I'm a cat5 this year (racing age 43), and I usually enter the master's 4/5 race if it's offered. Maybe it's a maturity thing, but the master's cat 4/5 races usually seem to be a little less dangerous/chaotic. Only time I might prefer an open 4/5 or 5-only race is if the race length is different from the master's (one race I did a few weeks ago, the open 4/5 race was 42 miles versus 32 for the master's, for example).

No such thing as a Masters Cat5 race, whether combined with Cat4's or not. What you are referring to are age grouped Cat4/5.

?? See https://s3.amazonaws.com/USACFlyers/FL_2014-721.pdf

Thank you for the input. I am staying on the 40+ Cat 4/5 category. There are only 10 riders in it so far anyway. I just hope to learn the ropes since this is my first race ever. I will be doing a climb race, a crit (these two the same day), and a road race (the next day).

Keep your head and eyes looking up the road as much as possible. Beyond that have fun and let us know how it goes!

Thank you for all your input. I had a lot of fun. On the climb, I was too conservative and was the last to arrive in my category, but lesson learned. I manage to finish in just over 30 minutes at an average of 7.7 MPH. See Strava if interested. https://www.strava.com/activities/296896145. That climb was followed later in the evening by a crit, where I go killed! I only lasted about 7 minutes....I got pulled just before I got lapped...that was tough! (first crit also). The next day it was a 35 miles road race, where I did better - I placed 22 out of 31. The road race was a lot of fun, i enjoyed it the most of all three races. Thank you again for all your input!

The operative word was "fun", and I'm glad you enjoyed yourself! No worries on the crit, many of us have experienced such results in their early attempts. Just keep doing them!

Congratulations!

As long as:

1. You had fun
2. Stayed safe
3. You learned lessons

then it's all good.

As for having been pulled... I doubt that there are many that haven't been pulled in their first years racing. I like to reflect back to what [MENTION=95878]Racer Ex[/MENTION] wrote a while back. Something about sending cadaver dogs out looking for the victim.

Heck, I've had buzzards circling me.

As an example; my crit career as a CAT5. Racing age 56

1st crit - lapped early
2nd crit - lapped early
3rd crit - pulled
4th crit - pulled a wheelsucker for 7 laps only to have him go by me in the last couple hundred meters for 8th place. Really? Well, it was a good FTP test
5th crit - 4th. Lapped by 1st through 3rd. Tough .7 mile course that was ~100'/mile gain. Ufda for an old overweight guy.

Keep racing and I'd suggest trying TT's. They are a hoot!

There is no glory lost in being pulled (woman's perspective)! In my first season I was pulled more often than not, in most EVERY race I did. Hang in there!