Thank you guys for the advice thus far. And don't worry, I'm not getting anywhere near traffic for a while. I've been the person in the car behind the cyclist before. The thought of putting myself at the mercy of the general public is even more terrifying than just learning to ride the bike.

I'm excited about this opportunity though. I could have signed up for a non-cycling event, but it is time for me to overcome this ridiculous fear. I am in the process of looking for a nice soft place to practice - LOL. My goal is to be clipped in by the end of February. I'm doing a lot of spin classes too. I figure they will help me improve my cardiovascular endurance while I'm still learning the basic mechanics of riding.