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Zack Benedict

@zackbenedict

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Triathlete & Coach @topsteptraining
Owner @benedictwoodworking
Living in the best city in the world: Tucson, AZ

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10 days out from race day - swipe through for TopStep coach @zackbenedict’s tips for World Champs week! by @zackbenedict

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2 days ago

How do I manage my volume + intensity at 20 hours/week of training?

A few things that have helped me 👇

1️⃣ Wake up early + get your first session done early.

Every day I’m doing 2+ sessions. Trying to cram everything into the end of the day isn’t realistic for me.

Getting that first session done early gives me a lot more flexibility for work, coaching, family, and life.

2️⃣ Prioritize your goals.

I had to skip a swim this week, but I was able to add an hour on the bike instead.

For me, missing 4K of swimming isn’t a huge deal because I’ve already hit my swim goals for this season.

Training 20 hours doesn’t mean doing everything.

It means knowing what aspects of your training matter most and where you should spend your energy.

3️⃣ Plan your week in advance.

This is probably the biggest one.

Having my week planned ahead of time allows me to schedule training around work, family, coaching, and life — instead of trying to figure everything out day by day.

You can do this with a coach, build it yourself in TrainingPeaks, or go old school and write it on a calendar.

The goal isn’t to fit more into your life.

It’s to make the things that matter fit! taken in Tucson, Arizona by @zackbenedict

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10 days ago

Wise words from coach @zackbenedict as we head into 70.3 Worlds weekend!

There will be lots of nervous energy leading into the race. Trust your preparation. Be ready for that tense energy and don’t let it drain you before the race even starts.

If you’re racing Worlds or one of the other races on the calendar this weekend - good luck and have fun!

We are accepting new athletes right now, message me to set up an introductory call. by @zackbenedict

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23 days ago

New episode of The 99% Podcast with Top Step Training coach Zack Benedict. Link in bio to listen to the full episode.

Zack has a competitive racing resume that includes more than a dozen IRONMAN 70.3 races, five full IRONMAN events. He has qualified and competed at both the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship and the IRONMAN World Championship. Most recently, Zack became the 2026 USAT Ultra Distance National Champion and course record holder at Peasantman.

Zack is a father, endurance athlete, and a dedicated student of the sport. He brings a thoughtful approach to coaching and excels at listening to his athletes.

Zack is most active over on Strava and that’s the best place to keep up to date with him.

Top Step Training is taking new athletes right now. Reach out to one of us to set up an introductory call! by @zackbenedict

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a month ago

Welcome to the Team!

New coach to Top Step Training!
Zack is based in Tucson, and has a never stop learning attitude that is contagious. A real student of the sport. He has a long history in sport, he has been a trainer and is an accomplished triathlete himself.

Interested in working with Zack? Reach out!
#coach #topstep #swimbikerun #triathlon by @zackbenedict

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2 months ago

Had a really great time at Yosemite with my lifelong friends @p_roman3 @t__shao @jthornton111 - No one told us that the waterfalls are currently SNOW RUNOFF 🥶🥶🥶 taken in Yosemite National Park by @zackbenedict

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3 years ago

☀️☀️☀️ taken in Tucson, Arizona by @zackbenedict

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3 years ago

Less than 2 weeks until I race Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St. George, UT!

I’ve been putting in the work in this training block averaging 17+ hours of training per week (180 miles on the bike, 14,000 yards in the pool, 30 miles run) and am feeling more fit & strong than ever.

A big shoutout to @tucsonmassage for keeping me injury-free & training buddy @scottbayvel for making some of these long workouts more enjoyable.

The countdown until raceday begins! taken in The Preserve At Dove Mountain, Marana, Arizona by @zackbenedict

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5 years ago

If you need something to distract you from the news, just check out me racing while actively crying at Ironman 70.3 Arizona a few weeks ago. 😊 taken in Tempe, Arizona by @zackbenedict

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6 years ago

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii taken in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii by @zackbenedict

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6 years ago

1st race of the year, 2nd place overall! Started the race in the rain and then ran through puddles & little streams for the 17 mile course with 1600ft elevation gain. No one seemed to care about the pouring rain and lightning. After all, this is trail race starting at 9:30pm on a mountain - so it only attracts people that are a little crazy regardless.

Anyways, it’s time for me to shift my focus away from trail running for a bit - only 7 weeks until I race Ironman 70.3 in Tempe, AZ! Thanks for the messages and support from everyone. by @zackbenedict

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6 years ago

That finish line feeling! Ironman 70.3 Indian Wells is complete with a time of 5 hours, 26 minutes. Got kicked in the face at the beginning of the swim which broke my googles, so I swam the 1.2 miles with my googles sitting on top of my swim cap which really slowed me down. Was initially really bummed with swimming 45min when I regularly swim 30-32min without any problems. Bike (56 miles) went really well but looking back I definitely could’ve pushed a little harder. At the time I thought I was going to overexert myself before the run portion. The run went well (half marathon) but I had some major left hamstring pain that literally “hamstringed” me and left me running a bit slower than planned. Still managed to finish 29th out of 90 triathletes in my age group, and most all of the people ahead of me have 10+ races under their belt. & with this being my first half Ironman, I’m pretty happy with 29th! Now I need to decide on my next race, deciding right now between Hawaii in May or Texas in April. Not sure I can wait until May! 😂Going to take a week of recovery and rest, and by then I’ll have decided on my next race. Then training begins again 💪🏽 & thanks for all of the support and messages from everyone! #im703iwlq #ironman703 #ironman 📸 @ally__paz taken in Indian Wells Tennis Garden by @zackbenedict

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7 years ago