have been injured? Have they been really using this time to heal and take care of themselves and scale back? At least maybe that is a silver lining for some of the people?

12:35 You have led 51 athletes to the Olympic Trials with ZAP. What does it take for an athlete to reach that level?

14:52 How would you describe your coaching style?

16:42 Time on feet matters, but you can’t go hard all the time, right?

17:17 Would you advise a recreational runner who’s looking to move up to the marathon to do a lot of running at a controlled pace?

17:46 How much slower than marathon pace would you say is a good recovery or easy run pace?

22:49 What advice would you give the people listening about training without a goal race? How do you stay motivated? How do you add a little spice to it? How do you keep that carrot in front of you when there’s no race?

24:39 Two of your athletes, Joe Stilin and Joanna Thompson, have recently moved to New York City, but they are still affiliated with ZAP. How will you work with them from a distance?

26:01 In 2019, the Swiss running company On became the official sponsor of ZAP. Can you talk about the change from Reebok to On?

27:19 What’s On’s answer to the Nike shoes? They’ve got some carbon fiber plates?

28:11 Any predictions for the London Marathon coming up?

29:13 What's next for your athletes? What are they training for?

Quotes by Pete:

“Athletes now are fully aware of the types of training others are doing both domestically and around the world, and that’s helped athletes who at one point probably thought they were training hard and then r...

Coach Claire talked to head coach and owner, Pete Rea to find out.

Pete Rea, the Elite Athlete coach at ZAP Endurance Team USA, has an impressive resume. He has led 51 athletes to Olympic Trials since the facility’s opening in 2002, and also coached the following:

42 Senior US teams
9 ZAP athletes to spots on Senior World Championship Teams including 6 to the US World XC team
4 USATF Club XC Team Championships (‘06,’07,’09,’14)
1 US marathon champion (Tyler Pennel)
1 Olympian (Pardon Nghlovu - Zimbabwe 2016 Rio Games Marathon)

Questions Pete is asked:

5:59 How has the environment at ZAP changed now versus in 2002?

10:33 What has the year 2020 been like for the athletes that you coach at ZAP?

12:35 You have led 51 athletes to the Olympic Trials with ZAP. What does it take for an athlete to reach that level?

14:52 How would you describe your coaching style?

16:42 Time on feet matters, but you can’t go hard all the time, right?

17:17 Would you advise a recreational runner who’s looking to move up to the marathon to do a lot of running at a controlled pace?

17:46 How much slower than marathon pace would you say is a good recovery or easy run pace?

24:39 Two of your athletes, Joe Stilin and Joanna Thompson, have recently moved to New York City, but they are still affiliated with ZAP. How will you work with them from a distance?

26:01 In 2019, the Swiss running company On became the official sponsor of ZAP. Can you talk about the change from Reebok to On?

27:19 What’s On’s answer to the Nike shoes? They’ve got some carbon fiber plates?

28:11 Any predictions for the London Marathon coming up?

29:13 What's next for your athletes? What are they training for?

Quotes by Pete:

Previous Episode

Inside the Bubble: Olympian Jared Ward's Strategy for the London Marathon and Beyond

Jared Ward is getting ready to race. He is one of the few elite athletes that will enter the elite bubble to race the London Marathon on October 4th.

Jared is an American marathoner who placed third in the 2016 US Olympic Trials and finished in sixth place at the Rio Olympics later that year. In 2019, he ran a personal best in Boston, finishing in 2:09, and then in Houston, at the half marathon in January of 2020, he was the first American man to cross the line in a PR of 1:01:36.

With a condensed training build, Jared is now in full marathon mode and he talks to Coach Claire about how his training is going and what the 20-loop course in front of Buckingham Palace might be like for him. They also discuss pandemic-related changes to his and his family’s life and how Jared stays inspired.

Jared lives in Provo, Utah, and when he’s not training for marathons for Saucony or chasing around his four little kids, he is a professor of statistics at Brigham Young University. He famously wrote his master’s thesis on the best way to pace a marathon, and he was on a research team that set out to analyze the performance advantages of rival shoe company Nike’s Vaporfly 4%. That research helped Saucony create the Endorphin Pro which Jared wore in Boston last year for his PR performance.

If you want to race against Olympic Athlete Jared Ward, sign up for the Chaski Challenge marathon relay this Saturday, September 12th. It’s a fun run for a good cause.

Questions Jared is asked:

3:36 First of all, what a crazy year 2020 has been! Can you take us back to the beginning of the year, as you trained for the Olympic Trials in January and February, what you were imagining 2020 to look like for you?

5:34 What did you do with your training with no races in sight?

6:55 I watched an interview after the race with you and you could have easily dropped out of that race when you knew things were going pretty bad, and a lot of elites do that. They save their legs for another day, but you decided that you were going to finish the race, and I’d love to talk about what was going on in your head at that point.

12:50 Speaking of family, how are you handling four kids at home, home schooling, training, all of the craziness that we parents are going through right now?

14:20 Another interesting fact about you is that you take one day off of running each week because of your faith. Can you talk about this and how it affects your training?

17:05 Let’s talk about London. You have announced that you are going to be one of the few elites running the London Marathon on October 4. Can you tell us how that came about?

19:55 Let’s talk about the logistics of the London Marathon. It’s just loops around the park, right?

20:05 Are they allowing spectators for the London Marathon?

20:55 You obviously had to get special permission for travel and all of that. What are the logistics of traveling as an American to Europe right now?

21:16 Do you know how big the field for the London Marathon is yet?

22:06 Any predictions for the London Marathon, or is it just too crazy to even try to predict?

22:51 I would imagine that this type of course (London Marathon) would actually really play to your strengths. You’re a statistician, is that correct? And so you like the mathematical advantage of a 20-loop course?

24:14 On Saturday, September 12, you are headlining the men's elite virtual marathon relay called the Chaski Challenge, which is another virtual event put on by Tyler Andrews at Chaski Endurance. Can you talk about that and what it's all about?

26:38 So the Chaski Challenge is not a treadmill race? You can do this one outside?

28:23 What's next after London?

30:33 If racing can be done safely, then maybe it should be done, right?

Questions I ask everyone:

31:27 If you could go back and talk to yourself when you first started running, what advice would you give yourself?

32:31 What is the greatest gift that running has given you?

32:56 Where can listeners connect with you?

Quotes by Jared:

“I think it’s important for kids to see that even when it’s hard, it doesn’t mean we have to quit. We don’t have to give up.”

“I’ve come to appreciate now as a more seasoned marathoner that it’s a lot more about getting in enough training to unlock lifetime fitness than it is about some perfect marathon training block that tees the race up perfectly.”

“The Chaski Challenge on September 12th is creating an opportunity in a running world with fewer opportunities now than there were a year ago.”

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

Mentioned in this podcast:

Chaski ...

Next Episode

Running at the Mouth, While Running For Her Life: Fitz Koehler - 09-22-2020

Imagine doing everything right with your health and fitness, being in peak shape, and enjoying a super successful career announcing at the start and finish lines of some of the top marathons and races in the country, and then being slammed with a cancer diagnosis. What do you do?

If you’re Fitz Koehler, you become even more of an inspiration. In 2019, Fitz found a cancerous lump in her breast just seven weeks after a clear mammogram. True to form, she immediately began treatment, including chemo, to wage an all-out war against the cancer. The treatment was exhausting and debilitating. Did she take time off? No! She got on the phone to the race directors, informed them of her diagnosis, and then told them she would still be showing up for the races. And she did.

Fitz announced at all of her scheduled races, even when literally losing her hair while doing so. She continued to fly around the country, sometimes spending entire nights on bathroom floors, but she still showed up at the races where she both gave and got energy from the athletes.

Fitz is now cancer-free and shares her story and amazing outlook on life and running in this motivating episode with Coach Claire.

Fitz Koehler, M.S.E.S.S. is one of the most prominent and compelling fitness experts and race announcers in America. As the voice of the Los Angeles Marathon, Philadelphia Marathon, Big Sur Marathon, DC Wonder Woman Run Series, and more, she brings big structure, energy, and joy to sport. She’s also passionate about guiding others to live better and longer through her company, Fitzness®. Fitz has appeared on national media outlets and has worked as a speaker and spokesperson for corporations like Disney® and Office Depot®. She has also inspired millions of kids to get active through her successful school running/walking program, The Morning Mile®. Fitz enjoys water sports, strength training, animals, hugs, sarcasm, and travel. She lives in Gainesville, Florida with her husband and two kids.

Questions Fitz is asked:

4:53 Besides being a fitness professional, one of the things that you are most well-known for is race announcing. Can you tell us how you started and what exactly is involved?

7:48 You had a really full race schedule and were doing great. You’re absolutely uber-fit, and then all of a sudden, after doing everything right, you were hit with a cancer diagnosis. Can you talk about what your life was like just before your diagnosis? Did you feel invincible?

8:43 You had just had a clear mammogram a couple months earlier before your cancer diagnosis.

10:04 Can you tell us how the cancer diagnosis, that first few weeks, how it affected you and your family?

11:21 You’re known for being a positive person who encourages people all the time, and you had to deliver some pretty bad news. How was that?

12:49 You had a full race calendar, and after you made that video announcing your diagnosis you had to make some phone calls to the race directors that were expecting you to show up. What was that like?

14:47 As you were announcing the March 2019 LA marathon, your hair began to fall out during the race. Can you talk about that?

17:16 Obviously losing your hair has got to be difficult for anyone, but you chose specifically not to wear a wig and embrace your baldness. Can you talk about that?

18:54 How many races did you end up announcing during your treatment? And how difficult was it?

20:55 How did you have the confidence to call races? Anybody would have understood if you said, “Look, I’m just too sick. I’m going to take a pass.” How did you know that it was going to be okay?

21:33 Clearly your own exercise routine was thrown way out of whack by cancer. How did your exercise change and how did you build back up?

24:46 Why don't you like pink ribbons?

26:23 Coming full circle, you were back announcing the 2020 LA Marathon. Can you explain what that was like?

27:52 Now that you are cured of cancer, your life has no doubt been completely changed with the cancellation of races due to the virus. How have you used this time instead?

29:50 Tell us what the title of your book is and when it comes out.

31:45 What’s your advice on what to say to somebody who announces a diagnosis like yours?

33:28 What’s your next race on the calendar?

Questions I ask everyone:

33:52 If you could go back and talk to yourself when you started running, what advice would you give?

34:46 What is the greatest gift running has given you?

35:11 Where can listeners connect with you?

Quotes by Fitz:

“First of all, I whip them into a frenzy and then I yell, ‘Go!’ because we do not do boring races. And then I’m there at the finish line to welcome them home, and my intention is to make every single finisher feel like they won the damn thing, and if somebody goes home feeling disappointed, then I ...