We are thrilled to connect with Elise Coates, a recent UVic graduate and athlete who represented Canada at the 2025 FISU World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr Germany this past July!

Elise is from Nanaimo, BC and just graduated from the University of Victoria where she studied physics and ran varsity cross country and track. Since graduating, she has become an Arc’teryx Victoria trail running ambassador and just launched her own sports media and community engagement business.

“I love running of all kinds – from track to trail, I do it all! On the track, I’m a 5k specialist, and on the trail you’ll catch me crushing out sub-ultra trail distances. I love multi-day mountain missions as well – next up on the list of projects is a 100k hut-to-hut trail run in the Slovenian Alps in September. I’ve got a hankering to try out a few 10ks next year…I just can’t decide! It’s all too much fun!”

How did you first discover or get introduced to contrast therapy (sauna and cold plunge)?

Last fall, one of my triathlon friends who I raced cross country with at the University of Victoria invited me to come to one of her sauna sessions at Ritual. I had been wanting to integrate heat training into my routine – I love saunas and I know I recover so much better with heat. I did my first circuit with her and have been obsessed ever since.

How have you worked sauna and plunge into your regular training or recovery routine?

Sauna and cold plunge circuits have become a huge part of my regular recovery routine. I prefer to go in the evenings after hard training sessions to maximize the benefits, but I sometimes go on easy run or recovery days as a way to make myself take a break from work. Balancing starting a career and high-performance running consumes my time – I find it challenging to stop and make time for myself, so going to the sauna is the perfect escape. Sauna circuits are the best brain break and productive relaxation.

What benefits have you noticed from using contrast therapy?

The mental benefits are incredible. Every time I walk out of the Ritual, I feel so calm and at peace with my day. It’s the perfect pause to my busy schedule.

The physical benefits have also been lovely. I don’t have any fancy gadgets to track heat adaptation yet, but I know that my consistent sauna sessions throughout the winter helped my body adjust to the initial shock of warm summer training. At the beginning of every spring and summer, it takes a moment for most people’s bodies to get used to the increase in temperature. Runs and workouts feel just that much harder. Heat adaptation training at Ritual totally helped overcome this faster.

I’ve brought so many of my friends to Ritual to do circuits with me. Get me a sauna and a pal to chat with and I am one happy gal! There’s nothing quite like syncing up a sauna and cold plunge circuit and catching up with a friend. The two hours go by incredibly fast and my cup is always overflowing afterwards. It’s so fulfilling!

Which benefits do you value the most, and why?

The heat adaptation I get from the sauna work is great and all, but I value the mental clarity and calmness the most. I love feeling warm, so the sauna is such a tranquil and happy place for me. Whether I get to chat with a friend during the session or read my book, I leave feeling refreshed and clearheaded.

Do you have any advice for other athletes curious about trying contrast therapy?

Start small! I love saunas and am quite good with heat so I was able to hop right into 3 sets of 20 minute heat sessions. Most people need time to adjust. Start with 5 minutes in the sauna, then work your way up. Everyone’s heat tolerance is different and the temperature of the sauna fluctuates depending on whether or not another patron added water to the rocks or not before your circuit set.

Drink lots of water before and after! Everything you lost from all that sweating needs to be replenished. Some of my friends get a bit dizzy if they don’t hydrate enough before or during.

Do you have any personal rituals on event or competition day?

On competition day, I keep it pretty simple and try not to stress about anything small. Because I have no control over when I race – so far this season, I’ve had races at 9 AM to 9:30 PM – the only ritual I can keep consistent is my warm up and pre-race flow. I always start my warm up run 50 minutes before the race. I’ll run easy for 15 minutes, then 2×2 minutes hard with 1 minute between of easy. Then, I’ll find a nice flat stretch or hop onto the outer lanes of the track that aren’t being used and do some dynamics – a variety of arm swings, skips, leg swings, and technique cues. I’ll do 2 to 3 strides and then head over to the call tent. The call tent is where you have to go 10-20 minutes before a race to check in, and once you’re there, you can’t leave. At that point, the race officials give me number stickers to put on the left side of my chest and my hips. Once that’s done, I’ll put on my spikes (special racing shoes) and do a few more strides. After that, I wait until they call us to the start line!

What’s one unexpected thing you’ve learned or experienced through regular contrast therapy?

Consistently attending contrast therapy sessions is the key to making them feel comfortable. The more you use the sauna, the more accustomed to the sweating and heat you get. By going once a week, by the end of a month, the circuit feels natural and effortless.

 

If you could describe how sauna and plunge make you feel in just a few words, what would they be?

Calm, relaxed, clearheaded, content, rejuvenated.