043 Mike Kiss & Kristin Kiss - Tackling Big, Audacious Goals

Mike Kiss and his wife, Kristin, are friends of Whitney that she’s known since high school. Mike and Kristin Kiss like challenges. The two former athletes set out 10 years ago to run a half- marathon in all 50 states, a goal that they accomplished in four years. Since then, their priorities have expanded to include two children, but one thing remains: their willingness to take on big, audacious goals.

Today, Mike and Kristin joins the show to talk with Whitney about his unique goals, the hardest race he’s ever competed in, and the biggest challenges he’s faced along the way.

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Key Takeaways

00:54 – Whitney Heins welcomes Mike and Kristin Kiss to the show to talk about the importance of stretching, what they love about running, and why they set such lofty goals

17:43 – Mike and Kristin talk about their unique and audacious goals

21:35 – Racing in Las Vegas and running 50 half marathons in all 50 states

25:37 – The hardest race Mike and Kristin ever ran

28:47 – Getting their kids involved and another arduous goal

33:42 – How running has fortified Mike and Kristin’s relationship

41:51 – The biggest challenges Mike faced when trying to achieve his goals

52:44 – What’s next for Mike and one piece of advice for anyone looking to take on a big, audacious goal

58:23 – Whitney thanks Mike for joining the show to share his story

Tweetable Quotes

“If I’m so prescribed, I don’t enjoy it. And, at the end of the day this is all about having fun and enjoying running. I don’t want it to become work. If it becomes work, I’m not gonna want to do it. So, I’m just looking at the adventure side of it.” (13:03) (Mike)

“You plan as well as you can and then things don’t go well. And then you don’t plan, or maybe you make the wrong decision, and things can still go well. You never know.” (28:13) (Mike)

“The difference between a half and a full, as you’re aware, is that you can get by with ‘okay weather’ in a half marathon and it’s not gonna make a huge impact on the day or the time. ‘Okay weather’ for a full marathon can be a lot more challenging.” (44:45) (Mike)

“Everything is a competing priority. There’s finite resources. You have to make decisions and concessions, but I haven’t walked back from a trip that we’ve done with our kids regretting that we did it or that we spent money to do it.” (48:18) (Mike)

“I just encourage people to look at it in that light and put yourself out there. Find resources, find people that are gonna support you. I think you’d be surprised at how many people will be in your corner to help you along the way.” (56:35) (Mike/Kristin)