Originally Posted by
tjakins
The total ride was about 11.5 miles (got too dark my wife had to come and get me 1/2 a mile from my house) and the most I've ever done before then was ~5.5 miles.
You need to buy a light set. You can get decent ones that will light up pot holes before you hit them, and let oncoming cars know you're there, for $20 to $30. I was against buying lights for a while - I had spent most of a grand on a bike, sprang (sprung?) for a computer, etc, and lights ... where does it end? But they're really nice to have, and dark times are coming.
Originally Posted by
tjakins
I had to walk up a few hills that defeated me, and therein lies my question. Should I find somewhere I can pedal constantly (i.e. flat ground with hills that I can handle) or is it okay to challenge myself this early out and have to walk up a few and take a break? [...]I'm super proud of yesterday
There lies your answer. You had a good time, and you're proud of yourself for the effort you put in (and the results it got you) so yes, it's perfectly ok. There aren't really (m)any hard and fast rules to cycling; you're doing it for yourself, and I think the real goal for most people is to have a good time.
Also, if you enjoy yourself on rides with hills, you'll wind up climbing more and more of them because they're part of a fun route, and you'll get better at climbing.