After 2 weeks with my first real road bike (Cannondale synapse feminine five compact double), I feel like I'm finally making progress. Today, I:
1. made it up a 7 mile long hill without stopping (that hill had been freaking me out, but it turned out not to be hard at all)
2. drank from my water bottle without stopping
3. went down into the drops and pedaled on the 7 mile hill back down!
4. learned how to stand and pedal up hill, even though I actually didn't need to on the hill
5. and most importantly, had a blast

Most of my earlier pains have gone away, except for numbness in one foot, so I need to work on that.

And someday, maybe I'll get up my nerve to learn how to draft.