Quote Originally Posted by ChainsOflove
Thanks for the encouragement Pink! The "Jump in" theory is a way of life for me--except with anything athletic, which for me takes a lot of courage.

I"m not ashamed of being the oldest/fattest/slowest, I just want to be safe and I don't want to be unnecessarily traumatized.
On a track it doesn't sound to bad - with a field of 12 it should not be too scary - you can always go off the back it you are getting too nervous. If you are going to be passed you want to stay to one side or the other, don't make an sudden moves or slow down- keep pedaling, and just wait for the group to go around you. Its really not too bad.

I've done a local weeknight training race in a mixed field of guys and gals a couple of times. I expect to get lapped in this race (sometimes more than once ) and some of the newbie guys that show up there do make me very nervous, but I've never felt in any danger by being passed by the pack. Since it is a training race the organizers are very liberal about its running. If you are about to be lapped at the corner (it is a bad corner since it is off camber and more than 90 degrees) you can go off of the course and jump back on the back for the next lap.

By all means - go and watch once or twice if it really worries you and find out if they have a class before the races start - our local crit training race has a cornering class that runs each week before the first race that is free with your entry, but it sounds like a good way to introduce yourself to racing.