Learn to love the hills.
I attempted the Cumberland Challenge in 2009 and faced my first real hill Harside, all other things that I thought were hills turned out to be just bumbs in the road. I set out to do the 112 mile route sweated my way up Hartside painfully slow in the granny ring, I was amazed as the club riders zoomed past me with nonchalant ease. Although I thought I was going to have a heart attack I was filled with a wondrous sense of achievement upon reaching the top.
Reaching the half way point 5 hours later I called it a day (I still got a lovely certificate) feeling like an abject failure. I approached the ride in a cavalier fashion and forgot to do the training that I promised myself. Up to that point I was commuting 11 miles over bumpy roads.
Anyway my point is I had the chance to ride over Hartside again this month and spun up without the feeling of imminent cardiac failure, I'll go so far as to say I really enjoyed conquering the hill. So that was 2 years later and lots of mountain passes, once you get to the top of your first big hill you realise that anything is possible. If you have to put your foot down it just gives you greater incentive to beat the hill next time.
I love hills me...
