I'm doing my first cross race in a week. It's tough to know what to expect, since you can't see the course until right before the race. My husband built some barriers in our front yard so I can practice my mounts/dismounts (see my blog below for info. on building your own). I would say that as long as you're comfortable with mounts/dismounts and have a good level of fitness, that it never hurts to give it a try. What's the worst that could happen? If you refer to my cross skills post, SheFly had some great training tips.