First off, is that a new picture of your dog Bad Ju Ju? I love it!

Second, thanks for the advice. I do have a triple with a 12-25 cassette so I think my gearing is appropriate for climbing. When some of you talk of "mountains," I feel really guilty because all we have in Indiana are hills. Admittedly, some of them are rather steep, e.g., 17-20% grade, but they're all relatively short. Because they're so steep, it's hard to restart if I stop to catch my breatch because you need so much momentum to get moving again.

I try hard to remember that I am a newbie and that I should keep my expectations in check. What's frustrating for me is that many of my friends who ride have been doing so for a long time and take it for granted that it takes time and training to climb well. One friend in particular has done the Triple Bypass twice and climbed Mt. Mitchell. She talked me into the Hilly Hundred and, in so doing, kept dismissing my climbing fears/issues. (I would note that she herself completed the Hilly w/o using her little ring--using instead her 42-teeth middle ring). I appreciated her encouragment, but I think it helps somtimes when people acknowledge that these skills don't just develop overnight, nor are they just a product of innate ability.

Anyway, I'll report back after my meeting with my trainer. Hopefully, if I do a bit of everything in the coming year--weights, actual climbing, spinning, interval training--I'll get better at climbing (and a lot of other things too). Here's hoping!