The 1% Better Runner with DLake

Most runners follow training plans like line cooks following a recipe; they have no idea why any of it works, and when something breaks, they panic and start over. If you’ve ever followed a training plan and still felt stuck, tired, or constantly on the edge of injury, this episode will shift how you see running completely. I break down how to stop blindly following plans and start building your o...

What if skipping the traditional long run is actually the key to unlocking your true speed potential? After three decades of running, I'm shaking things up completely. This episode is a raw, real-time look at what happens when you stop training like a marathoner and start chasing raw speed again. I'm breaking down exactly why I've ditched the traditional long run approach, how I'm structuring my w...

What if the reason you’re gaining fat isn’t because you’re doing less but because you’re doing more? You’re putting in the miles, showing up consistently, doing everything you’ve been told should work… so why does your body look like it’s going in the opposite direction? In this episode, I break down the uncomfortable truth behind why running more can actually lead to gaining fat, not losing it. I...

Breaking two hours in the half marathon isn’t about grinding harder on race day. It’s about finally training for the race the half marathon actually is. If you've ever hit mile 10, watched your sub two hour half marathon slip away, and told yourself you just didn't go hard enough, this episode is for you. Here's the truth nobody tells you: you're not failing because you lack toughness. You're fail...

Most runners don’t quit because they hate running—they quit because they never saw the injury coming. In this episode, I break down the invisible gap between your cardiovascular fitness and your connective tissue strength that leads to preventable overuse injuries, and I share a practical framework to catch warning signs early so you can adjust your training before a minor niggle turns into a seas...

Why do comfortable shoes in the store often lead to chronic pain years later? It all comes down to what you don't feel when you try them on. If you care about running not just this season but 10, 20, even 30 years from now, this episode will change how you look at your shoes. I break down the simple system I use to choose the right shoe based on heel drop, injury history, and long term foot health...

Running harder isn’t the secret to getting faster, and if you keep pushing every workout, you might be training the wrong fuel tank entirely. If you’ve ever felt unstoppable on one run and completely drained on the next at the exact same pace, this episode will explain why. I break down the three energy systems that power your running, how they work together, and why most runners spend too much ti...

Most runners are wasting their hard-earned fitness because they treat racing like a solo time trial instead of a tactical, emotional, unpredictable skill that demands reps just like any other. What if everything you think you know about racing is just a story you've been telling yourself? In this episode, I’m diving into the reality of what happens when your physical fitness meets the brutal menta...

Your last mile of a race falls apart not because you're tired, but because you haven't trained your body to move weight fast when it counts. If you've been stuck at the same race pace despite running more miles and following better plans, you're probably missing one thing elite runners have: speed reserve. In this episode, I break down the 10-week experiment where I tested explosive gym training o...

Most runners don’t lose form because they’re weak. They lose it because they never trained their nervous system to hold it. If you’ve ever filmed your running form at the start of a workout and thought, “That looks solid,” only to feel it completely unravel 30 minutes later, this episode is for you. I break down why form falls apart under fatigue, what elite runners actually do before they run to...

What if the race you’re avoiding is the one that unlocks your marathon speed? Most marathoners avoid 5Ks during a marathon build because they’re scared it will wreck their long runs or mess up their aerobic base 5K Marathon. In this episode, I break down why that belief is holding you back, what speed endurance actually is, and how short races can make you stronger late in the marathon without blo...

You can build the strongest aerobic engine in the world, but without threshold, it never learns how to race. If you’ve been logging miles but your race times have hit a wall, the problem might not be your effort; it’s that you’ve been skipping the one zone that connects easy running to race pace. In this episode, I break down what threshold training actually is, why it sits right at the center of...

Running doesn't destroy your body—sitting on the couch for 30 years does. If you’ve ever wondered what running is actually doing to your body long term, this episode breaks it wide open in a way most runners never think about. I unpack what really changes inside your muscles, brain, and cardiovascular system when you run consistently, why so many runners get injured despite good intentions, and wh...

Breaking 25 minutes in the 5K isn’t about toughness—it’s about fixing how you train when no one’s watching. If you’ve been hovering around that 25-minute 5K mark and can’t figure out why you’re stuck, this episode breaks down what’s really holding you back. I dig into the training habits that feel productive but quietly stall your progress, and why pushing harder isn’t always the answer. You’ll le...

Long runs aren’t always the thing that makes you faster. Sometimes they’re the very thing holding you back. If you’ve been stuck in that frustrating cycle of pushing harder, running longer, and still feeling slower or constantly beat up, this episode will shift how you think about training. I break down why stepping back from traditional long runs—especially in the off-season—can actually unlock b...

What if the flashy carbon-plated shoe you just bought is actually slowing you down on your daily runs? Most runners think getting faster starts with buying better shoes, but the real shift happens when you understand which shoes to buy, when to buy them, and how each one fits into your training. In this episode, I break down a simple three-tier system that helps you run stronger, lower injury risk...

What if the reason your easy runs feel hard is because you’re doing too much, too soon? Marathon training can feel overwhelming when every run type seems important and everything feels hard at once. In this episode, I break down the simple structure behind effective marathon training and explain why most runners struggle not because they lack effort, but because they train in the wrong order. I wa...

Easy runs don’t fail because you’re unfit. They fail because you’re breathing wrong and running them too hard. Most runners think breathing is simple, but it’s one of the biggest reasons easy runs stop working. In this episode, I break down the real difference between nose breathing and mouth breathing, why neither one is “better,” and how using the wrong one at the wrong time quietly ruins your t...

You’re not broken, slow, or lazy. You’re probably repeating one small mistake that’s quietly holding you back. If you feel like you’re doing everything right but your pace won’t improve, this episode breaks down why that keeps happening. I walk through the most common training mistakes runners make when they self-coach, how those mistakes quietly lead to stalled progress or injury, and what actual...

VO₂ max training isn’t about running harder, it’s about running at the right speed or you’re just wearing yourself down for nothing. If you’ve been doing “hard” interval sessions but still aren’t getting faster in your 5K, 10K, or marathon, you might be missing the real point of VO₂ max training—and wasting effort. In this episode, I break down exactly what true VO₂ max pace feels and looks like,...

Stop stretching before your run. You're not preventing injuries; you're draining the very power and spring your muscles need to perform at their best. Ever feel like your pre-run routine might be working against you? For decades, we've been told that stretching is the golden rule before hitting the pavement. In this episode, I dig into the surprising science that flips that script on its head. You...

What if the reason your runs feel heavy and awkward has nothing to do with fitness and everything to do with how often your feet hit the ground? If you’ve ever felt like running takes more effort than it should, or if you’re tired of shin splints, knee pain, or just feeling clunky on your feet, you might be overlooking one simple but powerful number: your cadence. In this episode, I break down wha...

What if everything you think you know about running easy is actually making you slower and more exhausted? In this episode, I break down why your usual approach to running pace might be sabotaging your progress and how switching to heart rate training can unlock easier, more consistent runs. I explain why the same pace feels easy one day but brutal the next, and share a simple, equipment-free meth...

What if the real reason you keep getting hurt isn’t laziness or bad form, but one single run where you went just a little too far? Most people don’t quit running because they’re lazy. They quit because they get hurt doing too much too soon. In this episode, I break down why that happens, why feeling good can actually be the most dangerous moment in training, and how small, boring choices are what...

Strength training isn’t extra work. It’s the hidden shortcut that finally stops your legs from fading in the last miles. If you have been skipping the gym because you think it takes too much time or will make you too bulky to run fast, this episode flips that script completely. I am breaking down a specific strength training formula that boosts running economy by 5%—that is like shaving minutes of...