My first commute was over a year ago. I was a regular runner before that, so I thought "hey, this will be a piece of cake!" 1 hour and 20 minutes later on my 9.5 mile route, after huffing and puffing and toiling uphill most of the way, I thought I could die!

Now it takes me 45 minutes to get to work, and under 30 to get home (you can guess which way the hills are!) I don't really "push" or sprint either, just keep a steady pace. The point is; it does get better.

Remember, primarily you want to keep your 80-100 rpm spin, in whatever gear you can sustain that in. However, some mornings go a bit slower on the flats and downhills, and then really push the uphills. Maintain at LEAST 60-80 rpm in a gear that has your quads burning. Then at the top, stop and drink and rest before moving on.

If you don't do any "hill training", the mere act of cycling regularly will eventually find you at the point where you're wondering when the improvement actually happened, but happen it did. A little over a year after my 9.5 mile ride of pain, I just completed a century ride, at a good pace with the "main group", and it was great!

Just like running...it is different muscles, but stick with it and you'll find that you do get better.

By the by, are you a KU grad?