COACH’S CORNER – THE IMPORTANCE OF MIXING IT UP, WITH ISOBEL ROSS

Kate Dzienis • September 30, 2021

Coach’s Corner is a feature for our AURA members, where qualified trained professionals provide you with advice and tips on improving and enhancing your ultra running performance.

Isobel Ross is a Level 2 Recreational Running Coach at Peak Endurance Coaching and accredited with Athletics Australia. She is also a UESCA certified ultra running coach, a Running Revolution certified coach and a qualified personal trainer. Isobel works with athletes of all levels at all distances and she is also the host of podcast Peak Endurance. Isobel is a 3-time Australian long distance mountain running representative at the World Championships with a best finishing place of 10th female. Twice Australian trail champion, she has won Six Foot Track marathon, run a sub-3-hour marathon, and won a 24-hour track race overall with a distance of 198.7kms.

The Importance of Mixing It Up

As ultra runners, it’s pretty clear we all love to run. And run. And run. However, there comes a point when running alone no longer elicits the training adaptions we are aiming for. The human body is always striving to achieve homeostasis; that is, a steady state within the body where all systems are working optimally. Although this sounds like a great achievement, this is actually the point at which we plateau. We want to constantly work to raise that level of homeostasis. Therefore, we need to mix our training up.

Let’s look at the different ways we can do this:

Cross training
Running different paces/terrains/surfaces/elevations

Cross training

There are many different forms of cross training that a runner can do. I will go over the ones that are the most beneficial.

Strength training: Anyone who has listened to my podcasts knows how much I advocate for runners to do strength work. Strength training helps to strengthen the ligaments, tendons and muscles in the areas being targeted. It also helps eliminate imbalances in the body (when we focus on one-legged exercises for instance). Both help with reducing the incidence of injury. Strength training obviously also helps to develop strength within the body. This is vitally important when we are getting towards the end of an ultra and the body starts to break down. Also, we all start to lose muscular strength from the age of around 30, so this is something we need to focus on not just for our running, but for our future health and quality of life.
Cycling: This could be on a road bike, mountain bike, gravel bike or stationary bike. I am biased towards mountain biking (MTB) because I used to race MTB before I was a runner. Road biking can be dangerous due to road conditions and other cars. Gravel biking is becoming increasingly popular and is good for those who may be worried about injuries with MTB. Stationary bikes are great for those who need to be at home for kids or can utilise them at gyms and thus saving on the cost of a bike. Cycling strength transfers incredibly well for running (sadly for cyclists it doesn’t go the other way). You will find an increase in quad and glute strength and fitness improvements without the pounding on the body from running. This is especially good if you are prone to injury, but it also gets the body out of homeostasis as it works to adapt to a new training stimulus.
Yoga/Pilates: I believe that there is more to yoga or Pilates than the purported stretching benefits. I believe its main benefits arise from increasing mobility and core strengthening. This is achieved through your practice getting you to make movements outside of the typical running movement pattern. Also, there is a lot of balance and one-legged positions that activate and strengthen your core. All of these are extremely beneficial for your running. And they definitely get you out of your comfort zone!

Run different paces/surfaces/elevations

Different paces: Too many runners head out for a run without a plan or purpose. Every run should have a purpose; recovery, endurance, VO2 work, Lactate Threshold building, etc. And these should be done at the right time within the program. Running at different paces throughout the week enables you avoid the dreaded ‘black hole’ of running. This is where you run your easy runs just a bit too hard (so it looks better on Strava perhaps??) which then leads to the inability to run your quality sessions hard enough. It took me a while to accept putting my easy runs on Strava (I was embarrassed to be seen running so slow) but I have learnt to accept it and not care (as much). I put all my energy into my quality sessions (and often walk/jog my recoveries). Ultimately this is making me (and will make you!) a better runner. And of course, not all quality sessions are equal. Depending what system you are targeting, means you will need to aim for different paces/rate of perceived effort (RPE). If you are running these at the correct paces you will need and look forward to the easy run days when you get to slow down, chill out and smell the flowers!
Different surfaces: It’s important to run on different surfaces: bitumen (preferably not concrete at all to be honest!!), dirt fire road, uneven technical trail, sand and grass. Just like yoga or Pilates getting you into different movement patters, so do different surfaces. The more uneven the surface, the more you engage those micro balancing muscles and develop overall core strength. Once again, it gets you out of homeostasis and keeps the body guessing and working hard to reach optimal performance on each surface. And it keeps life interesting!
Different elevations: Flat surfaces are great for easy and recovery runs, as well as to complete most quality sessions. Hilly terrain promotes leg strength and mental fortitude. And rolling terrain promotes stamina and strength. Even if you are training for a flat event, your body will benefit from the strength obtained from including hills. And the reverse holds true too. If you are training for a hilly/mountainous event and you only run hills, you will become slow and a bit of a ‘plodder’. Quality sessions on the flat keep up your leg speed and ability to pick it up when passing another athlete. And once, again, keeps the body guessing and adapting, as well as making it interesting.

Well, there you have it! It is so important to mix up your training program because you push your body to keep changing and adapting as it tries to reach homeostasis. Your running and overall strength will improve, your mental strength will increase, and you will have more fun along the way. Sounds like a winning strategy to me!

I would love to hear how you get on with some of these ideas. Email me isobel@peakendurancecoaching.com.au to let me know!

< Older Post

Newer Post >

AUTRA News Report 11-09-2025

By Kate Dzienis • September 11, 2025

Run The River Half, Qld Murphys Creek Challenge, Qld Lighthorse Ultra, WA Kunanyi Trail Series, Rialannah, Tas Upcoming Events WEEKLY NEWS REPORT FOR 12-09-2025 As always, we're continuously on the hunt for your stories and reports, so get those race reports and photographs in to ultramag@autra.asn.au with the following information: Word document, single spaced Include the name of the event, the date and the location anywhere in the report (just a bullet point at the top is great) Please attach photographs to the email – do not put images in the body of your Word doc. You’ll just get me emailing you back asking for the photos sent in the correct way! As many photos as possible. With our new website, it’s now easier than ever to include a nice gallery in each race report No PDFs please And remember, it doesn’t have to be about an AUTRA-listed event specifically! You just have to be an AUTRA member for the 2025 year. Also too, if you’ve run in a non-AUTRA listed event anywhere on home soil or internationally, we’d love to include your race results and experience in our Member Updates, so please do reach out to us via email to kate.dzienis@autra.asn.au If any corrections need to be made in any of the results listed below, please alert me via email.

Team Manager 2025 IAU Asian and Oceania 100K Championships

By Gary Mullins • September 8, 2025

Location : Bangkok, Thailand Dates : November 21 - 24 2025 Role Type : Volunteer Position Time Commitment : Pre event planning + Travel Application Deadline : 17th September 2025 Thank you for your interest in supporting the Australian team for the 2025 IAU Asian 100k Championships. This role goes far beyond logistics. It’s about leadership, inclusion, and creating a positive, empowering environment for athletes competing on the world stage. AUTRA is committed to opening doors for those outside traditional pathways. We strongly encourage applications from coaches, former athletes, club leaders, volunteers, and passionate community members. You don’t need to have served on a board or managed a team before as we’re looking for people who genuinely care, are highly organised, and can proudly represent our athletes and country. Role Overview As Team Manager, you’ll work closely with AUTRA President Gary Mullins and Vice President Geoff Russell to prepare and support the national team before and during the championship. Pre-Departure Australia Act as the main contact for selected athletes and crew Assist with final entry forms and travel planning Prepare a Championships Agenda in alliance with the Team Managers Agreement Document Coordinate flights, uniforms, and team communications Help identify and organise crew support Attend online team planning meetings On the Ground in Thailand Be present and ready as athletes arrive Ensure all athlete needs are met so they can focus fully on their race Attend all technical meetings and represent the team professionally Coordinate team attendance at the opening and closing ceremonies Ensure the team and crew are prepared, organised, and calm Address any issues that arise with efficiency and discretion Provide hands on leadership and moral support throughout the race Support Provided Accommodation in Bangkok for 3 - 4 nights will be provided by AUTRA An official team uniform will be supplied A volunteer allowance of $1500 will be provided to acknowledge your time and service during the championship period. What You’ll Need Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Strong organisational ability under pressure A calm, inclusive, and athlete first mindset Commitment to AUTRA’s Code of Conduct Member of AUTRA Applying To apply for the role of Team Manager please CLICK HERE and fill out the Application Form. Applications Close at 5pm 17th September 2025. Selection Process Following the application deadline, the AUTRA Committee will review all submissions and select the most suitable candidate. All applicants will be contacted by Gary Mullins within 7 days of applications closing. Gary Mullins AUTRA President