Phillip Kriss, Athlete & Chiropractor

It seems taping is the rage lately. You see it at almost all sporting events from kids on the soccer fields to professionals. It has been around for a while and is gaining in popularity. Taping can be used in at least 2 methods or types of tape. They can be for support or decompression. Back in the olden day’s athletic tape was the most common support used on strains, sprains and for prevention. It was used mostly on damaged joints and didn’t do much for a muscle injury. Also, it was stiff and did not allow for movement. The tape provided support to damaged tissues, and provided compression to squish the fluid of inflammation somewhere else. It worked pretty good and still does in some cases. The first version of kinesiotape did just that but better. KT tape as it was called was/is/and can be applied to accomplish the same purpose as athletic tape without the problem of hair and many rolls of expensive tape. KT tape (or the tape with a different name brand) does all of...

  Over the past few weeks I have been chatting with my buddies trying to figure out why they would get out of bed in the middle of a stormy night, strap on a pair of running shoes and hit the dark road.  Why would someone pay a considerable amount of money to enter a race when they know it is going to hurt? Because it is fun Because fitness is a better choice The challenge is good for the brain Ahhh, new toys! Accomplishing goals and bucket list items is cool! It is an outlet for stress and provides time for thought and problem solving. It is a great way to meet new people with similar likes and passions Peer pressure! It allows for travel to destinations you would not normally choose. People show up at your doorstep and humiliate you into participation. Your spouse signs you up so you can drive them around while they nap from a tough day. Running to something or from something. Going through a stressful personal life situation can drive people to find an...

Back in my college gynecology class, the instructor made a comment that an expert is a drip under pressure. I found it humorous then, and I still do until I find myself in a pressure situation. Then I have to recall what it means and put it into perspective.  It means that common people (drips) become experts as they react to pressure in a positive way. And the result does not have to be future generations! I have had a troubled past few weeks for a variety of reasons. Some I created, some were dealt to me with circumstances I cannot control. I had to stop and think "I am becoming an expert" and I felt better and began to rise to the challenge.  Pressure is what it takes to become stronger mentally, physically and emotionally. It is what makes athletes strong. It is why the masts of olden ships were made of trees on hilltops. If they could survive the stress of the wind and the storms, they would grow strong and make great masts! But few like and embrace pressure. A...

Quit Thumbsucking Courage is the Answer One reason I love the full distance triathlon is because of what it teaches me not just about racing and events, but about myself. Many of the lessons learned on or around the race course have applications to life. In my last race, I hurt more than I ever have before, and some of the races I have done before were very uncomfortable. I was able to slug my way through 2 races that had the highest DNF’s to that  time, being St. George and Lake Tahoe 140.6. My experience last time reminded me of what I already knew with a different twist. So,  here is the situation. I planned out the training for the “event of the year” for me. Everything went great. I was feeling great, I was swimming, biking and running as well as or better than the past few years. I was very confident I would make it onto the podium, as I had been used to in this year’s racing events. I was very sure of myself. Good thing I kept my mouth shut about what my expect...

·          They learn from the boy scouts! Their motto is be prepared. The new docs that have hit the ground running have had their pre-defined scripts and office procedures memorized and role played before they showed up for work the first day. Students have memorized tons of stuff to get through school. Why not go one step further and memorize the really important stuff? Study of any subject for 10 minutes a day will make you a knowledge machine in no time at all. ·          They have great mentors. That may be someone they know. It may be someone they have never met. Great mentors are found in person, on youtube, in books, and as seminars. Success leaves clues. Find out what works and duplicate it. ·          They are never satisfied. A great day, week or month is awesome. Keep pressing ahead learning and growing to turn growth into a streak that lasts year...

Don't Trash Your Training   I am by no means an expert on tapering. I tend to ignore tapers, so I found it almost humorous that I was requested to write on this.    A lso, being a Marathon Maniac (#289) recovery between marathons may be 20 hours. And if you run 4 of those events in 4 days, what is the point of a taper? And the weirdest thing about it was each day was faster than the day before. My body said it was OK to go, but my brain was totally freaking out. The lesson is much of tapering and racing is a head trip. I have witnessed discussions and laughter describing the taper as a latte before the race.   Then again, my former coach, the famed Mark Allen told me one of the keys to a great race, not just a survival day, is  depende nt  not only on training smart, but tapering according to rigid protocol.   I listened to him and did awesome! Who is to say.    BTW, if you have something you would like my ...

Troika 70.3 Race Report 5/20/2016 Why? A girl I know who I will not name by name in this report (she who shall not be named or swsnbn) is in training for a 140.3 race in July. This event was to be a test of fitness and weakspots as well as a training event. Our buddy Mark Casey, swsnbn and I did what we could to prepare based on our time and drive. In my past I have been known to be a little on the arrogant side when it came to racing. I was verbally intimidating on purpose to gain a mental edge on my competitors. My favorite tactic was to ride up behind someone and pretend to be super tired and have a conversation about how tough the day is. I would try to talk them into having a bad day. Then I would say something like “guess I better get some exercise now” and drop them like a hot potato. Swsnbn has taught me to be polite and humble, which is not my natural me. Furthermore, swsnbn gets very upset when it is pointed out that they are one of the most fierce competitors I kn...

Don’t worry…be happy! I met a guy a long time ago that was working on a sub 3 hour marathon at age 60. And he was a bigger guy, probably around 190 pounds. Last I knew, not too many 60 year olds run that fast much less big guys. The question I had for him was “Shouldn’t you be wearing out by now?” His reply was “your body will adapt to its environment provided it is done over time and within limitations of matter” Big answer if you ponder that. Here are the common effects of aging.  http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/aging/art-20046070 The Mayo Clinic seems to think the human body is at its most prime at around age 30 and deteriorates from there. But, in the pro ranks, the most outstanding athletes are in their 20s. Dissection of the races I go to shows the highest volume of tough guys live in the 40-45 age group, and the most popular winning women are between 30-40. Then there are the freaks of nature, which seem to be getting more common...

Medications are for the sick and/or injured, not as an enhancement to perform better . I found that out the hard way when I wanted to ride STP really fast in one day, but my knee was holding me back. I asked a pal of mine about it, and he suggested I take an anti-inflammatory every 50 miles. The good news is I did get through the day in an amazing record time. The bad news is I screwed up my knee even worse not knowing it until the next day when it looked like an elephant moved into my leg. It took about 5 years for that injury to go away. Given the same choice today, I would have sacrificed my great time, rode to a level of tolerable pain (or maybe not at all) and lived to set the record another day. Pain is your bodies way to telling you there is a problem. To cover up symptoms is as smart as putting electrical tape over the red warning lights on your dashboard. You may not notice the problem, but the problem is still there. Sooner or later you will have to deal with it. Fur...

I stumbled across this a few weeks ago and the writer of this article thinks just like me! 1. Have a Plan. Winging it is fine sometimes, but it doesn’t quite cut it when you want to achieve something great. Truly remarkable accomplishments, whether finishing your first century (100-mile) ride or lining up for your first race (yes, it could happen), require careful planning and execution. 2. Be Prepared to Scrap the Plan. You’re scheduled for three sets of high-speed spin-ups, and your legs feel like they’re churning through wet cement. Try a couple efforts to see if they come around. If they do not, your body is telling you it hasn’t recovered from your latest effort. Take the day easy and hit it hard tomorrow instead. Your plan should be etched in clay for molding it to your needs, not in stone for hammering yourself with. 3. Ride at the Extremes. Many cyclists never go hard enough or easy enough to make big gains. Instead, they spend most of their rides going comfortably hard. Onc...

Riding bicycles is no doubt dangerous. You might think it is safe due to relatively slow speeds, but that is not true at all. Even with a high tech helmet, you have no protection upon impact with the ground or an object. There are no airbags, crash bars, or body armor to help. It disturbs me greatly to see what one intended to be a good thing for you resulting in being maimed for life. It has happened recently in our circles at RTB as it has for as long as I have been riding bikes. When you choose to throw your leg over the seat, you also assume the risk. The Hazards Big Gulpers:  What? Who? Us “southies” named aggressive drivers Big Gulpers. Big Gulpers typically are young males driving lifted, usually older Ford 4 door pick-up trucks, wearing camo, chewing tobacco, and have a problem with older guys riding in lycra at dawn on a rural road. Sometimes they toss the last of their big gulp on you as they pass, thus the name. The situation is made m...