Tales from the Valley Podcast

talesfromthevalleypodcast
  • 4.8 (10)
  • RUNNING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Behind every runner there is a story, and we think our local communities deserve to have theirs’ told. The Tales from the Valley Podcast aims to uncover running stories from the South Coast of NSW. Passionate runners Sam Hodges & Katie Mahoney will be catching up on a weekly basis to unravel the running stories from the South Coast and take you on their own personal running journeys.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    TFTV Rat Race ft. Angela Jebb & Liam Mahoney

    Sam catches up with Angela Jebb and Liam Mahoney 🎙️ Angela’s been building quietly into something serious — 17:14 (5k), 37:43 (10k) — and at Ballarat she stepped up for her half marathon debut, running 1:22:12. Despite getting caught behind the staggered start and losing her group early, she ran solo for most of the day and held strong when the legs started to go around 14–15k. No specific half marathon block either — just consistent training and backing her fitness. Liam went all-in on the marathon and came away with a breakthrough 2:49:59 💥 The first half felt smooth, but things turned late — cramping hit hard from 36k, leading to multiple stops (including lying down mid-race). Even with that, he held it together to sneak under 2:50. Proper grit. Sam’s two weeks out from Shellharbour and locking things in — focus is on running smart, controlling the first half, and giving himself a shot late. No personal drinks means carrying everything, so race execution will matter more than ever. ☕️ Café Kit of the Week – Never Running Hat – Precision Fuel 90g Carbs – Nike Lava Loops Belt 📣 News & Shoutouts • Ballarat Marathon wrap — big PBs across the board despite tough conditions • Melbourne Marathon entries + rising race costs becoming a real issue • “Flat and fast” race marketing under fire (Geelong… we’re looking at you 👀) • Ed Goddard gets it done at Hoka Hafa in 66 mins Big one to wrap the Ballarat series — debut breakthroughs, marathon carnage, and a reminder that even when it goes wrong, you can still come away with something big.

    1hr 20min

  2. 28 APR

    TFTV Rat Race ft. Harm Schaap & Jessica Burke

    Sam catches up with Harm Schaap and Jessica Burke 🎙️ Jess has made the move from Sydney to Wollongong (and picked up a fiancé along the way 💍). After getting her start at Pace Athletic surrounded by names like Ben St Lawrence, Katie St Lawrence and Sam Hopper, she’s built into a serious runner — 10:28 (3k), 18:10 (5k), 38:09 (10k). Fresh off Ballarat Marathon, Jess ran 41 minutes in tough conditions, soaking up the rare chance to race in front of family. Harm’s been quietly stacking a huge year — 14:43 for 5k at NSW Championships and a win in the Mile at Beaton Park. Training is rolling at 130–140km weeks with a simple but savage structure: track Tuesdays, tempo Thursdays, race pace Saturdays. Sam’s deep in the Shellharbour Marathon build — 92km week, gym ticking over, and a monster session: 14k easy → 6k / 6k / 7k @ ~4:07/km off float jogs All adding up to a 1:27 half in training 👀 ☕️ Café Kit of the Week – Raycon Essential Earphones – Suunto Watch - Asics Superblast 3 📣 News & Shoutouts • Run Shellharbour – TFTV20 (May 17) • Wollongong Running Festival – SAMH20 (June 7) • Ballarat Marathon wrap — from elites to the local legends • Jaylah Hancock-Cameron breaks the Aussie road mile record (4:26) • London Marathon chaos — Sebastian Sawe (1:59:30) & Yomif Kejelcha (1:59:41) rewrite what’s possible Big episode — local stories, big performances, and a few signs that the marathon world is moving very, very fast right now.

    1hr 22min

  3. 23 APR

    TFTV Rat Race ft. Stefan Deane-Smith & Sam Jones

    Sam catches up with Sam Jones & Stefan Deane-Smith ahead of the Ballarat Marathon weekend, where both are lining up in the Half Marathon with similar goals — and likely to push each other all the way. Sam Jones is coming in hot off a strong start to the season, clocking two big PBs: dropping his 1500m from 4:03 to 3:56, and running 14:44 for 5000m at State Champs. His preparation for Ballarat has been very targeted, with plenty of threshold work under JT Running and alongside Greg Frost. He also recaps a lighter race week heading into the Wollongong Fitness 5, where he cracked the top 10 in a stacked field. Stefan Deane-Smith reflects on a solid block that included a 2:36 at Valencia Marathon. He’s confident there’s more to come over the marathon distance but has shifted focus toward Ballarat with some serious sessions: a Mona Fartlek (6.2km), a 3k tempo, and a tough 10 x 1k set averaging 3:15/km off one-minute recovery. Sam also breaks down another big training week: 10 miles at marathon effort (4:05/km), a demanding track session (4k @ 3:32, 4 x 400m in 77s, plus 10 minutes at 3:48/km), capped off with a 34km long run. Café Kit of the Week Nike Vaporfly 4s Vicks Shower Drops Bandit Split Shorts News & Events Wollongong Running Festival is coming up on June 7 Use code SAMH20 for a discount Plus, a quick recap of Run Wollongong from the past weekend

    1hr 35min

  4. 23 APR

    Cafe Kit of the Month (ep 3)

    Riley joins us back on the podcast and gives us an update on his training, then reviews:   - Asics Megablast - Precision Carb Mix - On Zero Half Tights

    26 min

  5. 15 APR

    TFTV Rat Race ft. Dane Ottesen & Liam Manton

    Sam catches up with Dane Ottesen and Liam Manton just two weeks out from the Ballarat Marathon. The last time we spoke with Dane was after his 2:46 marathon debut at Ballarat last year. Since then, he’s settled into a new routine with JT Running and built into this block while balancing a new job and fresh Sydney Park routes. Dane talks us through his latest week, featuring a session of 6 minutes, 7 x 600m, 6 minutes, and a big Sunday long run of 30km at 4:12/km, including marathon effort blocks of 8k, 6k, and 4k. He’s lining up with his sights firmly set on breaking 2:40. Liam last joined us after his marathon PB at the Sunshine Coast Marathon. Since then, he’s dipped well into the 16-minute range for 5k and tackled the Gold Coast 50k. Now working with coach Sarah Billings, Liam has put together an impressive marathon block—consistently hitting his paces and stacking multiple 3-hour long runs. He recaps a week including kilometre reps and a long run with marathon pace work, also targeting sub-2:40. Sam rounds out the episode with a solid 98km week, including 8 x 1km at 3:37/km, some quality track work, and a 36km long run. Café Kit of the Week Nike Lava Loop Half Tights Satisfy Running Hat ASICS Metaspeed Edge Shoutouts & News TFTV are proud to be ambassadors for the Wollongong Running Festival: https://www.wollongongrunningfestival.com/ Use code SAMH20 for 20% off Mitch gives a quick preview of Run Wollongong on April 18th: https://runwollongong.com.au/ We also recap the Canberra Marathon, including a 4th place finish from Myles Gough and strong performances in the 10k from Brad Croker and Greg Frost.

    1hr 15min

  6. 8 APR

    TFTV Rat Race ft. Mitch Ryan & Josh Engel

    Ballarat is getting closer and the marathon builds are starting to peak 🏃‍♂️ Sam catches up with Mitch Ryan & Josh Engel to break down their training ahead of Ballarat. Mitch Ryan Mitch reflects on his Valencia Marathon build from last year where Achilles issues made things challenging. Since then he’s been patiently building back up and getting consistent again. Before locking in for Sydney Marathon later this year, Mitch is planning to pace the Wollongong crew chasing 2:40 for as long as he can before finishing off his own race. His week totaled 95km, highlighted by 30 minutes on the track Tuesday running around 3:20/km pace. Josh Engel Josh is fully committed to this marathon block, putting the shorter racing aside through summer and focusing solely on the build. He’s added strength work plus quicker midweek long runs to make sure he’s strong deep into the marathon. His week included: • 16km either side of marathon pace at the Crit Track averaging 3:43/km • A Blue Mountains long run with nearly 1,000m of climbing, still sticking to the workout and matching marathon effort across the hills Sam Hodges Another strong week banked for the Shellharbour Marathon build with 96km on the board. Key sessions included: • A compromised workout in hot conditions featuring 3k, 2k, 1k at roughly 3:45/km off 2 mins rest, followed by 4km at marathon pace • Sunday’s 31km long run including 4 x 4km right on 4:05/km pace ☕ Café Kit of the Week • Adidas Boston 13 • ASICS Sonicblast • K Tape for chafe • Squirrel Nut Butter • Blacksheep Singlet 📣 Shoutouts & News • TFTV will be ambassadors for the Wollongong Running Festival https://www.wollongongrunningfestival.com/ Use code SAMH20 for 20% off • Mitch chats through Run Wollongong on April 18th https://runwollongong.com.au/ • Check out Wollongong Track Club on Instagram if you want to line up with elites like Tommy De Canto, Gen Gregson, Jye Edwards, Luke Hince and Eloise Wellings while chasing a sub-20 5k • Mitch shouts out Kristina from Coast to Mountain Running & Lauren Mitchell for the work they’re doing to bring more females into running. Tuesday mornings at Beaton Park Track have become a fantastic starting point for women joining the sport. • Josh shouts out wife Hannah as she gears up for her first Half Marathon 👏

    1hr 33min

  7. 31 MAR

    TFTV Rat Race ft. Mel Jefferis & Pete Naseby

    TFTV Rat Race – Ballarat Build (5 Weeks Out) 🎙️ Sam catches up with past guests Mel Jefferis & Pete Naseby as the Ballarat Marathon edges closer. Mel is gearing up for the Half Marathon and building strong after overcoming hamstring issues. She takes us through her recent block, including an 86km week featuring sessions like 6 x 1k + 4 x 400, 3 x 10 mins, and a 2-hour long run. She’s lining up with confidence and chasing a PB in Ballarat. Pete is set for the full marathon, joining a strong contingent of Illawarra locals. Off the back of a 3:04 in Sydney, he’s targeting improvement with a consistent block — highlighted by a 93km week, including 15 x 400m off 30s and a big 37km day incorporating the Huskisson Elite Energy Half (1:29) after 13km pre-fatigue. Sam also shares his own prep for Shellharbour, with a 99km week including: • 16 x 400m @ 3:26 (45” rest) • 4 x 2k @ 3:45 (500m jog) • 34km long run + 2 gym sessions Café Kit of the Week ☕️ Running gear that doubles as post-run swim kit: • Nike Vomero Plus • 250ml pop top Ballarat is coming 👀

    1hr 16min

  8. 24 MAR

    TFTV Rat Race ft Jarrod Boyd & Greg Frost

    Sam chats with Jarrod Boyd and Greg ‘Frosty’ Frost as both line up for Ballarat in five weeks. Jarrod makes his first appearance on the podcast, bringing some serious credentials with PBs of 16:44 (5k), 33:38 (10k) and 1:16 (half). Coming from a high-level rugby background, Jarrod transitioned into triathlon and reached peak fitness around 2017. After stepping away from running during COVID while starting a family, he returned in 2024 and ran 3:04 at the Gold Coast Marathon off just six months of training. Now, with a full block behind him and support from JT Running, he’s targeting well under 3 hours at Ballarat. Frosty returns fresh off a huge run at Valencia, clocking 2:28 for the marathon and shaving 40 seconds off his PB. He’ll be stepping down to the half at Ballarat, chasing another personal best. Training weeks Frosty talks through a typical 130km week across seven runs, including broken kilometre reps on the track Tuesday and a 35-minute progression on Friday with Myles, working down from 3:30 to 3:10 pace. Jarrod shares a key marathon session of 3 x 5km after 17km easy, hitting 4:12, 4:08 and 4:04, showing strong progression deep into the run. Despite a lighter week due to work travel, he still put together a solid set of workouts including a Saturday progression. Sam reflects on the challenge of balancing training with a newborn but still gets the work done, including 26km midweek with 10 x 1k on 1k off averaging 4:11/km across 20k, and a 28km long run featuring 5k, 3k and 3k efforts around 4:10 pace in tough heat. Café Kit of the Week Mileage Mate Asics Superblast 2 Asics Superblast 3 Shoutouts & News Jarrod gives a shoutout to his old Wollongong training group Project M. JT Running are launching a new recreational session every Thursday morning at Bulli Beach (6am), giving runners an entry point into structured training with James Tunbridge and Charl Jansen Van Rensburg.

    1hr 23min
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4.8
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About

Behind every runner there is a story, and we think our local communities deserve to have theirs’ told. The Tales from the Valley Podcast aims to uncover running stories from the South Coast of NSW. Passionate runners Sam Hodges & Katie Mahoney will be catching up on a weekly basis to unravel the running stories from the South Coast and take you on their own personal running journeys.

Information

  • Creator
    talesfromthevalleypodcast
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Tales from the Valley Podcast

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