Originally Posted by Scorer75
What I'm saying is, there is nothing wrong with a nice cruise, but also nothing wrong with going as fast as you can at times. I find mixing the two of them up to me a more effective method anyways.
One other thing you might try is just riding different gears on different days. Some days I push hard gears, others, I spin smaller gears. Both make you a better rider but use different muscles and other associated body parts so it's nice to switch off.
+1 To the OP, because you've got some climbs on your route, you can try a controlled pace. That is, do the high RPMs that you're used to but as you go into the decent, let up. As soon as you start to feel out of breath, let up.
Also, if you've got a HRM laying around, it might be time to wear it for a week or two to get a few metrics.