ZERO REST DAYS

Zach Calton on 2 wins and a top-10 in 31 days.

With Zach Calton + Burke Swindlehurst
Photo credit: @velophoto.tx

INTRODUCTION

Zach Calton has had a big 2024. He’s garnered several top-tens, some big wins, and – as of early October – is sitting in 13th overall on the Life Time Grand Prix. With a 10th at Leadville, a win at Breck Epic, and a win + course record at Park City Point 2 Point, August was clearly the zenith of his campaign, so Burke Swindlehurst, godfather of gravel and FE’s athlete wrangler, reached out to ask about his “Lead-Breck” epic, fueling for back-to-back endurance epics, and how it felt to finally land the one that – until this year – had always gotten away.

ZACH x BURKE

Burke Swindlehurst: Zach, you recently completed what can only be described as an incredibly demanding August. Starting with a remarkable 10th-place finish at the Leadville 100 MTB, you immediately transitioned into the grueling 6-day Breck Epic MTB stage race, ie., “Lead-Breck.” Given just a single day of rest between these two intense events, can you describe your recovery strategy from both a logistical and physical perspective?

Zach Calton: After the race, I had zero rest days! I left Leadville on race day at 7:30 PM and arrived in Breckenridge by 9:30pm. Due to a rainstorm causing some traffic, I swapped some parts on my bike until 11:30pm and woke up at 5:15am for stage 1.

I knew my typical plan of staying off my feet and relaxing when possible wasn't an option this time, so I focused on controlling what I could and ensuring I stayed on top of my fueling for Leadville. I averaged about 130 grams of carbs per hour during the race from a mix of EFS, EFS-PRO, and Liquid Shot.

This meant I finished Leadville with some glycogen in the tank, which helped start the recovery process preemptively. I immediately consumed a chocolate Ultragen recovery drink at the finish and then had my family pre-order me some waffles from the cafe nearby. I ate the waffles right there in the finish chute, still wearing my skinsuit and aero socks. I think I managed to get my helmet off.

Staying on top of hydration, maintaining glycogen levels, and managing inflammation were the key areas of focus for that week. Each meal was very basic: easy-to-digest carbs with limited fiber. I ate things like pancakes, rice, pasta, etc., and consumed 130 grams of protein per day from whole sources like Greek yogurt, chicken, salmon, cod, and beef.

Since I was avoiding fiber and thus fruit and vegetables to some extent, I thought it was especially important to supplement with MultiV-PRO during this time to ensure I was getting enough micronutrients. I made a special effort to finish each stage, get my recovery drink, get home for lunch, wash my bike, and complete all the necessary prep tasks so I could rest my feet for the rest of the day. I took HALO at both lunch and dinner to help with inflammation.

BS: The first few days at Breckenridge, you were facing motivated riders with no Leadville “hangover.” Did that present a significant mental and physical challenge? Did you implement any specific recovery tactics to minimize the impact of the previous effort in Leadville?

ZC: Definitely, that was the case. I know from many races at altitude that even fresher riders tend to underestimate the toll it takes, and I also know that I tend to be more diligent about fueling than most.

With that in mind, I accepted that some fatigue and overzealous riders meant it would be prudent to be patient early in the stages, drop back, and avoid incurring so much oxygen debt that I couldn't repay it. This holds true at both Leadville and Breckenridge, and it meant I finished strong each day without 'cracking' or bonking, so the recovery process and ensuing fatigue were not so extreme.

After several days of racing, this seemed to equalize the fatigue levels between myself and those who hadn't done Leadville, but who maybe didn't have as much fueling and refueling practice. So I made sure to be the most hydrated and the most well-fueled person on the starting line and the finish line. I supplemented with HALO and MultiV to decrease inflammation and help my immune system respectively during this pretty unique bout with fatigue. I've also been preloading OptygenHP to ensure my body is operating at maximum efficiency, which added up over the course of the week.

For me, recovery is about managing mental stress, sleeping well, and fueling well. I don't put a ton of emphasis on recovery 'hacks,' but when I feel necessary, I use a foam roller and have a mobility routine that I think helps me feel ready to go each day."

BS: As a fitting end to your August adventures, you achieved a long-held dream of standing atop the podium at the infamous Park City Point 2 Point. The P2P is known as one of the most challenging endurance mountain bike races on the planet, with over 12,000 feet of climbing in just 75 miles of technical singletrack, it can make the Leadville 100 seem like a stroll in the park. Describe what that victory felt like and what it means to you personally to have finally conquered this iconic race.

ZC: Yeah, I was really excited to finally check that box. I started in XCO racing and point-to-point was the first race where I felt like I had a talent for racing the longer stuff.

I think I had outperformed my expectations at Point to Point up until I expected to be fighting for the win. At that point, winning it proved to be elusive for a few years. In 2018, a wrong turn put me in 6th. In 2019, I was 2nd at one minute back after a back-and-forth battle with Alex Grant. In 2020, there was COVID. In 2021, I was smoked out with an AQI above 150 ppm. In 2022, I crashed at the start and couldn't ride for two weeks. And in 2023, I lost a sprint after missing the same turn as in 2018.

To say I had a bit of a bone to pick with this race was an understatement. It's a race where my whole family is usually able to make it and watch me race, so that makes it especially important to me to perform.

This year, I got a gap earlier than I expected and had good legs, which allowed me to race at my own pace and not deal with surging or having the pace dictated by someone else. I was really excited to put a real mark on this race with the course record and big winning margin to compensate for a few close calls that didn't go my way over the years!

P2P has been completely transformed by high-carb fueling. Now, we are getting to Deer Valley around 20 minutes faster than when I first started lining up

The mentality used to be not if, but when you were going to bonk, with the focus being on how you would cope. Now it’s a realization that I simply couldn’t push full gas with the fuel I was using back then. With the ability to comfortably take on 120g/hr, I know I can push from the gun, and as long as I stick to my fueling plan, I can stay on it, which is exactly how it played out this year.

BS: Most people probably don't realize that bike racing hasn’t been your full-time job. Tell us a bit about your day-to-day life and how you balance your work duties off the bike with being one of the top endurance mountain and gravel bike racers in the country? 

ZC: So, I was able to quit my full-time job in May of this year. But yes, I have worked a full-time job my whole career and was also a full-time student for a large chunk of it. I have worked in a bike shop and done a service role for a bike manufacturer while trying to cut my teeth as a pro.

It certainly requires a love of the game, which I have.

It also requires a good group of people to ride with to keep you motivated, grounded, and excited to ride. That is key, and I have had a really great group that has been consistent. Together, we started a group ride in SLC called TNE, which is a group effort up Emigration Canyon every Tuesday at 6:15pm.

Between a group I'm excited to train with, races that I love, support from my partner, Lexi, and my whole family, balance is a bit easier to find. It's tough to call clocking in for a bike industry job at 8:00am, clocking out at 5:00pm, and training your wheels off till 9:00pm “balanced,” but my support crew and community make it easy and fill the proverbial cup beyond racing to the brim.

I have always found happiness in controlling what I can control, settling into the best routine I can, and just being at peace with what comes out the other side. I try not to compare myself or my results to someone who may be able to get miles in while I was at work.

BS: It’s been a big year for you. How do you envision your endurance racing career as you look to 2025 and beyond? 

ZC: I really like the race trajectory I am on and the way the racing scene is developing in the US. So for 2025 and beyond, I hope for more of the same, but I hope to continue to improve. Hopefully, the Grand Prix continues to grow, and I can fight for wins more consistently both at individual stops and overall. I'm also keeping my eye on XCM World Cups and Gravel World Series events as alternative targets.

I think what’s most important for me is to continue to level up. Once I am in a position from a fitness perspective, I can put the pieces together and point-chase, fighting for podiums at XCM and Gravel World Championships.

BS: Last question, I promise…What makes Zach Calton grin? 

ZC: So many things! 

60-80 degree weather to ride in. Waking up to a light rainstorm and hero dirt. A freshly cut and edged lawn. Seeing my family at the finish line. Watching my nieces and nephews play their sports. Chocolate Ultragen mixed with milk (even though you're supposed to mix it with water...). Cooking for people. Anything from a good bakery, but especially an almond croissant.

The feeling of having put together a big training day, with the perfect pre-ride meal, the perfect fueling, executing well, getting the post-ride life, getting the bike, route, and plan ready for the next one, and when you finally get to give in to the sleepy, tired feeling you've been putting aside all day.

My version of just knowing you've done everything you can, at least for today, to be your best.