road bike & hand pain?

I tried out my first road bike (a women's specific Madone 6 w/ultegra components) while on vacation this winter, and found that using the hand brakes really hurt my extra-small hands by the end of the ride (muscle pain from using the brakes, not vibrations). Has anyone else had this problem before? Any recommendations for group sets that work well with small hands? Most of my riding has been done on a hybrid with straight bars and top brakes.

People with small hands tend to favor Campagnolo, and to a lesser extent SRAM, over Shimano.

Shimano also has an Ultegra grade short-reach shifter set designated R700. The current WSD Madones spec the regular shifters.

Handlebars and lever position also play into your ability to reach the levers. If you'll be working with a fitter to choose and build your new bike, that'll be something to work out.