Phillip Kriss, Athlete & Chiropractor

“The Tin Man” Why? In my head I have not yet performed well in an ironman race. Each one either had crummy conditions, or I had some issue that prevented me from performing to my expectations. I wanted redemption. I wanted to get through a race clean. I wanted to prove to myself I could do it. Last winter we were up skiing at Whistler with the Elton’s and Heidi fell in love with the place. While there she said “We are coming back next summer to watch our buddies’ race. Since you will be training with them anyway, you may as well sign up for the race”. That really meant she did not want to hear me complain about my buddies having more fun than I did. It didn’t take long for me to sign up and made the decision to upgrade my P5, which was replaced by Cervelo since my P4 had a frame failure. Several thousand dollars later I had my dream bike. I love toys! The Training I fumbled through doing what I could do to train based on the time I had available and the circumstances of li...

Phillip Kriss June 29, 2014 Why? I planned this race a year and a half ago knowing I was moving into a new age group. It was another opportunity to produce the goods and possibly earn a coveted Kona spot. My last 2 races did not go as well as planned with Lake Tahoe being high in elevation and freezing cold, and St. George being excruciatingly hot. This could be my big day! My fastest ironman time in the past was at CDA on the old course. The Training Training proved to be difficult. Heidi and I decided 18 months ago to open a Massage Envy. It was to open in October, but due to a series of delays it opened 2 weeks before the Ironman. So, I missed several key rides and runs due to meetings and a million other things to do. Special thanks to Heidi, Mark Casey and Eivind Naess for helping me during this long training process. Several other people also showed up consistently and helped make what others would term a miserable experience into something kind of pleasurable in a sick way. I...

Lake Tahoe race report September 23, 2013 “It was colder than…” Why? Who knows? I have not been able to successfully answer that question. My friend Mark Casey was hot on doing Ironman and him and Heidi decided to do that. Somehow I got sucked along. Also I have a lot of stuff going on including starting a new business, which takes up a lot of time, so this would force me to be efficient. In the past when I throw an Ironman into the mix of the most busiest life circumstances, somehow it all gets done and I ended up being very much more productive I also wanted to see what I can accomplish. I was not happy with the results of St. George two years ago and wanted to see myself improve. My goal was to get through the race clean and then add speed and potentially of Kona qualifier in Ironman CDA next June as I would race as a 55-year-old. Reviewing my records indicated that I did better under the Supervision of a coach so I had hired one and stuck to about 75% of the recommen...

Fat is the latest hero of the foodies. For years, it was taboo to eat more than a blip of fat in your diet. Fortunately, science has prevailed and you are once again able to eat fat guilt-free. Essential fat comprises three to five percent of a man’s bodyweight; eleven to thirteen percent of a woman’s. Fats are involved with just about every process in your body. They are necessary for cell membrane integrity, hormone production, energy metabolism and proper heart function. A diet too low in fat will kill you just as quick as a diet too high in fat. Like everything else you eat, there is a proper balance that will enable your body to be at its peak level of health and performance. Three types of fats have to be eaten in the right balance: omega-6, saturated and omega-3. Omega-6 fats are unsaturated and monounsaturated fats that come from vegetable sources like safflower, canola and olive oils. Omega-3 fats, which are also unsaturated, come from fish (espec...

If this is the post-apocalyptic end of the world life as we know it, then count me in. It’s looking pretty good so far! I had been telling people for months not to worry. My iPhone had 2013 on the calendar, so I was pretty sure things were going to continue on much as they had! But for sure one thing that is coming to a close is 2012. We all pause for a moment at some point in the next week or so and just take a breath. We made it. Another year is in the books. How did it go? What worked and what didn’t? Who is important to me? What can I do for them? What must I leave behind now, either because it doesn’t serve me or simply because it’s time to move on and into a new realm in my life? Likely you had lots of successes, maybe some events that didn’t turn out quite the way you had hoped, and likely a handful still on the list that are left undone begging your energy in the upcoming year. What will you change? What course is best to hold steady and unwavering on? Is it time to try ...

“The stupidest thing I planned to do” Why? Last year I knew a guy that ran the quadzilla (4 marathons in 4 days).  He passed me up before the halfway point at the Seattle marathon never to be seen by me again.  That had my curiosity up. How was he able to do that? Mark Casey and Heidi Kriss were also pressuring me to do this for most of the year.  I really did not want to do it. I feared training myself to run slow and/or hurting myself. It sounded painful and dangerous. I wanted a way out where I could save my precious pride, so I developed an exit plan so I could quit anytime during their run if I felt like it. In the end I thought that I’m not much of a runner, especially a fast one, and maybe I will learn something to help me reach higher levels of performance.  Then, if others with less levels of fitness can do it, so can I. Also if I can do it, why would I not at least give it the best shot I could? The training I packed in several long runs week a...