X Shadyside Boy’s Q&A of the week- Zach Byers Peters Township

Zach Byers
Peters Township High School
Senior
Favorite XC Course: Hershey Parkview

How did you get started in cross-country ?
I joined the middle school cross country team in my seventh-grade year to spend time with friends after school. I started to take it more seriously after a teammate encouraged me to join the Pacer Track Club, which caused me to begin training more consistently and effectively. Before my freshman year, older members of the PTXC team made great training partners and helped me realize that I had potential, which motivated me to spend my high school years working towards becoming the best cross-country runner I could be.

What do you enjoy most about cross-country?
I enjoy the combination of competitiveness and encouragement between opponents. Success is not exclusive, so runners root for each other while striving to do their own personal best.

What advice would you give to someone who is new to cross country running?
Focus on having fun with it. If your main goal is to enjoy yourself while you are running, positive results will come soon.

What is your favorite cross-country workout or training session?
My favorite workouts are 60+ minute long runs in which I allow myself to naturally speed up throughout. I feel like I don’t have to push myself to run at a fast pace by the second half and I always get huge confidence boosts after I finish long runs.

How has cross-country running impacted your life outside the sport?
The last couple years, I’ve begun to schedule my daily life around running. During the off-season, I try to run every morning, and, on the rare mornings I don’t get to run, I feel like I can’t function right. I no longer run for the sole reason of being able to run faster, but also to work towards uniformity as part of a daily routine.

What strategies do you use to maintain a positive mindset during a race?
I constantly remind myself that I have done the training necessary to be physically capable of racing in the way that I need to, so I know that the only thing that could keep me from the result I want is a mental block.

How do you stay focused and maintain concentration during a race?
During a race, I first try to find runners that I am familiar with and usually run near to give myself confidence that I am right where I need to be. After a few minutes of steady racing, I focus on the runners ahead of me and look for hills coming up, as those are usually my best opportunities to pass other runners.

Zach starts his senior season with the spotlight focused on him as a runner worth closely observing. In the remarkable year of 2022, he consistently clocked in at under 18 minutes in every invitational he participated in, showcasing his determination and dedication. His impressive performance secured him the 27th position at the WPIAL finals, reflecting an incredible leap of 35 places from his sophomore year. Looking ahead, there’s no doubt that Zach will continue his exceptional journey. I believe he will consistently be running in the mid 16-minute range this season; he is positioned to firmly establish himself as one of the standout names among AAA boys’ WPIAL cross-country runners.

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