Half-Ironman questions

You shouldn't have trouble starting with HIM, but also recommend seeing if you can't find a shorter race before that during your training.

As far as flat around PA, almost everything you'll find in NJ & DE is flat.  Devilman & Daimondman are 2 HIMs that come to mind.  The first is early-season, so may be a bit tough for a first-timer to prep for.  The latter is early Sept., which might be later than you'd like but would allow you to do some sprint and/or oly distance races before then.  There are a lot of good ones in the Midatlantic area--both flat and w/hills.

Great point and unfortunately you based it on personal experience…  To the OP > do the training and DO NOT underestimate what swim training can do for you on race day!

I think a shorter distance just to practice the logistics of a tri would be good unless you don't care about the time.  I think it is almost a certainty that if the HIM is your first race you will give away a few minutes in transition.  If that time doesn't matter then no big deal.  I loved taking my time in my first race earlier this year and then really focusing on being quick in transition in my second race and it paid off.  You could just do a sprint as a training race somewhere for the practice.

Eagleman is a great HIM for your first one.  The Choptank lives up to its name and the course can be windy, though I didn't think it was very windy this year, but I live right near the ocean so many of my rides are in much more windy conditions. 

You already have the swimming background, so once you get back into swimming shape, you should be fine, though open water swimming is a very different animal, even if you're swimming in a calm lake, then in a pool.  Biking, if you pace yourself correctly, and take in enough hydration/nutrition, you should be fine.  But don't underestimate those three things.  Running, if you can get yourself through the swim and bike you should be able to finish although while triathlon running is very different from a stand alone running race, figure the run will be something like the last half of a marathon, just to give yourself a rough idea.    

I would strongly recommend that you do a shorter distance tri in like May if you do Eagleman, just to practice swimming in open water, the transitions, and especially going from biking to running .  You are going to need to do plenty of bike run workouts (bricks as they're called) just to get used o that wonderful feeling.   I would not recommend the NJ Devilman (lake is gross among other things I have heard) and the WV may be a bit hilly and thus challenging.  If you want to do Eagleman, be prepared to register this month as it will sell out soon after registration opens.

PennState - 2006-09-06 6:46 AM You raise excellent points. I am going to register for the Eagleman this month. Since it is in June it would make a lot of sense to do a shorter Tri before-hand for all the reasons you have discussed. I am going to look in Trifind.com to find a shorter race. If you have any suggestions for something in or near Pennsylvania, I would greatly appreciate it. Thankyou very much. Fred

There are a bunch of sprint and Olys in the mid-atlantic area in the April/May timeframe.

Personally, I'd recommend the Columbia Tri in late May.  I'm partial to the race b/c it is my home course but also it has great attendance, lots of support, and a top-notch RD (who also is the RD for Eagleman).