First Cross race ever
 

ANd i liked it, I was beat as H3ll at the end tho, I have pictures.

I raced in group C and came second to last, wich in my mind is okay
I was using my MTB cause my cyclocross friend sucked me in to racing

1. I kept breathing hard all race, how can i stop, get in better shape?

2. now im hooked, parents bought me a road bike last xmas, and on my birhtday i expect a car probably
when season reopens again in jan. should i just race with the mtb, What should i look for in a used Xc bike, i want one :D

Where was the race?

You can do well with the mountain bike but a cx bike is better. In a used cx bike I would just make sure it's not beat up and shifts gears well, wheels are true and of course that it fits. There are lots of different cross set ups. For example my bike is just an old steel frame touring bike. I have a single chain ring up front and a 12-30 freewheel with one bar con shifter. It have an XT rear derailleur. I saw and A racer last weekend with a barcon for the rear derailleur and a down tube shifter for the front.

The thing you probably cannot do is build one up from a road racing frame because it will not have clearance for larger tires or the proper braze onns for canti brakes.

How many teeth? Just curious.

It was in north carolina heres the local club site
www.sandhillscyclingclub.org