Volunteering is the way to go, you just have to get there.

4 yrs ago I gave up on ironman. Last year I decided to take some swimming lessons... I'm signing up for IMWI 2009. If you want it, get out there and get it. Heart is all it takes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTn1v5TGK_w&feature=related

I just saw the document with all of the qualifying times from last year's races in North America (didn't see Louisville). Here's the link: http://www.insideoutsports.com/downloads/IMQualify07.pdf.

As said above, don't quit your job just yet! It will take lots of juggling to train a lot and work at the same time but that's how most people get started.
10 hours might get you into the worlds but might not, it all depends on who shows up on race day and, frankly, relative to the male age groupers that make it to Kona, it's not that fast. It also depends on which IM you're doing, how it plays to your strengths and how tough it is for you. I know a guy at IMLP who didn't qualify in his AG with a 9:50 on what is arguably a tough course (which should have equaled slower times for everyone). And unfortunately for you, the older you get, the tougher your competition is (until you hit the 45+ age groups and even then...)

No need for a coach but do find a really good training program (pay for one if you have to, the canned ones are less than $200) and learn as much as you can about training for tri's. A lot of professional triathletes also coach to make ends meet (because being pro isn't usually that lucrative - the 1st place person at IMLP got $8,500, which, as my significant other puts it "won't even pay for your hip replacement!")

Finally, don't get discouraged! Your first IM may throw you for a loop but practice makes perfect!

Hey Luke, welcome back to the world of Tris, and good luck on your upcoming race this weekend. I would definitely say it's worthwhile to have your dreams and goals out there in front of you. Who knows, you may end up on the Pro circuit some day. As for making a living out of it, that is pretty hard to do, with needing to win multiple races a year. There's a big difference between a high-placing age-grouper and a pro in terms of both finish times and overall daily, weekly, monthly commitment to what you're doing.

As for getting into a name-brand Ironman quickly in order to qualify for Kona, I would say it's not such a bad plan to race your Vineman first. Most people don't typically qualify for Kona on their first IM, largely because it's such a learning experience. And often the finish time that people predict is a "best case scenario" time. That means if everything comes to a perfect peak and absolutely nothing goes wrong (heat, stomach problems, injuries, flats on the bike, etc.) then you can hit that time. However, often events beyond your control come between you and the time of your dreams. This is even true for experienced IM'ers. A friend of mine just had his slowest Ironman ever this year, and it was his sixth! Stomach problems hit him from out of the blue, never been an issue before. You never know what to expect when you're going this kind of distance.

One good rule of thumb for estimating Ironman times is to do some half-Iron distance races. Take your time from a HIM, double it and add about 10%. That usually gives a pretty good ballpark of where your Ironman will fall, timewise. 10 hours may or may not qualify you for worlds, it will depend on the race course, the course conditions, and who else shows up.

For training, what kind of coaching and training plan you need is a very individual thing. It's definitely a good idea to find a good training plan, as more than anything it will help you focus your training in the right places and keep you from overtraining. Adding distance to your training program will start helping you prepare for the very different animal that an IM-distance race can be, and it will allow you to start experimenting with the pacing and nutrition that you'll need to figure out before your longer races.

All the best in your upcoming races!