I love this forum. I asked a question and got so many great suggestions. Thanks so much! I did get a new saddle and used it for the first time on a 65 mile ride - yeah, probably not the best idea - but it turned out to be great! Much of the saddle-area aches were alleviated. I also tried out Hoo Ha Ride Glide and that was a great addition as well. Highly recommend that stuff. A professional fitting is probably a good idea and could help with my low back issues, although they are something I have been dealing with for years and I am actually amazed at how little my back has been troubling me with all the riding I've been doing. Getting back to the clipless pedals, I appreciate all the recommendations and look forward to monkeying around with them more after I get through this event! And I'm going to get the book RubyTuesday mentioned. I love that there's something out there written especially for women. Thank you all again for all the great responses.