Two years of running – big victories and little victories

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As of today, it has been two years since I started running.

On August 25, 2010 running for even one minute at a time was a challenge. Yesterday, I ran for thee hours and 29 minutes (20 miles).

I already wrote a bit about this on Friday and I don’t have much more to add about how I did it. It was building on the little victories. 1 minute, 5 minutes, 3 miles, 10 miles, half marathon. And beyond.

It’s about doing it every day. About not getting discouraged when you fall short of your goals, but celebrating that you got out there and did SOMETHING that day. I can’t say that it ever get really easy — I still have plenty of days where I don’t want to go out and do it — but it’s become automatic, like brushing my teeth or hanging the laundry out to dry (something I do quite often, considering I’m washing 6 days worth of running clothes every day.

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(I’m halfway through laundry as I’m writing this, as you can see).

I don’t have a great epic reason for why I started running — I just wanted a change — and I found a way to make it stick. So here we are. Two years later. I think my 25-year-old self would be impressed.

Yesterday I had a great run. 19 miles on the schedule and I ran 20.

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It was the first long run in quite a long time that I had someone to run with the whole way. I started the first ten miles with a group from the Midcoast Triathlon Club that I had not run with before. The second 10 miles I did with Wanda.

Total time was 3 hours, 27 minutes. That is crazy awesome for me! My marathon pace, both times, was near 12-minute miles, and this was 20 miles (with a 5-minute break in the middle) at just over 10 minute miles.

Later in the day I went to Bangor with Tony and his mom to go to the American Folk Festival, a long time tradition. We stood around, danced, and had a great time. After I ran 20 miles. That in and of itself is a victory. Last year a 20-miler would have kept me on the couch for the rest of the day.

OK, so there are my little victories. What were yours this week?

Pattie Reaves

About Pattie Reaves

I'm a new mom and renegade fitness blogger at After the Couch. I live in Brewer with my husband, Tony, our daughter Felicity, and our two pugs, Georgia and Scoop.