Looking to make a big step

Welcome to BT Erica. You're right, there is a lot of info out there, and sometimes it seems like you are drinking it in from a firehose. It's tough to say if a HIM is too big, as it depends on you. A few things to ask yourself:

1. Are you looking to compete or complete?
2. Are you ready to commit to a training schedule that could include some fairly long (2-3) hour days?
3. Will the base you've built from your earlier training get you off on the right foot?

Here's the good news:

1.  You're on this site with a bunch of resources that can help you.
2.  You have 8 months to get ready if that is what you decide to do.

So, take some time to figure out where you are and what your goals are. Try to break the information into managable chunks to avoid overload. If you want to get more help from some knowledgable folks, check out some of the mentor forums, there are some smart and supportive people in there. And most of all, have fun with it! Enjoy the journey. 

Welcome to BT Erica,

BT is good, but also look for a local club.  I've been involved in clubs in Illinois and North Carolina. and I've been on BT for 9 years now.  

You most certainly CAN be prepared for a HIM in 8 months.  I did two sprints in 2005 and signed up for a HIM as my main race in 2006.  

Train to avoid injury and then race based on your training.  If you've had knee problems, running may be a challenge.  Race walk if running continues to hurt your knees.  We had a guy in the Illinois club that walked the "run" portion of IMmoo one year and he still finished sub-14.  He'd put on a pair of hiking boots and a cat-in-the-hat ensemble and walk and wave, walk and wave.