BETTER KNOW A STABLEMATE—ZACH HOLT

“However ordinary each of us may seem, we are all in some way special and can do things that are extraordinary.”

What is your name?

Zach Holt.

What is your favourite colour?

Kawasaki Green.

What is your favourite word?

Itskidiliowtindabotinskideetanskeetandotinwadatchoo … It may not be in a dictionary, but it’s been used in my family since as early as I can remember.

Who is your favourite musician?

Changes too often.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Optimism.

What talent would you like to have?

Piano extraordinaire.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My wife and the three humans we made.

Who are your heroes in history?

Roger Bannister.

Who are your heroes in real life?

Dad and Dirk Smibert.

What is your idea of happiness?

Time for the things I want to spend my time doing.

Where would you most like to live?

Summer home in Alaska; winter home in Hawaii.

What profession would you like to attempt?

Real estate investing.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Houseboat on Lake Powell … Lake Powell has been a lifelong family vacation spot, with hundreds of awesome memories that I can never get enough of.

What is your most treasured possession?

Time with my family.

Why did you start running?

I started because my teacher told me to (school physical education class). I kept doing it because I enjoyed it. I later got deep into running as a coping mechanism when my little brother died at age 23.

What does running mean to you now?

Running is my release from the buildup of daily life. It is my mental getaway and the source of almost all of my mental strength. Running is my daily reminder that I can do hard things and that I can accomplish anything that I put my mind to.

What do you like about Stazza’s Stable?

The camaraderie, the discipline, the strength and inspiration that comes from others in the group, alongside the ability to show vulnerability—because we all understand the struggles associated with running goals.

What is your motto?

Whatever you are, be a good one. I chose the attached photo because this race was the hardest (yet most fulfilling) race I’ve ever run. I chose to be good at running in 2013, and this race was the culmination of that goal coming to life. Hard is good. Hard is rewarding. This race was hard and rewarding.