ELIZABETH AZZE

Endurance Coach | Strength & Conditioning Coach | Ultra Runner | Mountain BIker | Hiker

Education

  • FMS Level 1 & 2

  • NASM Corrective Exercises Specialist

  • NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist

  • NASM Personal Trainer

  • CPR/AED Certified

  • Bachelors in Science

  • Insured

Elizabeth - My adventurous spirit and lust for the outdoors led me to the great state of Alaska. I arrived in Alaska in 1995 and ended up living there for 8 years. While in Alaska I structured my life around adventure, adventurous people and my studies. I lived a life of a true adventurer. I gained my experience through my studies and hobbies, which included mountaineering, ice climbing, skiing, mountain biking and of course, running the trails. I have completed over 30 ultra-marathons which include 14, 100 milers. A few highlights are…

I have been a coach and fitness professional since 1999 and have worked with hundreds of athletes in triathlons, road running, trail running, ultra running, as well as general health & fitness. I truly find being a coach & fitness professional is the most rewarding career choice for me. I love helping people reach their goals, whether to become healthier and stronger or to compete in an ultra endurance event.

I have coached athletes from beginner to elite, helping them attain personal records of many road races and triathlons, including the NYC marathon and Ironman Lake Placid. In the trail world I have led athletes to the completion of their very first trail race on up to the epic challenge of the Grand Slam Of Ultra Running. Other races include the Grindstone 100, Leadville 100, North Face Endurance Challenge, ½, 50k and 50 miler, Hardrock 100, Wasatch 100, Vermont 100, Eastern States 100, and many others. I also work with mountaineers that have goals of climbing the highest peaks in South America. My passion is coaching and helping others, and I feel truly blessed to be able to do so.

What Happens if you Choose me as your Coach?

  1. You will fill out a our Athlete Profile & PAR-Q Questionnaire. This will give me further insight into your daily routine, sleep patterns, stress levels, nutrition and any past or current medical issues or injuries.

  2. You will be taken through a Functional Movement Assessment (in person or via online). A functional Movement Assessment allows me to see how your body moves through a series of 7 movements. Based on the assessment, we will start addressing your limitations. For example; maybe you’re lacking hip mobility and or ankle mobility and your core isn’t firing properly so we will begin to immediately address this and anything else that shows up from the screening.

  3. I will prescribe certain exercises whether mobility or strength to address your imbalances, injuries, etc. The goal is for your movement patterns to improve. If you are experiencing any pain, I will point you in the right direction of a physical therapist or doctor and we will take it from there.

  4. Once your movement patterns have improved the chance of you experiencing an injury will decrease.

  5. Program design will begin.

I will follow your progress and continually review your data and any feedback you provide, this way I can address any issues that may arise and make necessary adjustments to your training.  

I believe everyone is an athlete, whether you’re an athlete of life or sport. I am here to guide you, motivate you and support you to reach your goals and beyond. When you choose to have me as your Coach, we become a team, from beginning to end.

Elizabeth somewhere high in the mountains of Alaska during the 1900's

Elizabeth pulling her mandatory sled of gear during the 2000 Susitna 100 in Alaska.

Adventure Highlights 

2014

2013

2012

  • Hancock Shaker Village 50 Mile Ultra, 1st female, 3rd overall

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

  • Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run - 8th Female in division

  • Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run - 3rd Female

  • Miwok 100K Endurance Run - 21st Female

2006

  • American River 50 Mile Endurance Run - 15th Female, 3rd division

  • Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run

2005

  • Escarpment 18.6 Mile Trail Race - 9th Female

  • American River 50 Mile Endurance Run - 24th Female

  • Blues Cruise 50K Endurance Run - 2nd place

2000 - 2004

  • 2004 American River 50 Mile Endurance Run

  • 2003 Kincaid Park Alaska 24 Hour Mountain Bike Race - 2nd place

  • 2002, 24 Hour Adventure Race, Alaska - 1st place

  • 2001, 24 Hour Adventure Race, Alaska - 2nd place

  • 2001 Susitna 100 Mile Endurance Run, Alaska - 2nd Female

  • 2000 Susitna 100 Mile Endurance Run, Alaska - 2nd Female

“I met Elizabeth in July of 2007 when I got worried about getting out of breath just going up one flight of stairs. When I met her, I could barely do 10 minutes on the elliptical, and I am now about to run the New York City Marathon. I’ve lost about 60 pounds and my body is tight and muscular. Elizabeth has always been very supportive of me, and believes in me even when I didn’t. I thought a personal trainer would help jump start a fitness routine, I did not expect that it would change my life and take me to places I could not even imagine in my wildest dreams. I feel so, so very grateful to have been working with Elizabeth, and I can’t recommend her enough.”
— Mike
“My goal for many years had been to run a 50 mile race. I would never have been able to accomplish this without Elizabeth’s expertise, encouragement and support. She helped me rehabilitate injuries I thought I was destined to live with and taught me how to properly hydrate and use nutrition during long training runs and races. The sessions I had and lessons I learned from her will help keep me running until I am 90 and prevent further injuries. I was also always in awe of her and all her own ultramarathon accomplishments (which she was so humble about) and that served as such inspiration for my goals. Thanks to Elizabeth I crossed the finish line of the Nashville Ultramarathon with a huge smile on my face. It was a privilege for me to work with someone of her caliber as an athlete and a person.”
— Ilene Laufer, MD
“Thanks to Elizabeth’s training plan, not only was I mentally and physically prepared for my 50 mile race but I was running pain free for the first time in my life…and this is after training for a 50 miler!”
— Ali
“In preparation for the 2016 Hardrock 100 Mile Endurance Run I was trained exclusively by Elizabeth Azze of Mountain Peak Fitness. This was my first race in my running career that I actually followed and completed every single workout. I’ve been stubborn over the years in my training and haven’t always followed my coach’s advice. I’d did what I thought was relevant and leave out other things. This time was different. I followed Coach Elizabeth’s direction comprehensively. One of most important aspects to Elizabeth’s training program was the addition of strength training, mobility and soft tissue manipulation, I feel many runners do not incorporate this into their routine. I had nagging knee and hip issues leading into the training process and by the discipline of following her routine, I stood at the starting line pain free and ready. If for some reason I didn’t finish this race I didn’t want it to be for lack of proper training. During the race I never thought at any time that my body was going to give in and that is saying a lot for someone who arrived from New Jersey at 125 feet elevation two days before the race. I was completely confident in my fitness level, I just had to execute the race plan and survive the elements. A couple of days after finishing the race I realized that everything worked completely!”
— Harry Hamilton
“It was entirely thanks to Elizabeth Azze for getting me through 2 NYC Marathons - one prior to knee surgery, and one after. I contacted her weeks after having my second child and told her I want to sign up for the marathon again, 6 months postpartum. Everyone told me I couldn’t do it, and shouldn’t do it, except her. She knew me better than anyone and knew I’d put the time in and do what she told me to do. Well I did just that - I followed her program, trained remotely with her, and I ran it and felt great. I’m a fitness professional as well, and have been coached by Elizabeth for at least 10 years now. After suffering from a pelvic injury 4 years ago (during a period when I was regrettably not working with Elizabeth), doctors told me I shouldn’t run. I was devastated, but just took it one day at a time and thanks to Elizabeth, I’ve gotten stronger than I’ve ever been. Elizabeth has gotten me back to running, completely pain free, and just today we discussed that one day I WILL in fact run the marathon again. With her coaching me, I know that will happen, and most important, I will do so safely and in good health. I owe her so much - we are all so lucky to have her in our life!!!!! Have fun and enjoy the experience, runners!!!”
— Sheryl Wilson
“I bettered my last year’s 100 miler time by almost three hours — 19:49 vs 22:46. I was given much harder workouts than the ones I’d been doing on my own. This consisted of specific mobility exercises and core workouts, with longer track workouts that I have been doing very little. It really paid off. My goal had been to break 20 hours.”
— Dennis Fabiszak
“In 3 years of running ultra, I had been doing trial and error by myself. With the amount of races that I did, between 15 to 20 a year, I had been collecting too many injuries and none of them were fully healed. Then I realized that I had been doing it all wrong. In 2016, I made a decision to have a coach so I joined Mountain Peak Fitness, with Elizabeth Azze as my coach. I really owe Elizabeth & MPF a beer(s) next time I see them. I couldn’t believe I completed the Zion 50k with the wet & muddy conditions in under 7 hours!
”
— Eric