Originally Posted by
bikesd
The last 5 miles of my commute on the way in to work is up hill. The last bit of the hill is super steep and I have always had to dismount and walk that bit until....today!
A 5 mile hill climb as part of a commute, that is quite a hill climb.
The more I get into shape, I don't find myself getting much faster, but one thing I have noticed is a quicker recovery. Perhaps you're also getting a bit quicker recovery period from increased fitness.