Yesterday I did the Philly Endurasport Half. My first goal was to finish. My second goal was to break 6 hours. I met both goals.

The race was surprisingly small. 70 entrants for the half and 84 for the mini.

Swim - 51 min.

Swimming is my weakest discipline and I had a rough time in my only other tri, which was an oly. I did not panic and stayed smooth and in control the whole time. It was a 2 lap swim. I came out of the water in 40th place.

Bike - 2:56

The course was 3 loops around the lake. Each loop was mostly rolling hills with two longer climbs and one short but very steep climb. I kept my effort consistent for most of the bike. I did get caught up in trying to keep up with some of the bikers in the mini until I realized I was going to ruin my race if I didn't back off. The last lap was tough mentally and physically. The temp was in the mid 80's by now. When I got off the bike I almost fell because my left leg gave out for a second. That was a sensation I had never experienced before. I passed 14 riders and was not passed by any of the half riders. 26th place off the bike.

Run - 1:59

The first 3 miles were awful. My stomach was a mess. It came on with no warning and in the end it might have been a blessing. Iwas forced to do 9:00 plus miles. The run had 3 big hills in each of the two loops. There was no shade for half of each loop. I I felt stronger each mile from this point on. I did stop and take my time at each of the aid stations. The volunteers were great and it was fun joking around with them. I was cruising and passing people in both races until the last 3/4 of a mile. The inner part of my left quad cramped and would not release. I was forced to stop and massage the cramp out. It took over a minute but then I was able to finish strong.

I finished 16th overall and 2nd in my age group, 8 seconds behind the leader.

Final time was 5:56:07

What I learned:

Remember sunscreen and vaseline. Work harder on the bike in training. All the hard work of the past 6 months was absolutely worth it, especially with my father at the finish line. Having to be at your son's 2nd birthday party at 4:00 is great motivation to go fast in a tri that begins at 9:00(they changed the date from Sunday to Sat. and we couldn't reschedule the party). I now have the confidence to train for an Ironman (ChesapeakeMan in 2007). The nicer you are to the volunteers, the more manageable the pain. Bring an extra towel (the transition area was in the grass, that was freshly cut and wet).

Thanks again to all the people who regularly post on this site. It has been a great source of information and inspiration.