The 1% Better Runner | DLake & Friends

The Enshittification of Running Tech (and What We Can Do)


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Your smartwatch knows more about you than your coach, so why isn’t it helping you train smarter?


What if your smartwatch actually understood you—not just your steps or heart rate, but your lifestyle, goals, and even those off days when your body says “not today”? This episode breaks down the core flaws in current running AI and smartwatch tech, revealing why most fitness platforms fall short for experienced runners. I explore how to take ownership of your data, transform it into powerful insights, and build a personalized, adaptive training system that actually serves you. If you’ve ever felt like your fitness tracker wasn’t keeping up, you’ll want to hear how to flip the script and train 1% better every day—with your own hybrid of human intuition and machine precision.


Key Takeaways
  1. Running AI needs more personalization—it should adapt to your goals, recovery, and life stresses instead of giving generic advice.
  2. Most fitness apps focus on basic metrics like heart rate and pace but miss the personal context that makes training advice actually useful for people who've been running more than a few months.
  3. To get better insights, we need to take control of our own fitness data by exporting it, building our own dashboards, and using AI tools to find trends and make smarter training decisions.


Timestamps
  • [00:00] Why AI in fitness still doesn’t get you
  • [00:40] The real problem with "one-size-fits-all" advice
  • [01:34] Who these apps are really built for (hint: not experienced runners)
  • [02:25] Why data without context fails
  • [03:08] The better way AI could help runners
  • [05:02] How to take control of your own data
  • [06:38] My personal system to set real goals
  • [07:16] What I want AI to actually do for me (my wishlist)
  • [08:26] Using AI tools to analyze your own training data and improve
  • [09:58] What I’m building next — a smarter, more personalized training plan


Links & Learnings
  • 📈 Get your free 1% better base training plan - https://dlakecreates.com/basefree
  • 🎧 Listen, read and learn more here https://dlakecreates.com/virtualcoach2
  • Learn more about how smart watches are lying to you https://dlakecreates.com/virtualcoach
  • Why Strava is Pacist and Doesn’t Care About Short Distance People https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1D_pHZ7J4Ww
  • DLake Runs on IG - https://instagram.com/dlakecreates
  • DLake Runs on Strava - https://www.strava.com/athletes/120507

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The 1% Better Runner | DLake & FriendsBy Daren DLake

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