Nice bike my man. Contratz! I have a very similar bike, a 2018 Giant Contend SL1 Disc. Got about 2K miles on it, purchased in June 2019. Prior to that I had a Walmart $150 hybrid Schwinn. Started out 230lbs and only making it 10mi and was exhausted. But like you I got the bug and just kept at it. After 2K miles on that hybrid doing a 20mile loop, I upgraded to the Giant and haven’t looked back. Love everything about the bike.
I use a 3L camel bag and two 28oz bottles. I only use the camel when I do my big ride once a month. For me that is now a 55-60 mile trek! My typical ride is 43miles and I’m holding a pretty steady 17.5 mph pace with about 2K in climbing. Amazing to think about it really, after my 60mile ride the next day I do a slow pace recovery ride that is way faster than anything I did two years ago!
Anyways keep it up man and good luck. Like you, I can wait to see where this journey takes me.
JAG