Mack has impressive PBs of 17:11 for 5K, 35:16 for 10K, and 1:19:40 for the half marathon—set just a couple of weeks ago at the Wollongong Running Festival. Originally from Canada, Mack moved to Australia nearly a decade ago to begin medical school and now works in the ICU at Wollongong Hospital. He’s on a demanding schedule—one week of 12-hour (sometimes overnight) shifts followed by a week off—but continues to find ways to train and improve.

A former triathlete, Mack still spends plenty of time on the bike. He shares the story of a crash down Macquarie Pass that led to a significant injury and how he came back from that. Mack now has his sights set on breaking 17 minutes for 5K and 35 minutes for 10K in upcoming races, and he talks through how he plans to adjust his training as he settles into his new work rhythm.

Katie hits the track for a controlled 6 × 1K session, follows it up with a 12/10/8-minute threshold effort later in the week, mixes in some Hyrox training, and rounds out a strong 96 km week.

Sam gets back into some lighter workouts as his body begins to tolerate running again. He logs 80 km for the week, including an impromptu fun run while on holiday in Bali.

Mack walks us through a chaotic training week that included short runs and bike sessions off just two hours of sleep, a hard parkrun hit-out at North Gong, and a cheeky cycling segment claim.

Café Kit of the Week

• Yoga Bolster

• Tarkine Autopilot

• On Echo 3

Round the Club Shoutouts

• Pat Miller – JT Running

• Glenn Edmonds – Sapphire Coast Runners

• Trudie Barnes – Wollongong Track Club

Sam & Katie speak with Carl Ernst. Carl has had a long and successful running career, having run 29 marathons including ultra marathons (3-time Comrades Marathon finisher), and impressively will be lining up in a few weeks for his 16th consecutive Gold Coast Marathon. With PBs of 35:45 for 10k, 1:18:30 for the half, and 2:49 for the full marathon, Carl has been performing at a high level for many years.

Carl speaks about receiving coaching previously from Barry Keem and now James Tunbridge—he likes to simply turn up and do the training prescribed. When it comes to mileage, Carl has taken a very conservative approach, which might be the secret to his longevity. He’s currently training the house down and is a very good chance at a PB at the Gold Coast Marathon.

Sam speaks about the pinched nerve in his lower back which has been the cause of his glute pain, but manages to get through two short runs and 200+ km of cycling. Katie gets back to running later in the week with a combination of longish runs and Hyrox training. Carl runs us through his peak marathon week, including a JT Running session at the track on Tuesday with 10 x 400m off 200m float, and a very specific marathon session on Sunday with blocks at 102% and 98% of marathon pace—which he nailed.

Café Kit of the Week Right Street Loans Beanies Deep Heat heating belts Saucony Endorphin Pro (for Hyrox)

Round the Club Shoutouts Vanessa Donald – Narooma Run Club Graeme Errington – Narooma Run Club Angela Saville – Savvy Run Club Chloe Grund – Bega Valley Run Club

This week, Sam and Katie sit down with the unstoppable Fraser King, who just clocked a blazing 19:51 5K at the Wollongong Running Festival—a huge leap from his earlier 20:47 at Run Wollongong. Aside from running, Fraser is also a standout basketballer and shares how he juggles both sports while staying in peak condition.

Fraser opens up about his journey with Autism, the importance of routine, and how he manages a full-time job alongside an intense training schedule. He’s currently fundraising for Aspect, a cause close to his heart, and recently featured on WIN News to talk about his upcoming 5K event at the Sydney Marathon.

🔗 Fraser’s Links:

• 🎥 WIN News Interview

• 🌟 Donate to Fraser’s Aspect Fundraiser

• 📸 Follow Fraser on Instagram

💬 This Week in Training:

• Sam is still nursing a glute issue but clocked 240km on the bike to keep his fitness up.

• Katie is pushing through low energy levels linked to some recent blood test findings, yet still made it to pilates every day and squeezed in a few solid runs.

☕ Café Kit of the Week:

• Adidas Ultraboost Lite

• Prebiotic Collagen Protein

• Talktomebro Singlet

🏃 Round the Club Shoutouts:

• Ruby McPhillips – HIRT Squad

• Phil Balding – NLRC

• Ryan Sheefee – Kiama Running Club

• Antonio Kairis – Uni Run Club

• Joseph Passaliokis – Parola Run Club

Visit www.talesfromthevalleypodcast.com for more information