Hills that I used to granny out on, I now motor up 3 or 4 above granny. Hills I used to downshift on I don't, or upshift on. Speed up most of my climbs up several mph. I was by no means a climber before, nor am I one now, but I can highly recommend this routine, especially to those not following any structured training.

Routine is geared to a trainer or on the road, but we managed to convert to spinner fairly easily.

edit: if you decide to give it a try, I'd be interested in your results next spring.