Update: Been a few weeks now, my longest ride has been 6 miles on fairly flat terrain. Last night i ran the same path i posted earlier to see if there was a change in my performance. I ran the same distance plus more in the same amount of time at an average of 10mph with no stops. The legs/lungs are starting to get used to a bit of torture. Best part? Climbing stairs doesnt wind me nearly as badly as it did. Doing the Trek Century challenge, going to try to get a good 5-10 miles in tonight. By the end of the month I would like to be doing 10 mile rides on average. Bike is finally set up the way i want it. Will bring it into the shop Friday for a quick check over. My only gripe is i absolutely hate the pedals (specialized city commuters) and would like to get something with a bit more grip.