Advertise on podcast: Tales from the Valley Podcast

This week on Tales from the Valley, Sam is joined by Harm Schaap to talk fast running, big training weeks and QK Running’s growing presence in Australia. Harm takes us behind the scenes of the Sydney Marathon Expo, from the popular “I hate running” wall to the logistics of building the stand—and how his partner Jess’s engineering expertise came in handy. We also chat through QK’s expanding range, including quick-drying MasterWick singlets, sunglasses and marathon editions. We give an honest review of the Elastic Monster Men’s Max Pocket Running Half Tights, covering fit, comfort and how the pockets handle gels, a phone, keys and other essentials on the run. We discuss getting the sizing right, whether everything stays secure without bouncing, and how they stack up on value. On the running front, Harm reflects on his recent 10km PBs, including a sharp 30:32 at Lorne, and talks us through a 119km week despite illness and four missed runs. We unpack his training with Coach Hints, balancing speed, threshold, hills and doubles as he builds towards a summer racing block. There’s also a clear target for the GONG5000: break 15 minutes—and get the better of Nathaniel. We round things out with a Melbourne Marathon weekend recap, covering the marathon, half marathon and shorter races, including Jimmy Whelan’s aggressive start and some big breakthrough performances. Check out QK Running and use Harm’s discount code SCHAAP10 at checkout. 🛍️ Shop QK Running: qkrunning.com 📸 Follow QK on Instagram: @qk_running 🎧 Tune in for training talk, race rivalries and an honest look at the gear making its way onto Australian start lines.

This week on Tales from the Valley, Sam and Russ are joined by Georgia Weir, founder of Deadly Runners. Georgia takes us through her own running journey, with PBs ranging from 19 minutes for 5km to a 3:23 marathon on the Gold Coast. She shares how Deadly Runners began and its growth across Australia, along with her experience as head coach for Sydney Marathon and helping one of her athletes through this year’s race. We also hear about her long-distance trail adventure in Canada earlier in the year. With Russ and Georgia coming off illness and surgery, Sam runs us through his 95km training week, including a very solid Tuesday track session with all reps well under 3:30/km pace. In Café Kit, ASICS dominates the conversation. Russ is looking forward to trying the Superblast 3 on his first run back, while Georgia is stockpiling as many GT-1000s as she can before they become unavailable. Sam also shares his carb-loading hack: pretzels! We round out the episode with a chat about Reboot Bermagui, which hosted its first 10km and half-marathon events with great success. Find out more about Deadly Runners: deadlyrunners.com.au

This week on Tales from the Valley, Sam welcomes back co-founder and familiar voice Russ for a catch-up covering surgery, recovery and the local running scene. Russ opens up about the sciatica that disrupted his running for more than a year, including a painful 2:38 marathon in Valencia, and the spinal fusion surgery that followed. With the nerve pain now gone, he shares the challenges of taking recovery slowly, swapping big training weeks for daily walks and working towards an eventual return to running. Sam recaps an unconventional 5K inside the Canberra Outlet Centre, where hot, stuffy conditions and slippery corners made for a memorable race. There’s also a nostalgic long run around Canberra, training updates, shoe chat and a look ahead to GONG5000. The pair round up the Run Shellharbour results across the marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K, celebrate local performances, and finish with shout-outs to the Marathon Time Integrity Unit and Athletics NSW. An honest catch-up about setbacks, patience and staying connected to running—even when you’re watching from the sidelines.

This week on Tales from the Valley, Sam and Karen are joined by Adam Bezzina — the unofficial president of The Valley Run Club — to chat about his running journey and the growth of one of the Illawarra’s thriving local running communities. Adam shares how the 75 Hard Challenge helped kick-start his running, beginning with 20-second run-walk intervals before progressing to a 50km lap of Lake Illawarra and his first official marathon at the Gold Coast, where he finished in 3:56. He also talks through his PBs, including a 46:51 at Run Shellharbour and a 1:39:38 half marathon, while offering practical advice for beginners looking to build their confidence and distance. The conversation explores the origins of The Valley Run Club, which meets every Thursday morning at 5:45am, and how it has grown from around 10 runners to more than 20 regular attendees through winter. Adam explains the club’s community-first approach, its flexible 6km route, recent collaborations with other local clubs and businesses, and plans to make its successful monthly 10km social run a regular fixture. They also discuss the infamous “Bottlebrush U-turn” Strava segment, the club’s new apparel, an upcoming shop run with Elite Supps and Stone Valley Bakehouse, and the possibility of forming a committee to help guide the club’s continued growth. Karen provides an update on her Melbourne Marathon preparation following a huge 36km long run at Cronulla, averaging 4:38/km. With race day approaching, she breaks down her taper, target pace and nutrition strategy, including Precision Pure and SIS gels alongside Dr. Hydrate electrolytes. Adam talks through his current training routine of Tuesday track sessions, Thursday club runs, Saturday long runs and regular gym work, while Sam recaps a 103km week and the ongoing management of his shin. The group also dives into recovery boots, sauna tents, heart-rate straps, gels, supplements and the added nutritional considerations Adam faces as a runner with coeliac disease. To finish, the crew tackles the important issues: overused race-photo poses, the frustrations of tracking shoes properly on Strava, and whether Adam should line up for a 5km time trial or the Gong 5000. A big shoutout to Jase Quigley, Elite Supps, Bean Roasted Café, Anytime Fitness, Limitless Custom Apparel and everyone helping make The Valley Run Club such a welcoming part of the local running community. 📲 Follow The Valley Run Club on Instagram

This week on Tales from the Valley, Sam and Karen are joined by Josh Hammann from The Herd Run Club to discuss how a casual gathering of mates grew into one of the Illawarra’s friendliest running communities. Josh shares the story behind The Herd, which now attracts more than 50 runners each week, and explains how rotating routes, milestone beanies, birthday coffees, beacons and sweepers help create a club where walkers, pram-pushers and runners of every pace feel welcome. The crew also checks in on their own training. Karen is building towards the Melbourne Marathon after incorporating the Sydney Half into a dramatic 28-kilometre long run, Josh is chasing a sub-20-minute 5K at the Gong 5000, and Sam reflects on a big 105-kilometre week. There’s also plenty of chat about gym work for runners, shoe choice and managing calf and Achilles load—before things inevitably descend into a critique of tucked-in singlets, manufactured running communities and influencers jumping into races without bibs for content. Follow The Herd Run Club: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_theherdrunclub/

Michael Rixon joins Sam and James Tunbridge after smashing the sub-2:50 barrier with a 2:48:42 at the Sydney Marathon. Michael breaks down how he progressed from 2:57, despite beginning his marathon build with zero mileage after an Achilles injury. He shares the conservative pacing strategy that allowed him to negative split Sydney, run his fastest 5K between 30K and 35K, and finish strongly when others began to fade. The boys also discuss Michael’s 700g-per-day carb load, race-day fuelling, the benefits of strength and Hyrox training, and whether he can back up for a 2:45 attempt at Melbourne just five weeks later. James provides an update on the neuromuscular issue behind his collapsed foot arch, his gradual return to running and the rehabilitation work he hopes will eventually take him back under 15 minutes for 5K. Meanwhile, Sam continues recovering from his post-Japan illness and looks ahead to racing 10 laps of the Canberra Outlet Centre. Also covered: Michael’s 17:12 5K and 1:16 half-marathon PBs, running fast on heavy legs, Puma Fast-R 3 calf soreness, the Adidas Adizero Boston as a value long-run option, Brooks Ghosts, orthotics and plenty more.

Fresh from a huge weekend of racing, Sam is joined by Luke Hince and Pat Miller to recap their performances at Sutherland to Surf and the Harbour 10. Luke breaks down his commanding Sutherland to Surf victory before backing up with a brilliant 28:51 for second place at Harbour 10. He discusses his race selection, pre-race primer sessions, competing against one of the strongest fields in the country and what comes next—including City2Surf, Zatopek and a possible move up to the half marathon. Pat reflects on his breakthrough 34:48 PB in his first major 10K event. He shares how he navigated the crowds, committed to the sub-35 pacer and resisted checking his watch while battling through the course’s difficult gravel section. Sam also reviews his own 37:20 official PB—an encouraging result despite falling short of expectations—and explains why he plans to stay patient, continue focusing on 5K and 10K sessions and gradually build his mileage. The episode covers race-day strategy, training in groups versus training alone, the challenges of the Harbour 10 course and whether Luke and his training partners should launch a podcast of their own.

Sam is joined by returning co-host Karen Blay to chat with one of the Illawarra's fastest middle-distance runners, Tom March. Tom opens up about his running journey—from discovering the sport as a nine-year-old through to becoming the 2024 NSW 1500m State Champion and running personal bests of 1:51 for 800m, 3:45 for 1500m, and 14:29 for 5km. The conversation also dives into the reality of elite sport, as Tom shares the challenges of dealing with a long-term osteitis pubis injury, how he's adapted his training with cross-training, gym work and lactate testing, and why he believes he's fitter now on lower mileage than when he was running 170km weeks. We also cover: Tom's coaching journey and training philosophy Lactate testing and threshold-based training Managing injuries and avoiding common training mistakes Bicarb supplementation—when it works and when it doesn't Favourite running gear and injury management tools Karen's Melbourne Marathon build and biggest training week of the year Sam's Harbour 10 preparations A classic Strava rant and the latest local running results Whether you're chasing a PB, managing an injury, or just love hearing how elite athletes train, there's plenty to take away from this episode.

🏃‍♀️ NEW EPISODE – Lauren Percival ⚡ This week Sam & Katie catch up with NSW representative sprinter and Australian Under-23 international Lauren Percival. Lauren takes us through her rapid rise from training on grass in Ulladulla to running 23.51 for 200m, representing Australia in Taiwan, and setting her sights on the World Championships and ultimately the Olympics. We dive into the world of sprinting, covering: ⚡ Why the 200m has become her favourite event 💪 Sprint-specific gym work, power development & plyometrics 🏃 Track sessions, block starts & overspeed training 🧊 Recovery routines including sauna & ice baths 🇦🇺 Representing Australia on the international stage 🎯 Chasing the next big breakthrough toward global competition As always, we finish by comparing everyone's training weeks, chatting through recent sessions, and a few running rants—including track etiquette and some frustrating close calls with drivers. A huge thanks to Lauren for joining us and sharing an inside look at elite sprint training. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.

Sam & Katie catch up with William Wei 🎙️ William’s had a huge few months on the roads and track, highlighted by a breakthrough 16:27 for 5K at the WRF 5K, where he finished 3rd overall, before backing it up with a 34:13 at the Sydney 10 — a race he describes as the best performance of his career so far. We chat about balancing big performances with a frustrating metatarsal injury, why his coach pulled the handbrake on training after burnout, and how he’s approaching recovery while juggling Year 12 and HSC prep. We also dive into the world of Hyrox, where William recently raced both Brisbane and Sydney. He teamed up with his brother Tian to run 1:01:56 in the Brisbane doubles before tackling the Sydney singles in 1:10:07, sharing what surprised him most about the event, which stations hurt the most, and why being a lighter athlete can be a disadvantage. William opens up about his running journey, from discovering cross country during COVID to dropping his 5K from 20 minutes to 16:27 in little over a year. He talks through training under Geoff Stalker, favourite sessions like Deeks Quarters, the classic Aussie Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday structure, and the workouts that have driven his improvement. The conversation also covers William’s growing social media presence, how one Instagram Reel reached 70,000 views, and the frustrating story behind YouTube shutting down his channel due to age verification requirements. Sam and Katie then wrap up with their own training updates, Gold Coast Marathon results, Hyrox performances, Strava pet peeves, recovery strategies, a chat about calorie tracking and fuelling, plus Sam's bargain pickup of the Nike Zoom Fly 6. ☕️ Café Kit of the Weik 🏆 Congratulations to Daniel Meta, winner of this month's $100 Café Kit Co. voucher! 👟 Question of the Month: If you could only wear one running shoe brand for the rest of your life, which would you choose? 🎾 Recommendation of the Weik: Rafa on Netflix. 🎧 Available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify & Podbean.

Sam catches up with Max Gordon 🎙️ Max's running has come a long way in a short time. After only starting structured training in 2023, he's already run 2:43:07 at the Boston Marathon after first clocking 2:44 at Sydney. Now the focus shifts to chasing a 2:38 at this year's Sydney Marathon. 💥 His training has evolved too. Long runs have moved to Saturdays with a full rest day on Sunday, workouts are now done on the flat at Windang instead of the rolling roads at home, and he's currently being coached by Ryan and Jen Gregson after initially getting guidance from ultra coach Tim. A typical week includes marathon pace work on Monday, easy mileage Tuesday and Friday, speed sessions on Thursday, and a hilly long run around Kiama on Saturday, building 80–90km weeks. Before all of this? Max was simply running a couple of hard 5–10km efforts each week with no real structure, before signing up for Canberra Marathon with his sister Charlotte. That first marathon ended in a 2:55, and the progression since has been remarkable. We also chat about: • Boston Marathon and what it really took to qualify • Why moving key sessions to flatter terrain made such a difference • Running naturally lean and whether body composition gets overlooked in distance running • Using the treadmill for intervals and why he's become a fan • Upcoming races including City2Surf and the Sydney Marathon ☕️ Café Kit of the Week – Low Calorie Iced Frappe - A bag of Woolies Finger buns - Metaspeed Edge A great conversation about smart training, rapid progression, and how a few simple changes can unlock the next level.

🎙️ Sam and Katie catch up with Jess Pascoe Jess recently took out the Wollongong Running Festival 10K and joined the podcast to talk through her journey from country NSW to NCAA competition and back to running after years of injury setbacks. Growing up in Forbes, Jess played just about every sport before eventually focusing on running. That decision led her to the University of Florida, where she built an impressive résumé including PBs of 15:34 for 5000m and 34:08 for 10,000m. Jess spoke about the challenge of moving to the US as a young athlete, adapting to higher training loads, and the lessons learned under Gerard Ryan in Canberra and later Chris Solinsky at the University of Florida. A breakthrough training block in 2018 helped take her running to another level, with patient, consistent training becoming a key theme throughout her career. Unfortunately, injuries eventually took their toll. Jess opened up about tearing her plantar fascia, suffering stress fractures, and spending years caught in the cycle of rehab and setbacks before stepping away from competitive running altogether. Now, after around eight months back running, Jess has rediscovered her love for the sport. With no pressure around performances, she's focused on building a strong foundation through consistent mileage, gym work, cross-training and enjoying the process again. A half marathon could be on the cards later this year, with Canberra, Olympic Park and Shellharbour all discussed as potential options. 🏃‍♂️ Weekly Training Updates Sam worked through a solid 85km week despite illness in the household, juggling training with baby duties and plenty of kilometres alongside Twix. The discussion also touched on calorie tracking, nutrition and balancing performance goals with weight management. Katie provided an update on her return to running following a torn meniscus. Strength work, Pilates and careful progression continue to form the backbone of her training as she weighs up whether surgery is still necessary. 👟 Gear, Racing & Running Culture Jess shared her current shoe rotation, including the Vomero Plus, Vomero Premium, Superblast 2, Cloudmonster Hyper, Deviate Nitro Elite and Megablast. The group also reviewed recent results from the NSW Cross Country Championships and the inaugural Parramatta Half Marathon, before wrapping up with a rant about fitness influencers filming entire workouts with tripods and the eternal frustration of groups walking four-wide across shared paths.

Sam and Katie catch up with Sam Sprowles 🎙️ Sam's only been running since early 2024 after taking on the March Charge fundraiser for Cancer Council following the loss of his father to cancer. What started as a goal of running 200km in a month quickly turned into something much bigger. Since then he's run 18:21 for 5k at Husky Parkrun, 1:24:41 for the half marathon (including a 39:49 10k split), and is now building towards the Sydney Marathon with a sub-3-hour goal in sight. 🏃‍♂️ Working with coach Brady Nankervis, he's currently running around 80km per week and building towards 100km. Long runs have progressed to 28km with marathon pace efforts included, while race-day fueling is being dialled in with Pure gels, sodium targets and beachside bottle drops around Callala. The journey hasn't been straightforward either. A torn ACL from a motorbike accident cost him the 2024 Sydney Marathon and required months off running. Through rehab, strength work and a shift from heel striking to a more mid-foot landing, he's been able to return stronger while managing ongoing knee issues. Sam and Katie also recap their training weeks. Sam battled illness throughout the week but still managed 79km, including an 18:55 win at Bega Parkrun and a 24km long run with 250m of climbing. With Sydney Harbour 10k approaching, the focus is now on getting healthy and back into consistent training. Katie put together her biggest week since September with 52km, including a 5×800m + 5×400m track session and plenty of strength work. Pilates continues to play a big role in managing her knee while postponing meniscus surgery. ☕️ Café Kit of the Week – Nike AeroSwift Half Tights – Costco Compression Boots – EKO Bone-Conduction Bluetooth Sunglasses ($19 Big W special 😎) 📣 News & Shoutouts • Discussion around Zone 2 training and the importance of genuinely easy running • Sydney Marathon build-up and marathon pacing strategies • Michael Donald and William Hilston both complete Comrades Marathon in 10:35:02 • Debate around racing shoes, stability and marathon-day choices • Running with headphones in group runs — practical or social crime? 👀 A great chat with one of the South Coast's rapidly improving runners — from fundraising challenge to chasing a sub-3 marathon in little over a year. Plenty of lessons on patience, consistency and adapting when injuries threaten to derail the journey. 💪🏽🏅

Sam catches up with Jordan Miles from the Good Good Running podcast 🎙️ Jordan has become one of the familiar voices in Australian recreational running through Good Good Running, but his own running journey has been anything but straightforward. A self-coached runner balancing life as a paramedic, husband and dad, Jordan joins the podcast to discuss his progression from struggling through 2.5km fitness runs after footy to running 15:55 for 5K and 33:13 for 10K. After finishing his football career, Jordan initially took up running as a way to stay fit, racing events like Bridge to Brisbane and gradually building consistency around a demanding paramedic roster. A breakthrough came after addressing significant iron deficiency anaemia, leading to rapid improvements that saw him progress from a recreational runner into a 33:13 10K and 15:55 5K athlete. The conversation explores the training that underpinned those performances, including early morning threshold sessions, mile repeats around the famous Swamp Loop, and consistent 25–30km long runs. Jordan explains how training alongside Macca, Chris and the wider Gold Coast crew elevated his running without the need for formal coaching, despite working rotating 12-hour shifts and long commutes. Jordan also opens up about a difficult run of injuries, including a proximal femur stress fracture, a subsequent stress reaction, and most recently an ATFL ankle tear after rolling his ankle on driftwood. Five weeks removed from the injury, he discusses his gradual return to training, plans to build back towards 70km per week, and why he'll be treating the upcoming Gold Coast 10K as a controlled threshold effort rather than an all-out race. The discussion also dives into the origins and growth of Good Good Running. Jordan reflects on the imposter syndrome he felt before recording their first episode, the evolution from a casual podcast recorded over beers into one of Australia's fastest-growing running shows, and the unique accessibility that makes the running community special. From interviewing athletes like Andy Buchanan, Jen Gregson, Izzy Doyle and Moose to sharing coffees with elite runners after races, Jordan believes running remains one of the few sports where everyday runners can interact directly with the country's best athletes. Along the way, the pair discuss balancing training with family life, lessons learned from injury setbacks, race-week preparation, the realities of shift work, footy culture, running pet hates, and why consistency remains the most important ingredient in long-term improvement. A great chat with one of the most relatable voices in Australian running. 🎧🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

Sam catches up with Chris Littlejohn from the Good Good Running podcast 🎙️ Chris has quietly become one of the most recognisable voices in Australian recreational running. A 2:44 marathoner, running store manager and co-host of Good Good Running, he joins the podcast to chat about his progression from an injured hockey player to a consistent 100km-per-week marathoner, the evolution of one of Australia's fastest-growing running podcasts, and the realities of balancing training, work and family life. After a knee injury brought an end to his hockey career, Chris found running through parkrun and quickly became hooked. What started as an 18:30 parkrunner eventually developed into PBs of 15:45 for 5K, 32:58 for 10K, 1:13:45 for the half marathon and 2:44:10 for the marathon. We discuss the key training periods that shaped his progression, including his years training with Run Crew Sydney alongside athletes like Benny St Lawrence, Tom DeCanto and Harry Summers. The conversation dives deep into Chris' training philosophy, including his preference for fartlek sessions over traditional track workouts, the value of strides for maintaining speed and resilience, and why consistency always trumps chasing hero sessions. We also unpack his current Sydney Marathon build, balancing 100km-plus training weeks with work, family life and the Queensland climate. Chris also shares the story behind Good Good Running, which began when Matt McKenzie floated the idea while living in Amsterdam. What started as three mates chatting about running has grown into one of Australia's most popular running podcasts, built around authentic conversations, relatable experiences and the feeling that listeners are simply joining a long run with friends. We discuss memorable guests including Brett Robinson, Andy Buchanan, Maudy Skyring and Jack Rayner, along with the unexpected growth of the show and its impact on the running community. Sam also provides an update on his return from injury, reflecting on recent training sessions, managing load as a new father, and finding the balance between rebuilding fitness and staying healthy. There is discussion around marathon preparation, run clubs, shoe technology, social media, Queensland humidity and the ever-changing culture of Australian running. ☕️ Café Kit of the Week – Bailey Nelson sunglasses – Good Good Running hat – Erniold collaboration singlet 📣 News & Shoutouts Sydney Marathon preparations ramping up Gold Coast Marathon build-up heating up around the country The continued growth of Australian running media and podcasts Future collaboration opportunities between Good Good Running and Tales from the Valley 🎧 Follow Good Good Running: Instagram: @goodgoodrunning Spotify: Good Good Running Apple Podcasts: Good Good Running Podcast A great conversation covering marathon training, podcasting, family life, running culture and why showing up consistently week after week remains the most important ingredient for long-term improvement.