Well said, Eden.

If there are any training races in your area in the early season (early spring) or skills camps, try those. Usually, training races are cheap, and they can be a bit slower and more low-key. It's a good place for beginner racers to get used to being in a race situation.

I will also re-emphasize the importance of doing some good group rides beforehand to get used to being in close quarters with others. Skills clinics can help you learn to deal with tight cornering, bumps, and some of the more frightening things that may happen in a race that may not on a stable group ride. If you have good bike handling skills and some good instincts, you can probably do without those clinics, but at minimum, do a lot of group riding.

There is a lot more to racing than fitness, but a lot of the skills that make you a good racer you tend to get just by doing a lot of races. It also helps to join a local team (though not required for the W4's). With some support, you can learn a lot about race tactics, have people to train with, and they can also help you on race day just with warming up, viewing the course, and even handling easy things like pinning your number on right. You don't have to race just because you join a team--you can do as much or as little as you want, really, because you're not going to be on an elite squad right off the bat. Spend the fall and winter getting to know the groups in your area, and then give racing a try next spring.