Hill climb blues

Greg LeMond once said about cycling that "It never gets easier; you just go faster." For me that quote encapsulates much of what cycling is about for everyone from Tour de France winners to the semi-serious club rider.
You do not have to be a cyclist to understand that cycling for more than say, 30-40 miles, is about endurance, effort and, occasionally, pain.
As you strain every sinew to grind your way to the top of a steep incline, you can be forgiven for thinking that you never want to see your bike again.  Wishing you could be spirited away to the top of the climb or placed in some nearby tea shop in the company of a steaming brew and a cherry scone.

Granny ring ahead

Of course, this doesn't happen as you select your lowest gear and try to maintain forward momentum.
But gradually, you get stronger and fitter.  Hills which you used to suffer on now roll beneath you and go unnoticed.  It's still hard, you still have to apply pressure to your pedals to get there, but you are going and, more importantly, going faster.
Soon you begin to understand that everyone else you are riding with is in the same boat: everyone is suffering on the climbs it's just that some suffer at a higher pace.
That everyone suffers provides excellent encouragement to the club rider: not in any schadenfreude way but knowing you are not alone can be a welcome tonic.
There's a good article on riding hills on this blog if you're interested.