Tales from the Valley Podcast

TFTV ft. Pat Miller

Sam and Katie chat with Pat Miller, a core member of JT Running. Pat got into running a couple of years ago, initially as a lighthearted challenge to beat his business partner in a race. What started as a gag quickly became a valuable routine for his mental well-being, so he committed to it seriously. He later joined Savvy with a friend and hasn’t looked back since—quickly improving from a 21-minute 5K to 19 minutes. Pat now boasts personal bests of 10:24 for 3K, 17:51 for 5K, and 1:29 for the Half Marathon. Despite a demanding, labor-intensive work schedule and a busy family life, Pat has impressively carved out time for consistent training.
Pat’s training week kicks off on Tuesday with a JT track session: a 6-minute tempo, 2 minutes of rest, then four sets of (2 minutes on / 1 minute float, repeated twice) with 75 seconds of rest. It was a tough session, but Pat nailed it. On Friday, he dialed into goal race pace for 25 minutes, maintaining a solid 3:45/km.
Sam ran the same session as Pat, hitting his tempo at 3:42/km and executing all "on" reps between 3:20 and 3:25/km. However, by Friday, fatigue had set in, so he opted for a 30-minute tempo at 3:58/km instead of the planned progression run. Despite this adjustment, Sam still completed a 90 km week, including three gym sessions.
Katie’s week started strong with mile repeats and a fast 400m rep on Tuesday morning, but she battled food poisoning throughout the week. Still, she joined Loz and Michelle for a Friday threshold session, completing 12, 10, and 8-minute intervals while progressing the pace. She capped off the week with a speedy 32 km long run on Sunday, finishing with an impressive 105 km for the week.
Café Kit of the Week
JT Running x Right Street Loans Shirt
Garmin 255
Bonds Tempo Socks
White Chocolate Protein Mixed with Coffee Before Runs
Round the Club Shoutouts
Billy Hudson – Bega Run & Coffee Crew
Darcy Hennessy – Wollongong Track Club
Jaime Delaney – Wollongong Track Club

TFTV ft. Harm Schaap

This week, Sam, Mitch, and Katie catch up with Harm Schaap, who boasts some blistering PBs, including 3:51 for 1500m, 8:38 for 3000m, 14:58 for 5000m, and 31:12 for 10K. These times were set a few years ago, and Harm shares his long training journey with Hince’s Horses, moving from Mollymook to Wollongong for university. He recently ran a very minor PB for 1500m—less than a second faster—but it was a confidence booster, and he feels his current PBs are under threat this year after consistent training. He also takes us through some fiery training sessions with Luke Hince, a must-listen segment for any running enthusiast.
Training Updates:
Mitch has been putting together some impressive sessions but senses an illness coming on, making the wise call to dial things back for a 95 km down week.
Katie shifts the balance back toward running over Hyrox this week, logging 110 km and racing the Beaton Park 5K on Thursday night, while still keeping a Hyrox workout in the mix on Saturday.
Harm recaps a solid week of training with plenty of speed work but takes a few days off to manage some hamstring issues.
Sam continues stacking JT Running sessions, hitting 6 x 3 minutes at 3:25 pace on the track and grinding through a tough threshold workout on Friday, followed by a hilly long run with Katie at Stanwell Park.
Café Kit of the Week:
On Running Hat
Oasis Running Kit (Custom WTC)
ParrotPal Food Tracker (An AI-driven alternative to MyFitnessPal)
Aldi Cupping Device
Round-the-Club Shoutouts:
William Wei – Kembla Joggers
Elijah Hurley – Kembla Joggers
Luke Hince – Wollongong Track Club
Jemma Wilson – Moruya Tri

TFTV ft. Matt Johnsen

Sam and Mitch catch up with Matt Johnsen, an impressive runner who grew up in Broulee. After winning numerous national medals in the steeplechase, Matt made the choice to move down to Melbourne to pursue running. Once in Melbourne, Matt's teammates began going to college, and he felt he had the potential to do the same. He achieved remarkable personal bests, including 14:14 for the 5000m and 29:25 for the 10,000m.
After college, Matt returned to Melbourne and was coached by Brad Croker, achieving times of 1:05 for the half marathon and 2:23 for the marathon. Shortly after these successes, he moved back to Broulee, coinciding with the onset of the COVID lockdown, which made it challenging to stay competitive without races. Since then, Matt has shifted his focus to enjoying running and has adjusted his goals while still believing he can shave a couple of minutes off his marathon time. Additionally, he coaches local kids once a week and participates in community running groups to promote the sport in the area.
In training, Sam tackles chaotic K repetitions in the Bali heat, contending with scooters and dogs on the roads of Canggu, but soon falls victim to Bali Belly. Meanwhile, Mitch takes his session from lane 8 to the Unanderra criterium track, logging 24km on Tuesday and setting up for a 129km week. Matt reintroduces sessions into his training, including 8 x 3 minutes on Wednesday, and pushes through a hot, hungover long run over hills on Sunday, totaling 87km for the week.
Café Kit of the Week:
Trigger Point Ball
Nike Air Zoom 5’s
Winners Gels
Coles Perform Gels
Round the Club Shoutouts:
Sam Sprowles – Culburra Beach Trotters
Monty Lloyd-Jones – Bankstown Athletics Club
Liam Henderson – Wollongong Track Club

TFTV ft. Paul Gallina & Andrew Kyrie (Traak Running)

Sam, Katie, and Mitch chat with Paul Gallina and Andrew Kyrie. Paul is currently training for his first marathon in Wollongong at the end of April, while Andrew is an accomplished runner with a personal best of 19:01 in the 5k. Together, Paul and Andrew are the founders and owner-operators of Traak Hats, which offers a unique running hat designed to meet the needs of runners. This hat features a zipper, allowing for a pocket to hold gels during long runs. The idea originated from Andrew's frustration with carrying his car key while running a few years ago.
Andrew and Paul share insights into the manufacturing and design process, emphasizing their commitment to creating products that align with market trends while maintaining a unique brand identity.
Katie discusses her recent victory in the Open Ladies Hyrox competition in Brisbane, completing the event in 1:04. She follows this up the next week with 98 km of jogging and additional Hyrox workouts. Andrew plays tennis with Josh Shoveller, who is humorously house-sitting for Sam, and manages to squeeze in some jogging and hiking. Paul logs solid mileage and uses a stationary bike to support his aerobic training after experiencing some ankle issues. Mitch completes more reverse lane 8 workouts, benefiting from Josh's expertise, and impressively racks up 128 km this week. Sam runs some fast sessions before heading off to Bali, including two 15-minute tempo/threshold sessions at paces of 3:51 and 3:38 per km, and surprisingly completes his 2-hour long run in Kuta, dodging barking dogs and scooters.
Definitely check out the running hats and socks at TRAAK via the links below:
Traak Running
Traak Running on Instagram
Round the Club Shoutouts:
Josh Shoveller – Culburra Beach Trotters
Erin Sonnier – Running Heroes
Julian Fitzpatrick – Wollongong Track Club
Michelle Rennie – Seacliff Coasters

TFTV ft. Laura Morath

Laura had a stellar 2023, setting impressive PBs, including 18:15 for 5K, 38:50 for 10K, and a 1:26 half marathon—winning the Wollongong Running Festival in the process.
She ran her first half marathon in 2016 but didn’t fully commit to running at the time. It wasn’t until recently, after having her two boys, Thomas and William, that she found the consistency to train seriously. Past guest and friend Renae Placek played a key role in encouraging Laura to take up running more competitively. Now, she’s a regular at Kembla Joggers' Thursday night track meets, balancing training with a busy work and parenting schedule.
Laura currently runs 3-4 times a week, hits the gym, and stays active at home while looking after the kids. This year, she’s focused on gradually chipping away at her PBs and making up for the half-marathon build she had to abandon due to injury late last year.
Training & Racing UpdatesSam logs his biggest week in months, covering 94km and sharpening up with some faster track sessions. Meanwhile, Laura is gaining momentum, rolling through her long run at 4:30/km pace. She also put in two impressive performances at KJ’s track night, clocking 5:36 for the mile and 12:30 for the two-mile race.
Café Kit of the Week
Nike: Invincible 3, Alphafly 3
Mizuno: Neovista
ASICS: Novablast 5, Superblast 2, Metaspeed Sky
Round the Club Shoutouts
Renae Placek – Kembla Joggers
Trevor Whiddet – Your Local Run Club
Mitch Grasa – Your Local Run Club

TFTV ft. Morgan Clarke (Your Local Run Club)

Episode Summary
Sam, Mitch, and Katie sit down with Morgan Clarke, the driving force behind Your Local Run Club in Shellharbour. What started as a small group of friends meeting for a weekly run has grown into a thriving community, with 50-70 runners hitting the Marina every Wednesday morning. The club welcomes runners of all levels, kicking off from the Shellharbour Ocean Pool, looping around the Marina, and wrapping up with a swim and coffee at Darley St Local.
Morgan is a standout athlete in her own right, with experience in Surf Life Saving Ironman events, triathlons, and even Hyrox. She shares insights into her training, which includes a consistent 50km running week complemented by plenty of gym work. With the Shellharbour Half Marathon on the horizon, Morgan focuses on maintaining fitness and enjoying the sport in 2025.
Training Recaps
Katie takes on a hybrid training approach, prepping for Hyrox Brisbane next week. She balances 105km of running with strength training and plenty of Hyrox-specific workouts.
Mitch nails a solid track session, running in reverse direction in the outer lanes with Josh Engel and Liam Henderson—acknowledging that GPS accuracy might be questionable. He clocks 14km at roughly 3:25/km pace before heading to Bathurst for a long run in cooler conditions.
Sam hits some faster splits on Tuesday, then tackles Friday’s threshold session with a strong finish, closing the final rep at 3:40/km pace with Pat Miller. He wraps up the week with a two-hour long run in Shellharbour, totaling 90km, along with some cycling and strength work.
Café Kit of the Week
Endura Hydration
Pillar Performance
Wooden Stick Roller
OzTape Nasal Strips
Round the Club Shoutouts
Marijke Walsh – Sea Cliff Coasters
Kane Najdovski – Your Local Run Club
Tim Waters – Never Lazy Run Club
Andy Waters – Never Lazy Run Club

TFTV ft. Luke Hince (NSW 5000m Champ)

Sam, Mitch, and Katie catch up with NSW 5000m Champion Luke Hince. Luke shares insights into his past nine months of training since breaking 30 minutes for 10K at Sydney10 last year. Despite dealing with minor niggles and work stress, he has maintained consistent training.
He recaps his thrilling victory at the NSW State 5000m Championships, clocking 14:11. After making a bold move to the front at 3K, he was caught with 400m to go but surged back ahead with 150m left to take the win. Luke credits the unwavering support of the Wollongong Track Club for his progress.
This week, he split his time between Canberra for work and Wollongong for the weekend, logging 160km, including solid tempo sessions at Stromlo Forest Park.
Training Updates
Mitch hit 122km but decided to withdraw from the Canberra Marathon due to a work trip to Singapore. He has plenty of other races lined up.
Katie managed 50km despite receiving a cortisone injection for a cyst and a torn meniscus.
Sam raced his first-ever track event with Kembla Joggers on Thursday night, finishing third in 10:34 for 3K in hot and windy conditions. He then made the most of the cooler Sunday weather with a long run of 1 hour 45 minutes at 4:26/km.
Café Kit of the Week
Soundsleep Band – dreamsleepaustralia.com.au
New Balance FuelCell 5280v2
Precision Gels
Dates with Peanut Butter and Chocolate
Round the Club Shoutouts
Brendan Hince – Wollongong Track Club
Luke McNeilage – Kiama Running Club
James Lukassen – Sapphire Coast Runners
Vanessa Donald – Narooma Run Club

TFTV ft. Jack Ratz

Sam, Katie, and Mitch catch up with Jack Ratz. Jack resides in Canberra and runs with the Deagony of Defeat Run Club. However, his partner's family is from Pambula, so he often visits the Sapphire Coast. Jack started running during COVID. He used to play AFL and coaches gymnastics, so he has an impressive power base. He has run some blistering times in a short period, including a 16:10 for 5k and 2:39 for the marathon. Jack trains with power as a metric, with Zaine Upton as his coach.
Katie recaps her week of sickness, missing her heat for her race but managing to get into the community B race, where she runs 17:40 for the win. Mitch runs 16:33 to come in 2nd in the community race after leading for the majority of it. He also gets a bit of a down week as part of his taper. Jack is getting back into the swing of training since Melbourne but still manages to complete an impressive 7 x 1k at a pace faster than 3:30. Sam logs 78km this week and continues to rebuild his mileage positively.
Café Kit of the Week
Underwater Camera
Denneroll for lower back pain
Puma Deviate 2
Adidas Terrex Shorts
Round the Club Shoutouts
Jack Caldwell – Sapphire Coast Runners
Michael Piela – Never Lazy Run Club
Fiona Shand – Kiama Running Club
Daniel Randell – De Agony of Defeat