He’s starred on Food Network, cooked off against Bobby Flay, pioneered the infamous Stein Eriksen Lodge brunch and won countless awards — there’s no question that Zane Holmquist is a talented chef. But when the whites come off, Holmquist’s preferred uniform? A pair of bike shorts.
In 2013, Holmquist began racing in triathlons, inspired by his wife who had just completed one and driven by a bleak conversation with his doctor.
“At one point, I weighed 211 pounds, had high cholesterol, pre-diabetes and high blood pressure. So my doctor said, ‘Hey, you’ve got to make some lifestyle changes,’” Holmquist said.
The situation was a chef stereotype come true, he said, like the scenes of an Anthony Bourdain book.
“Through the ’80s, ’90s and then into the early 2000s, you saw a lot of drug and alcohol use, a lot of smoking with chefs, not particularly healthy lifestyles, chefs not being fit, just not being really mindful of their bodies,” he said.
By the time Holmquist was in his 40s, he’d gone through all those challenges and more, finally deciding it was time to make that major life change.
When he started, the process of training for a triathlon wasn’t all new.
“I’ve always been a cyclist. I rode BMX bikes as a kid, and then, when the movie ‘Breaking Away’ came out, every kid my age started riding a road bike,” he said. “Mountain bikes came along in the early ’80s, and as I traveled through my career, often … I was bike commuting.”
Swimming and running though? Not exactly his strengths, so he hired a trainer and began preparing for his first of what would become many races. Since then, he’s competed in all triathlon lengths — sprint, Olympic, half and full Iron Man — as well as gravel bike races like Unbound Gravel, The Crusher in the Tushar and Belgian Waffle Ride.
“Cycling and bike racing and triathlon has become a lifestyle for me and has become my second passion after cooking in restaurants,” he said. “It fills a space for me.”
Not only did it help his physical health, it became a tool for his mental health, too. This was especially true after his son died seven years ago.
“(Racing) really helped me deal with that part of my life, and I still feel very connected to him when I train and work out,” Holmquist said. “It can help dealing with any of those really big hurdles in life, loss of a loved one, or dealing with health issues.”
The bottom line: pursuing triathlons and bike racing as a hobby changed his life, and he just completed his ninth Iron Man race in August, despite multiple injuries and surgeries over the years. But, this hobby doesn’t exactly win him any awards like his day job does.
“I’m an old, middle-of-the-pack racer,” he said with a laugh, calling himself a “participator” not an athlete. “For me, it’s not about winning. The process of Iron Man and long bike races for me is the training, the camaraderie with the guys and ladies I train with. … Really seeing what you’re capable of and managing yourself, your health, your nutrition, your injuries, balancing life, balancing family things in balancing work — to me, that’s the skill. That’s the event.”

Biking is the part he loves most, and when he’s training, sometimes he’ll even go out without a route planned.
“I love the idea of you and your bike. It’s just you. You make it go, and you put the work in. You’re the motor, and that bike takes you somewhere, and you’re just out on an adventure. You don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said.
In many ways, he said biking makes him a better chef — physically more able to be on his feet for hours, and also newly inspired.
“When I’m exercising, it really helps me get to a more creative place,” he said. “(I’ll) play food circus in my head. … What do I want to work on? What dish? What protein? What’s it going to go with? I start a dish, I start a sandwich, and just start thinking about it.”
The training, especially the biking and running portions, have allowed him chances to explore more of Park City and surrounding areas, the area where he was born and raised. It’s also given him a chance to explore other parts of the country.
San Francisco, Washington, Colorado, Florida, Texas, Kansas, Idaho and even Canada have all been race locations over the years. His wife also competes in triathlons, Holmquist said, so the two will take turns being “participator” or cheerleader.
“Pretty much everything we do is bike related and bike trips,” he said. “It’s a passion and a lifestyle for my wife and I, and we really enjoy it.”
Holmquist said these races are also an opportunity to meet new people, connected through racing with lives that otherwise would never intersect. He’s also found there’s plenty of unexpected similarities between chefs and triathletes.
“Chefs are generally very focused, very A-type personalities, very driven, in charge people and are very organized. We use the term ‘mise en place’ which means everything in its place. That’s what chefs live by,” he said. “You translate that into sport, it makes sense. That same process, especially the triathlon, you’ve got to have your mise en place — just like setting up your station, you set up all your gear.”
While racing is more about the training journey for Holmquist, the ability to ride alongside professionals is a fun perk, even though it only lasts for about two minutes.
“How many sports does a middle-aged, overweight, injured person get to roll out with the professional athletes,” he said with a laugh. He also jokes that at races he’s almost a different person compared to around Park City or in the kitchen at Stein Eriksen Lodge, a more chatty, extroverted and encouraging version of himself.
Everyone should have an outlet, Holmquist said, ideally something that provides and contributes to a work-life balance. For him, getting outside, maintaining physical health and traveling to bike races all add up to enhancing his professional pursuits.
“I spent my life in the kitchen. Tens of thousands of hours, 40-plus years inside, in the kitchen, away from the sun, away from the outdoors and nature,” Holmquist said. “You work every holiday, you work nights, you work your anniversary, your birthday as a chef. Having that time yourself and wanting to be healthy so I can enjoy retirement is really the key.”
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