Tales from the Valley Podcast ft. Claire Rayner

Sam, Katie, and Mitch chat with Claire Rayner. Claire has had a long and successful running career, boasting a 35:00 10K personal best at just 16 years old. More recently, she ran a 2:58 marathon in Newcastle on a lapped and windy course.

Claire shares her journey of moving from Canberra to Wollongong for university and how she has learned to manage her training load and intensity over time. We hear how Claire benefits from training with a squad and incorporates strength training into her routine. Recently, Claire has been dealing with hip issues, which have prevented her from maintaining a high-mileage training regimen. She has since pivoted to the increasingly popular Hyrox events, where she walks us through the specific exercises and asserts that they are even more challenging than an all-out road marathon.

Sam kicks off his week with lighter training, recovering from an adductor strain. He manages to log 85 km of running and 40 km of cycling, but ends up with a sore back after being knocked over by a large dog during his Saturday session across the road from Warrawong Maccas. Katie, feeling pain-free, strings together a few runs along with her usual cross-training, while Claire puts her to the test with a Hyrox training session. Mitch caps off his week with a 79-minute half marathon at Olympic Park. It wasn’t his best day, but he grinded it out and is proud of his effort.