Member: Breandan Lyman

Name: Breandan Lyman
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
High School: Old Bridge High School
College: La Salle University
Occupation: Sales Manager / Licensed Massage Therapist

Personal Bests
1600m – 4:34
3200m - 9:43
5k – 15:42
10k – 33:32
Half Marathon – 1:14
Marathon – 2:36
Half Ironman Distance – 4:38
Beer Mile - 6:01

Career Highlights
Dirty German 25k – 1st Place (2015)
Sloppy Cuckoo 12 Hour Challenge – 1st Male, 100k (2015)
4 Year Runner at La Salle University
5x Philly Marathon Finisher
2x Boston Marathoner

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

By: Paul Matuszak (08/16/16)

Both you and I have something in common outside of running, getting hurt and hailing from Northeast Philadelphia. That something is being a new father. Therefore you understand the feeling of having three beers and being buzzed from the lack of sleep. I’m currently on my third beer of the evening, so I apologize for the lack of order and relevance the proceeding questions contain. That being said, how is fatherhood treating you?

So far it’s been a life-changing experience, but very rewarding. Holds yourself more accountable and teaches you how to time manage a lot more efficiently. Also learned to take Life by the Day.

In terms of running, are you starting to feel recovered from the injury you sustained during your Boston Marathon build-up?

Still not quite 100%, but I did just race a JULY 4th 5k in 1717 without having run 2 miles consecutively since Boston so that was very encouraging! Gotta appreciate the power walking on the treadmill.

For those that are unaware of your injury history, can you please explain what a typical week of training looks like for you to minimize getting hurt? (Editor’s note: Do not laugh at the inclusion of incline power walking on the treadmill in the training log. I have spent many hours doing this type of cross training and it can be brutal. The longest I’ve done is 80 minutes at a time. I can’t imagine 2+ hours!)

Sure, So I try to get in 60 minutes a day 6 days a week with a long run and medium long run (long being 90-120 minutes, shorter one 90 minutes) I also incorporate a day of intervals and a longer tempo…1-2 days week I’ll also put on a 20-pound weight vest to work on form and simulate hill repeats…. I usually start at Minimum 10% incline and at 4.0 mph and get up to 5.5-5.7 mph with 15% incline without breaking into running stride. It keeps the impact low and works great for my turnover!

Injuries aren’t the only thing that removes you from running. Skin N Bones is to PRTC as Duke Silver is to Parks and Recreation. Please inform the masses of your alter ego.

Like many runners, I have a pretty massive appetite. At my height of 6’3, I’ve always found myself able to eat massive quantities without getting full. Every year in Philly I do the Philadelphia Wing Bowl held at the Wells Fargo Center…..At 7 am in front of 20,000 drunks I eat chicken wings. A few years back I took 4th and ate 209…Other weird stuff I’ve eaten in competition include pumpkin pie, Irish potatoes, watermelon, Philly pretzel dogs.

Would you allow your child to attend Wing Bowl? If yes, would your answer change if you had a daughter?

Yes…Daughter Absolutely NOT unless she was an eater

Back to running, how did you discover your talent and what encouraged you to continue running ever since? Please give us a brief background on how you got to where you are.

I was a soccer player when I was a young buck….Moving on to basketball I was as coordinated at Shawn Bradley, but always hustled up and down the court all game. By the time I was in middle school my brother was already running, and knowing my father was running I stuck with it. In high school, I was privileged to have a very motivational coach who kept me fully devoted to the sport and it’s been a part of my life ever since. I continued to run in college at LaSalle and moved on to the longer distances post-college.

As both a trail and road runner, do you see yourself specializing in one over the other going forward?

I think I’ll stay on the roads as long as my legs allow…..Again my Shawn Bradley Coordination can hurt me over time in some of those trail races. A 6’3 body falling down can be painful to witness let alone feel.

I have to imagine you have some unfinished business in the marathon. You were in great form in advance of the 2015 Philadelphia Marathon, but conditions were difficult on Kelly Drive over the second half. You still ended up running a very fine race. How do you feel coming off that performance, and is there another marathon in store for you in the short horizon? Do you plan to make a run at breaking 2:30?

I was disappointed coming close to my goal time, but not quite there. It was the first time having run a marathon all out from the gun, so I’d like to imagine I have a lot to improve upon, especially as I get stronger. 2:33 or under I think is attainable. Breaking 2:30 I think would require a lot of healthiness and consistency which I hope to find over the next 5-10 years.

What is your favorite running memory?

I would have to say finishing a 12-hour trail race as the top male…Knowing a whole day of running was finally over was pretty relieving and satisfying that I didn’t break.

You work for Philadelphia Runner. That’s an observation and fact, not a question. Essentially, it’s an interesting note for those that run for the Philadelphia Runner Track Club. I don’t have a specific question pertaining to this rambling, but maybe you could create your own question that involves the store along with an answer.

PR is a great company to work for and fell in love with the job since I was a junior in college. We have some great employees and even better owners. I can say it was the first job in my life where I didn’t mind coming to work 95% of the time. I always told myself I wanted to stay around the sport for most of my life, and this has allowed me to stay involved. I also get to help reach out to new runners which can be very satisfying. Whether it is a training plan or help dealing with injuries, seeing a satisfied customer is really enjoyable for me.

What is your favorite food, beer, and training shoe?

Food- tomato pie; Beer- Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout; Training shoes- Hoka Clayton & Bondi

What other things outside of running and competitive eating interest you?

Coffee drinking, Bar hopping, and just exploring Philly are all things that keep me happy.