indy - I've experienced the same thing you talked about. I'm still trying to find MY best way to make it up hills. Rollers - I attack. Hills - no way. I've done the hit them hard thing - I just blow up. I've done the spin like mad thing - I just blow up. I'm now working on just trying to keep a decent cadence and not downshift too quickly. The other riders in my group still blow by me but I am getting to the top more quickly than before and I usually pass them at the top as they slow way down trying to catch their breath and I just keep going at my speed. Hummm...maybe they are just waiting on me and not trying to catch their breath....no, I hear them breathing hard as I go by.
Which is hard to do...it's hard to hear them breathing over my gasping for breath.
As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence." ~Benjamin Franklin