What Newer Runners Get Right That Veterans Forget with Daniel Berk

Daniel Berk was 32 years old, about 50 pounds overweight, and hadn't sprinted since college when he posted a tweet saying he was going to become a runner. He didn't know what he was doing. His first 5K took 50 minutes. He described himself as a blubbery, slow, out-of-breath whale. And then he just kept going. Two and a half years later he's lost 50 pounds, run four half marathons, and is sixteen weeks out from his first full marathon at Chicago. He's also an entrepreneur, a content creator, a father of two with a third on the way, and someone who thinks about running and business in almost exactly the same terms. This conversation is about what happens when you show up publicly with a goal you're not sure you can achieve — and what that does for you in every other part of life. Topics covered: - What pushed Daniel over the edge to start running — a family heart scare and a TikTok - His first 50-minute 5K and why he kept going anyway - When the runner's high finally hit and why he describes it like a drug - Breaking the 30-minute 5K and what that meant to him - How the mental game of running mirrors the mental game of entrepreneurship - Why he used to downplay his progress and how Jon pushed back on that - The Gap and the Gain — looking back at how far you've come versus the gap to where you want to be - Being publicly curious and what that's done for his career and his running - Chicago marathon prep — training block, fueling experiments, shoe rotation - What he's thinking about at the start line with his pregnant wife and two kids waiting at mile markers - Chunking as a framework for getting through long runs and hard things - What's going through his head the moment he crosses the finish line Support our sponsors: Training Peaks The coaches behind UTMB winners and the athletes you've heard on this show are all using the same platform — and that's not a coincidence. Get 20% off Training Peaks premium with code FTLR here! Boulderthon Whether you're hunting for a PR or just looking for an excuse to visit Colorado in early fall, Boulderthon has a race for you. Register at Boulderthon.org and use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the Half or the Full. Kila makes custom 3D-printed insoles out of super shoe foams, built to your exact feet and shipped straight to your door. Head to kilarun.com and use code FTLR for $50 off your first order.