Hiya Edgewater,
I live in Rhode Island now but I'm familiar with your area. I'm new to this cycling biz also. I began last year about this same time riding a bit on the local bike path. Lo and behold, by summers end, entirely unintentionally, I'd ridden 2800 miles. It seems just putzing around on the bike path was just the right effort to build what serious cyclists call base miles. For us noobies, in this period you'll dial in the fit until the bike begins to feel comfortable. For me and many others this involved trying a number of different saddles until finally finding one that worked for 4-5 hours of riding as well as adjusting saddle and handlebar position. My bike is now very comfortable but the process is not entirely complete. Also, this involves slowly getting stronger in the legs but the rest of body also adapts.
I would say, find some areas you enjoy riding and your fitness and mileage will go up in due time. Hills are a killer for me. They hurt a lot but I'm getting better and you will too. A local bike shop may be able to help finding rides in your area you will enjoy. There is some very pretty country in western N.J. A local cycling club can help finding good riding areas. There will be good info for you in the beginners forum.