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šš½ Hello! New faces, new energy! And to the familiar faces, a tip of the (running) cap.
Feeling this? Why notā¦
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If you were in need of a coach, Iām finally offering limited coaching spaces. Go here or email me if interested – coach@dlakecreates.com
Guess what? In 5 minutes or less, twice a month (ish), Iām saving you 11 years by reading/listening/watching this newsletter. Youāre welcome.
Why? Because I already did it. Yes, over the last 11 years, I have scoured the internet figuring out how to *bio-hack and experiment on myself to perform better as I age. (yes, I know āhackingā isnāt a cool word anymore, but you get what I mean).
In my quest to better myself one per cent each day, the time has come to retire āThree Thing Thursdayā While dope and fun, new beginnings are happening all the time, and I think One Percent Better summarises what my goal is for you as a reader and myself.
In each newsletter, Iāll present a few dope ideas from the internet or me that, even if you just pick one thing, will be actionable enough that it will alter the trajectory of your training, racing, business, and personal life by just one percent.
Iāll then break each part into The āWhat, Why, Howā framework, which should help make it that much stickier and easier to implement.
Different name, has the same great taste and is information-packed with a dash of fun. #funformative
You down with OPB?! (and if you were born in the 80s you know you would scream out in the club āyeah you know me!ā)
Iām still breaking things up into past things, present things and future things, but there is a bit more spice in the middle where I give you more
THE FEEDBACK LOOP
Let me know what you tried, what you didnāt, and what Iām missing! Also, share with the Master of Some community me your own training updates and articles youāve found.
Letās go.
Heat therapy, like a sauna or hot bath, can boost slow-wave sleep. And, no, I don’t mean sleeping in your oven.
Why is this important?
Better sleep = better running. Plus, it can improve your overall health and mood, making you less likely to snap at your boss for stealing your stapler.
How to implement this right now?
Hop in a sauna or soak in a hot tub for 20-30 minutes, 1-2 hours before sleep. Just make sure to cool down after, or else you’ll be sweating like a sinner in church all night.
Read, listen and learn more here
What is it?
It’s a podcast episode about eight real whole foods that can help you recover after a run.
Why is this important?
Eating the right foods after a run can make you feel like you’re Wolverine from X-Men. It can help reduce inflammation, improve joint health, and even make you faster! Plus, you get to eat yummy food.
How to implement this right now?
Add fish, protein shakes/smoothies, rice, potatoes, berries, nut butter, salted nuts, and seeds to your post-run diet. But don’t go overboard and eat like a sumo wrestler after every run. Eat in moderation and listen to your body. And remember, avoid processed foods and stick to natural, whole foods as much as possible. Your body will thank you for it.
May was interesting as I completed an unprepared 5k. It was an odd race because I knew I wasnāt fit, but I didnāt let myself not do the race on the date that I agreed on a few months prior.
I love moving race dates around to suit my schedule, and this time I said, āNo, Daren. Youāre not doing that anymore. Play the cards. Youāre healthy and adapt, mang!ā (yes, thatās how I speak to myself).
I then gave myself two weeks āoffā of unstructured training. At that time, I figured out wtf I wanted to do.
It was one of three things;
Keep training the way I was training for the last few years and āhope for the bestā
Just do a bunch of z1/z2 heart rate aerobic base training until next year and enjoy my life
Lean into my strengths, do more of what I love doing and see how far you can go by picking a race in August (City 2 Surf) but doing training the way I want.
I chose option three, and two weeks into this training period, I already love it.
More to come about what Iām doing in my June newsletter, so stay tuned!
Listening to this lo-fi chill-out playlist at night when I do work. I really love this genre and, ironically, have also been producing this style of music since 2003. Glad I was 20 years ahead of the trend. #humblebragISstrong
Yes, I know I should be going to be at 8 pm, but Iām a night owl, and I do my best work at night. Canāt change the DNA of a person; you can only work with it.
Tabata Ladder 40/30/20 Effort-based Workout – Jun 2023
HIIT isnāt just for CrossFit and gym-goers. HIIT works great for runners, cyclists and even swimmers (whatup Triathletes?!). Hereās the low down.
Allowing you to be at max power/vo2max pacing zones/heart rate for longer because of the frequent breaks
Early season or right before a race during your taper week
What distance is it good for? Anything from 400m to ultra, tbh
(dope pro tip – most run and gym workouts can be used for most people depending on how fast/hard you run then, the rest, and when you do it in your training blocks. shhhh⦠canāt give all the secrets away)

Hit reply to answer and/or hit me up on Instagram (link tbd) to learn from the Master of Some community and one percent better your running life.
Busy work is tangible. It can be measured on a clock, checked off a task list. There’s a start and an end, and a finished product.
Real work is rarely so solid.
Real work has no end, stretching out endlessly into the horizon. It’s hard to know where you are in the process, how close you are to your destination… and if there even is a destination.
This work is about thinking. About searching. About exploring. It’s about seeking and finding, and connecting the dots in a way they’ve never been connected before.
The real work happens during every conversation you have in your day-to-day life. It’s every person you meet, every idea that comes across your radar.

⦠for June 2023.
PS – If you were in need of a coach, Iām finally offering limited coaching spaces. Go here or email me if interested – coach@dlakecreates.com
PPS – How slow runners are doing Godās work.
Running Nutrition Isn’t Hard. It’s Misunderstood. (Nutrition Masterclass)
Your Foam Roller Isn’t Working. Use It Anyway.
If You Can’t Do This Speed Workout, You’re Not as Fit as You Think
The Dangerous Level of Strava Runners No One Talks About
You’re Doing 10K Training Wrong, And It’s Keeping You Stuck