WWBTD - Plan for Next Year?

Hi everyone! I usually just lurk here and post in the mentor threads but I wanted to get BT's feedback on my tentative plan for tri's for next year.

**I think this turned into a novel, thanks for reading!**

Bit of background. Ex-collegiate rower (aka type A competitive personality) gained a TON of weight at the end of/after college. Started getting back in shape about 3 years ago, have been working out 4-5x a week during that time and have lost 50 pounds (thank you Weight Watchers). I'm lighter now than I was when I was 16 and in better shape than I was when I was rowing.

Have been doing tri specific training since February with ~ a month off in March/April with a groin pull (increasing running mileage too quickly, learned that lesson). Logs are totally up to date. Since then I've focused on increasing my distances slowly, learning to ride a road bike, and working on my swimming form. I'm up to each sport 2x a week, average 1,500-2,000 meters in a normal pool or OWS workout, max run is 6 miles, max ride is 31 miles. Strength is swimming even though I'm slow I've seen a lot of improvement with limited time in the pool. I swam competitively as a kid and come from a family of swimmers. Limiter is biking, I'm strong but I'm scared on the road since I'm new to road biking and I can only really get outside for rides on the weekends.

I've done one sprint so far with two more on the calendar (Chicago in a week and a local all-women's sprint in late September). Loved my first race and beat all of my goal times for that race. I'm hooked.


So here is my tentative plan for the next year or so.

I've been sort of making this up as I go along and will be looking to get more structure next year. After the race in late September I'll take a few weeks "easy" then transition to working on biking and swimming technique while adding a third run each week. Keep to my self-created plan for October and November and transition into Hal Higdon's Beginner's half mary plan in December targeting a local half mary here on Superbowl Sunday. During the half mary plan I plan to bike and swim on the "cross training" days.

About a month after the half mary I'd start the BT Beginner Half Ironman plan. I've looked at the plan really closely and it looks like I can handle the first few weeks of training with where I am now, and I know that by February I'll have strengthened my run quite a bit. I would be targeting the Half Vineman in July, but could also do Barb's race in August or the Big Kahuna in October if July is too soon. During the beginner HIM plan I'd do the Wildflower Oly as well as some other Oly races to get comfortable with that distance.

I know a usual question here for beginners is "what's the hurry?" with getting into longer distances. I had planned to stick to Oly's next year and do HIM's in 2011 but I think that the HIM would be a great challenge and with my husband and I thinking about starting a family in 2011 I'd love to be able to put in the training and do a HIM before our lives totally change.

So question for BT - does this make sense? Am I being conservative enough with ramping up to hopefully avoid injury? Should I stick to Oly's next year or does it make sense to shoot for the HIM?

Thank you!!! This is seriously a fantastic community.