Tales from the Valley Podcast

TFTV – Expanding to the Capital

In this episode, Sam shares exciting updates for Tales from the Valley — from setting up merchandise (including new crewneck jumpers and a launch discount) to expanding podcast coverage into the Canberra/ACT region and refreshing the club shout-out segment with race updates from past guests. He also talks about continuing the Down-the-Track Feed mini-series to follow up on guests’ progress.
Katie ran 40 km this week while resting her Achilles ahead of upcoming training weeks. Sam logged his biggest week of 2025, hitting 112 km with sessions including a treadmill Moose Fartlek, hill repeats, and a 3k-2k-1k workout on Saturday.
This week’s Café Kit of the Week features Milo products as a go-to fuel for training runs, and there’s plenty of chat about the upcoming Sydney Marathon, including a few locals set to hit the start line.

TFTV ft. James Alexander

James Alexander’s Triathlon Journey
In this episode, Sam sits down with James Alexander to unpack his impressive endurance sports career. James first joined the Savvy Running community around 2012 before making the leap into triathlon in 2013–2014, inspired by watching top athletes train locally. Since then, he’s built a strong résumé that includes a 9:12 personal best at his debut Ironman in 2019, a World Championship finish over the Olympic distance in 2018, and running PBs such as a 3:06 marathon in 2016.
James takes us inside what 12 hours of triathlon training looks like across swim, bike, and run—including a key brick workout at the Unanderra crit track: 20 minutes of varied intensity on the bike, straight into 5 x 2km run reps. He also shares his thoughts on a possible return to marathon running in the future, while keeping triathlon as his main focus.
Sam rounds out the episode by reflecting on his own training week—backing up after City2Surf with 400m reps on Tuesday, grinding through fatigue, relying on the treadmill for two threshold sessions, and hitting 106km in total.
Café Kit of the Week
Die Guilty album by LOW
Step-up box for plyos
Round the Club Shoutouts
Gavin Campbell – Illawarra Tri Club
Doug Simpson – Illawarra Tri Club
Daniel Roe - Sapphire Coast Runners

Ep 2 - Down the Track ft. Glenn Edmonds

Bravehearts Marathon Challenge – Glenn’s 7 Marathons in 7 Days
In this episode, we celebrate Glenn’s incredible achievement in the Bravehearts Marathon Challenge, where he completed seven marathons in seven days across seven states – raising an impressive $47,000 for child protection.
We dive into the story behind the fundraising, from the community-driven “Glenathon” hosted by Sapphire Coast Runners that contributed over $4,000, to the weekly cooking nights at the Bega Country Club where Glenn and his team of volunteers served 120 meals every Friday.
Glenn shares insights into his training, the role of cross-training in his preparation, and the mental battles he faced in the lead-up – including moments of doubt just two nights before the challenge began. Despite the hurdles, his determination carried him through to the finish line, leaving behind a powerful message of resilience, community spirit, and the impact one person can make.

TFTV ft. Phil & Ady (Parola Run Club)

Sam & Katie sit down with Phil & Ady, the founders of Parola Run Club. Since summer 2023, the crew has been meeting at the North Gong Kiosk every Tuesday at 6 am – rain, hail or shine. What started as a way to keep their uni friend group connected and accountable has grown into a thriving community, with 30 runners turning up to the very first session. Phil shares how the club boosted his basketball fitness and led to a half marathon, while Ady talks through running a sub-4 marathon time trial around Wollongong and balancing her training with strength and HIIT work.
Training WeeksAdy’s week includes a mix of strength training, HIIT sessions, and three runs, giving her a well-rounded approach to fitness. Phil is getting back into the rhythm of run club and regular gym sessions after returning from a long holiday in Europe. Katie logs 50 kilometres for the week, fitting in track K reps on Tuesday, a Friday threshold run, bike cross-training, and Hyrox. Sam starts the week with mile repeats, follows up with an iron infusion on Wednesday, and rounds it out with a gritty but solid City2Surf in 56 minutes.
Café Kit of the WeekLow bun hairstyleBody GlideVital+ Steam Sauna
Round the Club ShoutoutsAmy O’Halloran – RMAPete Naseby – Wollongong Track ClubThe whole Parola Run Club crew

Ep 1 – Down the Track ft. Lucy Holman

Down the Track – Episode 1: Lucy Holman
We're kicking off the very first episode of Down the Track with none other than Lucy Holman — a powerhouse on the local distance running scene.
Lucy stamped her authority in 2024 by winning both Shellharbour Marathons — in April and September — and clocking a rapid 2:56 marathon in the process. But she didn’t stop there. Just recently, she took on the Huskisson Ultra, running an incredible 110km in 10 hours and 13 minutes, winning the women’s race and finishing 2nd overall.
We chat about her evolution as a runner, the mental and physical demands of ultras, and what keeps her chasing the next challenge. A perfect guest to launch our new series and set the tone for what’s to come.

TFTV ft. James Constantine

This week, Sam & Katie chat with James Constantine — a well-known face in the running scene as the Digital Marketing Manager for Pont3, the team behind Sydney Marathon’s push for World Major status. James shares insights into the campaign, his personal running journey, and how he’s now balancing training with family life. With standout PBs including 16:06 for 5K (solo lockdown TT) and 2:52 for the marathon, James is setting his sights on Ballarat Marathon 2026 with a new PB in mind.
James also takes us back to a memorable training week from two years ago, packed with solid sessions alongside his run crew.
Training Recap• Katie clocks 24km while juggling a house move and maintaining cross-training consistency on the bike.• Sam hits his biggest week in a while with 108km, including a 17:55 5K TT and a "not-quite-hilly" tempo run dodging a bit of traffic.
☕ Café Kit of the Week
Nike Trail Pegasus
Meteo Weather App (for runners)
Arm Sleeves by One Running
🏃‍♀️ Round the Club Shoutouts
Kaitlin Gleeson
Alex Bergan
Lauren Reid

TFTV ft. Liam Henderson

Katie and Sam chat with Liam Henderson, a talented runner with standout PBs including 3:56 for 1500m and 15:11 for 5000m. After a 4-year hiatus, Liam returned to racing with a 32:00 at the Sydney 10 and a 74-minute half at Gold Coast. He shares proud moments from his junior career, including a 3rd place at National XC, and reflects on his time training alongside Olympian Jess Hull in Europe.
Liam also breaks down his best training week of the year, featuring a track session with the Hince stable, 3x2k reps on a cross-country loop, and 6x1k at 3:12 pace.
Katie gives an injury update — staying active with the bike, gym, and pilates — but still sneaks in 14km for the week at a good clip. Sam recaps a down week and his run at the Sydney Harbour 5K.
🎒 Café Kit of the Week
Nike Vaporfly 4
Asics Novablast 5
Chin-up bar ("You got a door? You got a gym!")
🎉 Round the Club Shoutouts
Mack Hunter – JT Running
Holly Howell – JT Running
Tim Barnett – Wollongong Track Club

TFTV ft. Darcy Hennessy

In this episode of Tales from the Valley, Sam and Katie catch up with Darwin-based distance runner Darcy Hennessy, who recently clocked an impressive 1:10:39 at the Gold Coast Half Marathon.
Darcy shares his journey from growing up with the Kembla Joggers and being coached by his grandfather Jim Hennessy, to stepping away from running to pursue AFL — and eventually finding his stride again in the Top End. Now self-coached and training with Rapid Creek Track Club, Darcy walks us through his current marathon prep, his weekly structure in the Darwin heat, and how community, coaching, and old-school inspiration have shaped his return to the sport.
We chat about:
His background in elite junior running and AFL
Training through Darwin’s heat and humidity
Coaching experiences with Savvy Run Club
Nutrition and hydration for long runs
Building toward his marathon debut at Sydney
A genuine, down-to-earth chat with one of the rising names in distance running.
Café Kit of the Week
YESOUL Exercise Bike
Adidas Evo SL
Victus Gel
Asics Metarun Shorts
Round the club Shoutouts
Pat Miller – JT Running
Brendan Smith – JT Running
Colt Phillips – Kiama Running Club