TFTV ft. Russell Dessaix-chin

This week on Tales from the Valley, Sam welcomes back co-founder and familiar voice Russ for a catch-up covering surgery, recovery and the local running scene.

Russ opens up about the sciatica that disrupted his running for more than a year, including a painful 2:38 marathon in Valencia, and the spinal fusion surgery that followed. With the nerve pain now gone, he shares the challenges of taking recovery slowly, swapping big training weeks for daily walks and working towards an eventual return to running.

Sam recaps an unconventional 5K inside the Canberra Outlet Centre, where hot, stuffy conditions and slippery corners made for a memorable race. There’s also a nostalgic long run around Canberra, training updates, shoe chat and a look ahead to GONG5000.

The pair round up the Run Shellharbour results across the marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K, celebrate local performances, and finish with shout-outs to the Marathon Time Integrity Unit and Athletics NSW.

An honest catch-up about setbacks, patience and staying connected to running—even when you’re watching from the sidelines.