DG! Well, there's no rule that says that n+1 needs to be more expensive than n. I'm glad you've kept Mrs. Jones. Anything that gets you riding regularly is the right thing to do.

3 months ago I started a new job that required an 8 mile bike commute after several years of staying at home. I remember one of the first nights returning from work, I had to stop to rest while rolling down hill. I'm better now, but there are still some parts of the route that require me to take breaks. So do it, but be easy on yourself.