I want to race!

... but I really have no idea where to start. I do group rides but I'm the only female and it seems to be a completely different system.

How do I train for crits if I cant keep up with the men's race pace group rides?

How fast is a cat 3/4 race anyway? How fast should I be able to ride before I attempt something like that?

I cant find any results for the local races that have pacing info and times so I have no idea what a women's field acctually looks like. Are there any women on here that race enough to answer some questions?

Thanks!
-Alice

Finding a team with lots of women will be hugely beneficial to you. If nothing else, it will give you people to train with. If you don't already know of women's teams in your area, you can go to a local race (even just to watch) and see what teams show up and talk to the women of well-represented teams after the race.

To answer your question about speed, around here, cat 3/4 crits are usually an average pace of 20-23mph. However, keep in mind that this is average speed on the computer after the race. What usually gets people are the constant accelerations/surges. You will find yourself accelerating out of corners and accelerating to cover attacks and, of course, needing something left in your legs for a sprint finish.

Interval training aimed at boosting your LT, boosting your VO2 max, and boosting your top-end power will help immensely for crit racing.

Hey Alice,
I am in Florida and do the FPS series.
The women's races are a lot like doing interval training. You need to be ready to handle constant surges.
The speed varies, it depends if all of the women are together, or if they seperate them. Look at FloridaCycling.com and feel free to PM me with any questions about certain races.
I would suggest coming out and watching a race first, If you can't stay with the local group ride I would suggest perfecting that before attempting racing.

In the winter there is a training crit series in G'Ville. I would suggest doing those next year to learn handling and crit skills.

If you are comfortable riding in a pack, just go, get your 1 day License, and try it.

You will probably get dropped. No worries. If you get lapped, jump back in, hang on as long as you can.

This happens all the time at the Driveway Series here in Austin.

You will learn A TON about what you need to do to be competative.