Typical mistakes:
- Going to hard at the beginning, blowing up, and then dragging yourself around the track for the next 20 minutes.
- Getting caught up with the crazies at the beginning.
I find in a beginner race a few people just ride like dicks and rather unsafe in the first ½ lap. So be aware and be careful.
I like to pace myself – preferably finding someone near my strength level (but with more experience) and pacing myself with them.
Look for places to relax and catch your breath (a little). Maybe a short downhill, where traffic is bunched up, or a section where you are really not going to gain much by pushing it.
In a beginner race, a lot of people will fall behind once the adrenalin wears off. Go strong off the line, but back off and find your rhythm quickly. Don’t use your maximum effort unless you really need to. Realistically you can only go full throttle (over your threshold heart rate) a handful of times in a race, so make it count. Save something for the last lap.
Remember to have fun.