This is a podcast about how runners can live better lives through consistent self-improvement. Unlike other running brands, The 1% Better Runner focuses on how small, daily habit improvements ripple into broader life success, helping runners perform better both on and off the road, track, or dirt. I’m Daren DLake : Certified running and nutrition coach, Sub-3-hour marathoner and 10-hour Ironman finisher. Since 1996, I’ve been helping other self-coached runners, researching, and experimenting on…
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Training inconsistently? Here’s how that might be holding back your race goals. In this episode, we dive into what separates fast runners from the fastest: consistency. Learn from Audrey’s journey to shave time off her 5K and uncover what training habits might be keeping you from your personal best. We’ll cover her favorite dynamic warm-ups, interval tips, and lifestyle tweaks to keep you…
When you’re pushing through those final meters of a race, many runners picture themselves looking like this: Tall posture. Clean stride. Driving from the hips. But the reality, for most of us, is a bit more like this: Hunched shoulders. Shuffling feet. Stride falling apart. And it’s not because your form is bad. It’s because your focus breaks down before your body does. Here’s what’s really…
What’s the one thing most runners get wrong about “easy training”? Is your “easy run” truly setting the stage for your success—or quietly sabotaging your training? In this episode, we uncover how to correctly define easy training, why heart rate zones need to be personalized, and how to avoid the pitfalls of the gray zone. You’ll learn practical tests to determine your effort levels and discover…
Most people think they need to lose weight before becoming a runner. The truth is, that belief is stopping more runners than their body ever will. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t look like a “typical runner” or believed you needed to lose weight before taking running seriously, this episode will challenge everything you’ve been told. I break down what bigger runners need to understand about…
What if the thing that helps you run faster now also protects you from becoming fragile later? In this episode, I break down VO2 max in the most practical way possible: what it is, why runners should care, how much your watch can actually be trusted, and why the number matters for way more than race performance. We get into the difference between VO2 max, threshold, running economy, zone 2, hard…
What if there was a way to boost your VO₂ max, improve heat tolerance, and potentially increase endurance without adding a single extra workout to your training week? Most runners are always looking for the next thing that will help them run faster, recover better, and stay healthier for the long haul. In this episode, I break down one of the most overlooked performance tools available: sauna…
What if the smartest distance in running isn't the marathon, but the race most people treat like a stepping stone? The half marathon is one of the most misunderstood distances in running. Some runners treat it as a stepping stone to something bigger, while others never realize just how challenging and rewarding it can be on its own. In this episode, I break down the five different types of half…
What if the reason you can't break 20 minutes has nothing to do with toughness and everything to do with how you're training the final kilometer of the race? Breaking 20 minutes in the 5K isn't just about pushing harder. It's about training smarter. In this episode, I break down the key systems that separate runners who stay stuck from those who finally crack the sub-20 barrier. You'll learn how…
What if the reason you're not getting faster isn't that you're training too little, but that you're completely skipping the one aerobic zone that delivers the highest return on effort? Zone 2 gets most of the attention in endurance training, but there’s another aerobic training zone that could be the missing link between running comfortably and running faster. In this episode, I break down what…
Zone 2 gets all the glory, but zone 1 is what actually saves your body from falling apart decades from now. Everyone talks about zone 2 training, but almost nobody talks about the slower movement that quietly supports everything else. In this episode, I break down why zone 1 training might be the missing piece for better endurance, faster recovery, and long-term health. I get into the difference…
