The mileage isn’t what matters here.

Instead, it’s what I did.  

I wanted to do more.  I long to do more.  But I’m trying to be smart.

It’s not how far, it’s how I did it.

Today I ran one mile.  Big deal.  

But it was.  

For the first time since my surgery, heck for the first time since last October 6 & 7 (yes, I keep track of these things…don’t all runners track their runs?) I ran on consecutive days.

Back-to-Back.  

Day-after-day.

I ran on consecutive days.

I did the two mile run yesterday, in 20:29, which was fifteen second faster than my previous two mile effort.  That’s good stuff.  

Today (I am being smart and not pushing this too far) I ran just one controlled mile at eleven minutes.  Calm, controlled, simple.  Easy.  (Well, it was actually a tougher mile than I thought since my legs were tired.  It has been a beautiful weekend so, in addition to running, I also took two 3.25 mile walks with my wife.)  But it wasn’t a hard run.  I was just less “fluid” as I would have hoped.  My almost 52-year-old muscles and bones keep reminding me of my age and the long lay-off that came with the surgical repair.

Anyway, this was another step.  A big step.  A big step in the right direction.

I plan to do two miles on Wednesday and then on Friday, I plan to do a slow, controlled, and even 3.0 miles.  (Friday is a big day because it will be my 300th consecutive day of exercising.  I even exercised the day of surgery and the day and in the days after.  Those were exercises with weights sitting in a chair, but I still forced myself to lift, even though I had a great excuse to take those days off.  I know only one direction – forward.) (What, doesn’t everyone track their exercise days?)

181 days until the New York City Marathon.