Originally posted on the TROG Forum.
Others have probably already said it better than
me, but I'd suggest that to begin with you should just sign up and aim
to enjoy yourself and see how you do 
The mix of abilities at MSG and WS is huge, and once you get a couple of races under your belt you get a feel for where you 'belong' in the pack and then you can set your own goals for where you want to be next time.
As for training, I don't tend to have any real structure to it... To begin with I was entering 2 hour races, so all I did was ensure I was comfortable riding for that amount of time. I then rode with people who were quicker than me which helped me to up my pace and gradually I've worked up the pack.
Ultimately though I have to fit in riding around 'real' life so I tend to nip out for 30min blasts before work when I can (much easier on warm, light summer mornings than cold wet winter ones!) and try to do a longer mid-week ride and a longer weekend ride (again with people who are quicker than me - although sometimes it's good to back off a bit and just get some miles in rather than speed).
Lately I've had some challenges with mates on Endomondo which has been great for motivating me to get out of the house when I'd rather be tucked up in a nice warm bed.
For what it's worth, I've never been on the race training rides so I've no idea how well I'd be able to keep up with them.
The mix of abilities at MSG and WS is huge, and once you get a couple of races under your belt you get a feel for where you 'belong' in the pack and then you can set your own goals for where you want to be next time.
As for training, I don't tend to have any real structure to it... To begin with I was entering 2 hour races, so all I did was ensure I was comfortable riding for that amount of time. I then rode with people who were quicker than me which helped me to up my pace and gradually I've worked up the pack.
Ultimately though I have to fit in riding around 'real' life so I tend to nip out for 30min blasts before work when I can (much easier on warm, light summer mornings than cold wet winter ones!) and try to do a longer mid-week ride and a longer weekend ride (again with people who are quicker than me - although sometimes it's good to back off a bit and just get some miles in rather than speed).
Lately I've had some challenges with mates on Endomondo which has been great for motivating me to get out of the house when I'd rather be tucked up in a nice warm bed.
For what it's worth, I've never been on the race training rides so I've no idea how well I'd be able to keep up with them.
