Quote Originally Posted by betagirl

What do you guys think my chances are of being somewhat competitive? I don't need to win, though it'd be nice I just don't want to finish last in my first race.
I'll tell you what a pro MTB racer told me when I was thinking about racing and concerned about my abilities. "Don't think so much about it. Just go sign up in the beginner's class and see what happens."

Honestly, what's the worst that can happen? You end up dead last? I did last year, and I'm still here to tell the tale. Not only that, the race (specifically, I think, the training I did for the race) improved my riding a ton, which to me is really what it's all about. All sorts of racers were super-supportive of me racing, regardless of the result. You're not expected to do well on your first race, anyway, though it's a bonus -- you're still figuring out what the heck's going on!

Everyone has to start somewhere, and I guaran-dam-tee you that you will get better faster if you race than if you don't, especially if your goal is speed. The best way to train for races is to race!