Michael Tucker

tucson, arizona

What is your favorite product available at TriSports.com?  I don’t think I could narrow it down to just one favorite product, TriSports.com is like the ultimate candy store for big kids.  One of the most valuable things I have gotten from TriSports.com has to be all the free advice I have gotten.  Everyone I talk to, from Seton on down, have been very helpful to me.

How did you get your start in Triathlons?  At the beginning of 2003, I weighed about 255lbs and was completely out of shape.  I decided that I was tired of being fat and wanted to do something about it.  I read the South Beach Diet book and changed my nutritional habits.  I also started walking and then slowly progressed to jogging; I did some roller blading around the neighborhood and began to ride my mountain bike more.  The weight started coming off quickly and I had visions of running a 5k just for fun.  A friend/coworker who had done triathlons for several years said he was going to the Sahuarita Lake Triathlon and at the time they also did a 5k, so I said I’d do the 5k.  My friend convinced me to try the triathlon since I was already riding my bike and running.  (I swam a little in high school but I was never really competitive.)  So I entered the triathlon, since I was just starting out, I rode my dual suspension mountain bike (knobby tires and all) and actually finished ahead of my friend who talked me into entering.  I was hooked from that point on.  My race weight is now around 175lbs.

What is your favorite workout?  Pretty much anything on the bike. 

“When I’m not training/racing, I enjoy…”  Hanging out with my family and doing family stuff.

If you could train for a week with one other triathlete who would it be and why?  I think it would be Macca (Chris McCormack).  I know that a lot of people think he’s too cocky and arrogant, but I have enjoyed watching him race over the years and he seems like he truly gives it his all when he’s racing.

What is your dream non-sports related vacation?  Traveling around and meeting the locals on the Fiji Islands, New Zealand, Australia or any other foreign country!

If you could have one superhero power what would it be?  I would love to be able to fly.       

Describe your biggest race disaster.  I had a pair of goggles break right as I was getting into the water at the Tucson Triathlon (825 yard pool swim).  I didn’t bring a spare pair and it was literally seconds before my wave started, I figured it was a pool swim and I should be able to make it without goggles.  The only problem was, I had my contact in and I just couldn’t keep my eyes shut underwater.  By the end of the first 25 yards, I had lost my right contact, after the 50 yard turn, I lost the left contact.  Without contacts or glasses  I am pretty much blind, so my race was over and I have never been to another race without having an extra pair of goggles or contacts.

Do you have a non-negotiable pre-race ritual?  Not really, but I do tend to get in a weird state of mind and get very focused the day before a big race.  My wife doesn’t like to be around me much before a big race because I don’t really hear anything she says and I end up just shutting most things out.

What culinary indulgence do you allow yourself after a big race (that you don’t normally partake of)?  I really enjoy good beer, so after most big races, I try to hit up a local microbrew house and have a couple of cold ones with some greasy appetizers and maybe a big juicy burger.

Have you ever accidentally destroyed a very expensive piece of gear? Nothing to bad yet; I did over tightened the clamp bolts on a set of carbon aerobars and ended up crushing them.

What is the worst job you’ve ever had?  I’ve had a couple of not so great jobs but I can usually have fun working.  I think the worst job I’ve had might have been the first job I ever had.  I delivered newspapers back in Cleveland; trudging through the snow at 5:30 in the morning was just never fun, plus, I’m really not a morning person.

What adjective describes you best?  Friendly.

Finally, do you have any advice for athletes new to multi-sport competition?  Read lots and talk to other athletes, learn as much as you can and then try to figure out what works best for you.  Don’t forget to relax, have fun and keep trying.

Recent Results: Desert Classic Duathlon, 11th AG; Generations Sprint Triathlon, 1st AG, 7th OA;  Scottsdale Grand Prix Crit, 8th in Cat 5; Tour of the Tucson Mountains, 21st Individual; Tucson Crit Series Race 1, 4th in Cat 5; Tempe International Triathlon, 4th AG; Sahaurita Lake Triathlon, 6th AG;  Deuces Wild Olympic Triathlon, 6th AG