Run Culture Podcast — Episode 192“Learning the Marathon: with Ned Verwey”This week I sit down with my brother and fellow Run Culture coach, Nedra (Ned Verwey), who just ran a five-minute PB at the 2025 Melbourne Marathon — 2:31:02!We talk about the journey from his Ballarat “Boom or Bust” build earlier in the year to putting it all together in Melbourne — what changed, what worked, and what he learned along the way.Ned shares the key sessions, the mental battle up the Tan, and how he found better rhythm and confidence throughout this build.To wrap up, we dive into coaching — and the principles he’s come to believe in: full-spectrum training, functional volumes, individualising the process, flexible consistency, coaching the whole person, and the importance of ‘wanting’ rather than ‘having’ to train.A grounded chat about patience, consistency, and what it really means to keep mastering the 'thon. Ned currently has a couple of coaching spots available — if you’re interested in working with him, email [email protected] or message either of us on socials to enquire.

Ready to SLOW DOWN and truly SEE?

In our fast-paced world, revisiting past insights can be a game changer! This year, I’m excited to re-release some of the most impactful episodes of the Run Culture Podcast!

This week's episode is the unforgettable conversation I had with Jozef Frucek, the creative mind behind Fighting Monkey.

Are you caught up in the performance metrics, GPS data, and Strava stats? If so, this episode is for you! Jozef dives deep into the challenges of modern culture, reminding us of the invaluable treasure of tacit knowledge. He beautifully articulates the importance of diversity, intuition, and the artistry of movement—elements often overshadowed by efficiency and measurement.Whether you’re ready to rethink your training or simply curious about a holistic approach to movement, don’t miss this transformative discussion. Lace up your shoes, grab your headphones, and join us for a fresh perspective on your movement practice!@fightingmonkey_practice

*New Episode Alert!* Join us on the Run Culture Podcast as we dive deep with the incredible @hennie_bridgman! Hennie shares her inspiring journey through the highs and lows of running—from early successes to overcoming osteoporosis and navigating a tumultuous relationship with the sport. Discover how she transformed her struggles into strength, rediscovering her identity through love, art, psychology, sociology, and coaching! Hennie emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and running for the love of it, not just for accolades. With invaluable lessons for young athletes, she reminds us that results are just numbers—it's the journey that truly matters! Tune in for a heartfelt conversation that encourages introspection and resilience! *Trigger Warning:* This episode touches on sensitive topics, so listener discretion is advised. If you find this podcast helpful, let Hennie know! Interested in run coaching or personal training? Reach out to her at @fitterlife.pt or visit www.fitterlife.com.au! Don't miss out on this enlightening episode!

🌟 Exciting news from the Run Culture Podcast! 🎙️ Today, I had an incredible conversation with Charlie Kyberd, an athlete I've had the pleasure of coaching as part of the Run Culture Owls over the past two years. It's been a journey of mutual growth, where Charlie has taught me just as much about sports psychology as I've shared with him.

Prepare to be amazed as you listen to Charlie's insightful and eclectic mind at work! While his wit and intellect are among his greatest strengths, they have also posed challenges on race day. After a couple of years of stagnation in the 1500m and 800m events, Charlie has just come off an amazing track season, achieving 8 personal bests!

In our chat, we dive into what sparked this breakthrough: his decision to take a gap year to focus on his dream of running the times needed for US college, his transformative training trip to Kenya, the power of belonging to a supportive team, and his relentless curiosity. We discuss his self-awareness, the ability to take constructive critique, and the invaluable insights he gained from sport psychology mentor; Richie Bennett, that helped him conquer race day nerves.

Good luck, Charlie Kyberd! Your journey is a testament to the power of perseverance and growth. You’ll always be an Owl, and I can't wait to see what amazing experiences await you at Wingate University! 🦉

Welcome back to the 11th and final “Boom or Bust” Podcast, where we document the incredible journey of four runners to the 2025 Ballarat Marathon! I’ve been eagerly looking forward to this episode, and it’s going to be a blast!

We have so much to celebrate today: a Ballarat Marathon champion among us, the pacemaker of said champion, someone who just snagged a shiny new nine-minute marathon PB, and a surprised 39-year-old dad who thought his best running days were behind him. It’s safe to say we all went "BOOM" this past weekend!

A massive shoutout to the organizers for such a flawlessly executed event! The atmosphere was electric, with so many happy and motivated runners taking on that fast course!

Thank you to Kate, Aaron, Ned, and their families for dedicating so much time to this journey. I’ll forever cherish the experiences and memories made during the 2025 Ballarat Marathon. You all deserve your Monday nights back now!

A big thanks to all the listeners who reached out during the series to let us know they were enjoying the ride or got a kick out of it. Your support truly made it worth the time and effort it takes to produce a podcast!

And a heartfelt thank you to Jess Gasparroni, Riley, and Tate for all your support and encouragement over the past few months. Hitting this goal feels incredible! Now, let’s take a moment to relax and soak it all in.

#BallaratMarathon

Welcome back to Episode 10 of the Boom or Bust podcast! With just six days to go until the 2025 Ballarat Marathon, this is our final episode before the big dance!

Today, Kate, Throbber, Noodles, and Dane discuss how their taper weeks are going. The four of them go over race day goals, plans and predictions!

Plus, don’t miss the fantastic listener question about how they mentally prepare to get the best out of themselves on race day. Tune in for all the insights!

#BoomOrBust #BallaratMarathon2025 #racedayready

Today marks Episode 9 of the ‘Boom or Bust’ podcast, and with just 12 days to go until race day, our four runners are in the 'tapering phase!' Join us as they chat about their training weeks—sharing both the ups and downs. The conversation takes some fun turns, covering everything from 'cask wine to lipstick!' Plus, we have a surprise guest: Riley, Dane’s 3-year-old daughter, who joins us for a special cameo at the end of the episode. Don’t miss next week's episode, where we’ll dive into everyone's Ballarat marathon goals, predicted times, race strategies, and even tackle a listener question about preparing mentally for race day.

Thanks to all those that are listening and for the streams of positive feedback we have been getting for doing this podcast series, very much appreciated!

Not long now @ballaratmarathon !

*Boom or Bust Episode 8 Update*

In today’s episode, we faced a tough moment as Aaron "Throbber" Sim has had a hard time shaking off his sickness and has opted to rest and recuperate, aiming for a strong comeback at the Gold Coast marathon. The bright side? Kate has scored a solid pacemaker to support her on her journey!

Before diving into their training updates, the athletes took a moment to answer a listener question about their strengths and weaknesses as marathon runners. Their insights were both enlightening and inspiring!

Ned, Kate, and Dane all reported stellar training weeks, building excitement as they gear up for the Ballarat marathon—only 19 days to go! The energy is high, and they’re ready to give it their all!

Stay tuned for more updates as we follow their journey! #BoomOrBust #MarathonTraining #Ballarat2025

Last night, we recorded Ep. 7 of the “Boom or Bust- Ballarat” Run Culture miniseries, where four athletes share their journeys as they prepare for the 2025 Ballarat marathon.

With just 4 weeks to go and with our athletes very much in the thick of it, it was a ‘mixed bag’ of a week!

🏃‍♀️ Kate is absolutely crushing it, hitting her stride and feeling ‘marathon-ready’. We’re all cheering her on to ‘wrap herself in cotton wool’ now and make it to that start line!

Ned had a bit of a rollercoaster week with a sore heel at the beginning and needing to pull out of a session mid week because of fatigue. However, he finished the week strong with a confidence-building marathon workout on Sunday! 💪

Dane faced some struggles managing his asthma but ended the week on a high with a couple of great workouts. 🌟

Meanwhile, Aaron is still battling illness and is taking some well-earned rest under coach's orders. We’re all hoping he can bounce back and make the most of the months of training he’s put in for this event🤞

I hope you’re enjoying the show as much as we are! Remember, it’s all about the journey and enjoying your running path. Thanks for following along and for all the lovely feedback we have been getting (particularly from Kate’s niece; Mila!)

Episode 6 of the "Boom or Bust" Podcast is here! Join us as we follow the journeys of our four runners training for the 2025 Ballarat Marathon. With just 5 weeks to go, the training grind is real, and as always, our runners share their ups and downs filled with a bit of a laugh. A huge shoutout to Throbber and his former bandmates from ‘Red Ink’ for letting us use their amazing song ‘Empty Road’ as our opening jingle! This week, we had a surprise guest—Otis, Aaron’s son, who jumped in to perfectly highlight the juggling act of life!

If you’re a running fan or training for a marathon, be sure to tune in.@ballaratmarathon