Why Exists?

Primarily Tri4Fitness.Net serves as a place for free fitness tips and help for anyone to obtain some level of fitness in a pursuit of optimal fitness. Michael Harper, creator of Tri4Fitness.net is a proponent of fitness for everyone, while competing in triathlons, as Harper does, may be taking fitness to the extreme, Harper believes everyone can obtain at least some form of fitness.

Also, a special thanks to the sponsors below who allow this site to run and support the cause of total health related physical fitness.

Click on image for how you can help save lives.

Background          

Born in Stillwater, MN and raised in Round Rock, TX, Michael Harper has always been involved in physical activity. Throughout Harper’s childhood he was involved in soccer and in middle school began football, basketball and track. As a competitive individual in all aspects, in addition to competing in football and rugby in high school, Harper went to the National DECA Business Education Competition. After finishing a college football career at Howard Payne University, Harper moved to Lubbock, TX where interests in the sport of triathlon were sparked.

Harper began racing sprint triathlons (300-800m swim, 12-18mi bike, 5k run) in 2006.  Since then, Harper has moved to Olympic (.9mi swim, 25mi bike, 10k run), Half-Ironman (1.2mi swim, 56mi bike, 13.1mi run) triathlons, and even a full Ironman (2.4 mi swim, 112 mi bike, 26.2mi run) this in Couer D'alene, ID 2010. Involvement in triathlons first came because of the challenge and excitement it brought. Now the races continue to bring an excitement and rush that is filled with accomplishment unlike anything else after 2 hours or more of racing, depending on the race length. But the race is a short lived moment, compared to the tranquility that is felt while cycling on the road or indoor trainer for hours on end. Harper shows this true love and passion as he spends time training and helping others become empowered to obtain their own fitness goals too.

In addition to just enjoying the sport, triathlons resonate with Harper’s core values of fitness for everyone. Triathlons provide a platform to be an advocate of all kinds of fitness for others. Through Tri4Fitness.Net Harper shares information about his racing but also fitness, cardio, nutrition and workout tips for individuals in all walks of life along with weight loss challenges and much more. In addition to providing fitness tips on the web, Harper former Head Strength Coach at Tarleton State University, is Director of Curriculum and Instruction of Fitness Education at The Cooper Institute in Dallas, TX as a full time instructor where he trains professionals in the fitness industry.

Harper’s father, whom was relatively healthy, passed away in 2005 from a heart attack. Not a year later, one of Harper’s best friends who was a former quarterback at Iowa State was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. It was at this time that Harper truly became dedicated to being an advocate of fitness for everyone. While fitness may not necessarily prevent cancer or death, Harper believes that healthier individuals will have a much better chance to fight these ailments than otherwise and hopes to use racing and working out as an opportunity to open up a door to talk to others about fitness in their life too.

Harper has been successful as an advocate for fitness in the lives of others as he has helped organize weight loss challenges, provided fitness education in person and via the web, train individuals and much more. This same success has been evident in his racing endeavors, where he placed first overall in 2009, many top ten finishes in division and more often than not finishing in the top 10% of his division, if not overall and a now the accomplishment of finishing his first IronMan in 11 hours and 42 minutes.  

Questions, Comments, want to more - E-mail Michael

Harper Racing
2009 Race Results & Schedule

• Too Cold to Hold - 01/17/09 - 15k Run - 56 of 630 overall - 6th in division - 1:09:31 - Dallas, TX
• St. Patty's Day Sprint Tri - 3/09 - Keller, TX - DNC
• Playtri Olympic Tri - 4/09 - Irving, TX -DNC
• St. Croix Half Ironman Tri - St. Croix, Virgin Islands - 05/03/09 - 5:35:29 - 12th in division
• Cross Timbers Sprint Tri - 09/09 - Stephenville, TX - 1st Overall, 1:03
• Toyota US Open Olympic Tri - 10/09 - Dallas, TX -5th in Division - 2:30:19

2008 Race Results & Schedule

• St. Patty's Day Sprint Tri - 3/15/08 - 2nd place in division - Keller, TX
• Lavaman Olympic Tri - 4/6/08 - 7th place in division, 81 of 665, time of 2:34:21 - Kona, HI
• Playtri Sprint Tri - 4/12/08 - 3rd place in division, 13th overall - Irving, TX
• CapTex Olympic Tri - 5/25/08 - 8 of 66 in division - 292 of 1442 overall Austin, TX
• Buffalo Springs  Lake Half Ironman Tri - 6/29/08 - 4th in division - 374 of 1016 overall - 5:41:22 - Lubbock, TX
• Toyota US Open Olympic Tri - 10/05/08 - 2nd in division - 87 of 394 males - 2:24:51 - Dallas, TX
• Tarleton State University 5K - 10/18/08 - 1st in division - 4th overall - Stephenville, TX

Sponsors
Special thanks to the sponsors below who allow this site to run and support the cause of total health related physical fitness. Click on banner below to find out more about this sponsor and how you can also make easy income. 


     

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of this site and the racing of those on the site, please contact individuals listed above via e-mail.