As others have mentioned, you don't need ascended gear if you're not going to be doing higher lvl fractals. There's also a useful guide (gw2crafts.net) if you want to have a guide that is constantly updated with the most optimal way to get your crafting professions maxed. I've used it for every profession, and it has been incredibly useful for me and many others. At the end of the day, everyone was where you are right now at some point in time. I've been playing this game since beta, but I had to take a break from WvW because of school and am now back with no mount. shrug In two hours, I had completed everything but the reward track for the mount. So, it's not difficult and it's definitely doable. Does it suck that everyone is way faster than you? Sure, but you can't expect it all to be equal between a player who has poured months and months into the game and someone who has only been around for a few weeks.