Liz, it sounds like you are doing amazing for only 3 weeks out. I have a Dh I get a lot of training advice from, which has been very, very helpful. But it is also nice to come on this site with other women, who understand what it is like to be a woman cyclist, and get input from them. I'm sure you'll love it here.

Remember that you will probably never be as fast as your BF unless he doesn't improve and you do. Minitabby gave great in advice in considering a tandem. Dh and I ride a tandem road bike, which is actually how I got into cycling a year ago. I go wherever he goes and we get there at exactly the same time!!! Working at our individual levels of ability and strength. I also have my own single bike now, which I also love, but I rarely ride it with Dh unless he's all set to go my pace with me, which sometimes he does. But I also enjoy going out there all by myself, going as fast or slow as I want on the route that I choose.

As for hills, they are no fun, especially at first. Dh has actually come to LOVE hills and searches out centuries that have a lot of elevation on purpose! WHATEVER!!! It's just something he has found to be good at and enjoys passing up everyone else. I have decided to make myself have a better attitude about hills, since there's no getting around them where I live, and I'm making a point to get better at them. "Hills are my friend!", I keep telling myself! The more I ride them, the better I get at them.

One little tip, when riding a hill that doesn't have a lot of traffic on it. If it's so steep that you feel like you just have to stop the bike because you can't keep going up at that grade, try turning the bike to the left and then the right, to take the hill at a lower grade. I discovered this trick a while back when trying to conquer a killer hill. Luckily, there was very little traffic.

Good luck on all your future riding adventures!!!