Beginner to road biking/want to start racing!

[alison_in_oh]

Here's a race calendar pulled up on google:
http://www.nybc.net/clubs/calendar/2005raceevents.shtml

Ooh, and another:
http://spokepost.com/calendar/

I strongly suggest getting *some* group riding skills. A good start would probably be a circuit race, which tends to have a longer lap therefore a more technical course that breaks things up a bit, but without having the tedious miles of a road race. Go to the race site, check to see that they have Cat 4 women field, and do it! Show up about an hour before start time, register, warm up, and do your darnedest.

Heck, c'mon out to the Raccoon Rally, http://www.heartrateup.com/ and join the men's 4/5 group like I'm going to!

[abarensfeld7]

Awesome, everyone has been so helpful...keep it up!!!

I went for a relatively "fast" ride this afternoon -- 11.40miles, 40:30 including a huge 8-minute hill. I was hoping for a few minutes less but I wasn't going top effort and I didn't have much sleep last night....

Then rounded up the crew (sis, mom, dad) and got them all out for an 8-mile-slow-as-molasses cruise. My mom just got one of those "cruiser" bikes by Electra and it definitely offers up a lot of wind resistence! ha.

Oh yeah -- and I should have mentioned from the start that I don't plan on entering a race until August or September.

[RoadRaven]

Then rounded up the crew (sis, mom, dad) and got them all out for an 8-mile-slow-as-molasses cruise. My mom just got one of those "cruiser" bikes by Electra and it definitely offers up a lot of wind resistence! ha.

Great that you are going out with others now, but you'll find the experienced cyclists at the club you are planning on joining will be able to share road/courtesy/race protocols with you as well. How to take turns at the front, how to warn others there is rubbish on the road, how to slow down without making evryone else pile into you... etc etc

Oh yeah -- and I should have mentioned from the start that I don't plan on entering a race until August or September.

Great, you have plenty of time to get the pack experience. And when you enter, enter as much for the experience as for the race, as you know from rugby - a training session feels quite different to a match against rivals.