I started gearing up in *normal* ToC because it's easier epics than most pre-ICC heroics, for equal or better ilvl. Plus you can run it however many times a day you want. Highly recommend that and normal mode of the ICC 5 mans for starter gear. See if you can go forgemaster on pit of saron normal mode for example, and you get a pretty sweet weapon (two ton hammer) -- way better than anything you're going to get out of heroics and pretty much good until you can finish heroic pit of saron to get a beheader (or get battered hilts). And yeah, if your tank is not defense capped, definitely try to get that first.