Meet Athlete and Blogger, Brian!
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Brian Comly (36 years old) has participated in a variety of events including marathons, trail runs, stair climbs, obstacle course races, and 13 triathlons (many of them run by DelMoSports). He works as an occupation therapist (OT) in Philly and spends much of his summer with family at the Jersey shore. He runs the blog MindBodyDad which teaches practical lessons of living better through a combination of his experience and the research. He resides in Drexel Hill with his wife, 3 year old son, and 1 year old daughter.
1. What is your favorite DelMoSports event to race and why?
Tri the Wildwoods. I love the personality of this race: the challenge of the bridge, the run on both the beach and the boardwalk, and the spectators along the course. Plus, it's all taking place during my favorite time of the year.
2. What is your favorite workout song?
San Francisco by The Mowgli's
3. Favorite pre-race meal?
Banana and watermelon with a cold brew coffee, and water with electrolytes. I'll also include creatine for shorter races and essential amino acids for longer races.
4. What is your race mantra?
"Tall and quick."
5. What is your favorite memory from a DelMoSports event?
This was in one of my early races, where I was still learning the ins and outs of racing, race etiquette, etc. Halfway through the bike leg I got a flat tire but didn't have a lot to fix it. Another eraser pulled over to help me out and basically fix my tire for me. I was astonished that someone would sacrifice their race performance to help someone they don't know. I don't know if I would have finished the race without him. I looked for opportunities in every event to pay it forward.
6. What does your training look like right now?
During the winter, I tend to focus on strength training and high intensity interval training (HIIT). As soon as the weather turns, I incorporate more running and biking in preparation for the race season. As I've gotten older I've realized that I can do more with less so I spend less time doing steady state cardio and more time doing intervals and focusing on nutrition for fitness and recovery.
7. What do you do with your free time when you are not training or racing?
Right now my free time is primarily focused on my two young kids. I know that they won't be young forever so, outside of my full-time job as an OT, I'm taking advantage of every opportunity to be able to spend quality time with them. Aside from that, my spare time is spent reading, cooking, and writing for my blog.
8. What is your goal for this upcoming season?
My goal of every race is to build on my performance from the previous race. As I've gotten older, I've also gotten smarter in my training and I've learned to maximize the limited amount of training time I have by focusing on things like intervals, recovery, and improving my weaknesses. Above all, however, I want to continue to love the process. We spend such a short time on top of the mountain. It's important to enjoy the journey.
9. Tell us three things we should know about you.
1. I love podcasts. Right now, my favorites are The Drive, The Huberman Lab, and The Preston & Steve Show.
2. A day book ended by a strong coffee and a Pale Ale is my ideal day.
3. I've never liked cats but I married a woman who does and now I'm the one our two cats follow around all day.
