Am I getting stronger?

Wow. I had an unexpected great ride home tonight. I may be starting to come into form for the spring. I had a tough day at work. I didn't drink enough, and got on the bike dehydrated and thirsty. I felt like I was getting a little winded easily on the climb up Broadway. The first few hundred meters up Terwilliger were shaky, and I was still thirsty. But then almost without noticing it, I was spinning out my first gear and had clicked into second. Hmm..maybe I'm getting stronger! As usual, I was dancing right on the edge of my anaerobic threshold. And then...I saw the blinky light in the distance of another bike. Could it be? Could I be climbing faster than another rider? I know this person isn't racing me. But you know, I still wanted to catch him, and I did. I blew by him, and as I did I noticed he was trim and fit looking, wearing serious gear and riding a serious bike. Wow! Yeah, I know he wasn't racing me. But still! Energized, I unconsciously spun out second gear and shifted to third, and I was still feeling OK. Could it last? Turning onto Capital highway, I recovered briefly with soft pedaling before hitting it hard again. I rode in one or two gears higher the remaining distance to the top of the hill in Multnomah Village.