Thanks so much for the encouragement, everyone! So much more gratifying than the "oh, yay for you getting up a hill" looks I got after telling other non-cycling folks yesterday after my ride.

Nightowl - sorry to hear about your accident. Hope you recover quickly. I'm a big believer in getting back on the horse that threw you asap, too, so I'm glad I was able to provide a little virtual support on your slog up a hill. I've gotten so much inspiration from this community, I'm happy I could help someone else out.