Should I "race" ?

[bellissima]

Wheeeee!! Rode 15 miles of singletrack(ish) today! That course is definitely doable, though one climb is kinda nasty at the end.

I went from "OMG THIS IS A BAD IDEA" to "ok, well I'll take it slow and keep checking the course, I can at least try to ride it" to "I'm kinda tired, but lets do a lap and time it, just to know" to "if I finish this in less than half an hour, I'll sign up for the race." Last year's beginner field was between 38 minutes and an hour, and I don't mind being DFL but not by an entire lap.

I finished a lap in 22 minutes, not going as hard as I could.

You should do it and just have fun