So here’s my follow up - I ended up signing up and going.
It was cold and windy, and just as the gun went off, it started raining. It was a really hard race, and while I’m not sure I would call it fun, I think it was a worthwhile experience. This was my second road race, the first of which was just as hilly. I am left wondering if (hilly) road races are for me. I ended up finishing midpack (22/46), but I got dropped around mile 40, which was 100% due to the fact that I have no confidence on descents and I was taking them waaay to slow. I had no problem descending off the front, but being mid-pack in a Cat 5 peloton going 40mph downhill was nerve-wracking to say the least. Being a bigger guy, this is where I should have been making up my deficits from the climbs. There were also a few crashes I missed but luckily they didn’t appear to be too serious.
I slid out on a downhill late last year so maybe that is what is impacting my confidence. For now, I think I’m going to stick to crits/flatter RR’s and work on getting my race experience there.