Non-Milestone milestones

What's the word for something you noticed -- that isn't exactly concrete (like being down 25 pounds or walking 10 miles or something) but is still significant?  Milestones are big and monumental, right?  And yet, I recently noticed something, and then I noticed something else that ... seemed remarkable.  To me, anyway :)

Thing 1:
You know how when you're crossing a street and it's obvious a car is waiting for you to finish crossing so they can turn?  It's human nature to speed up to get out of their way as quickly as possible, right?  Well, I've noticed in recent years in that situation that I couldn't actually run very well.  Or if I *did* run, just that short distance, I'd be out of breath and feel that "run" in my shins and other body parts for quite a while afterward.  Sad.  Except not so much any more!  You know what I can do now?  I can actually sprint across the street.  A real, honest-to-goodness sprint!  And I can keep running after I cross it.  Or stop running and resume walking ... without being any more out of breath than I was on the other side of the street.  Which is pretty remarkable to me :)

Thing 2:

And then the other day, I walked 8 miles (I know, right?  And that's not even the Thing!), and realized something amazing when I got home.  One of the pairs of pants I walk in are a very snug pair of capris.  At some point during my walk (usually near the beginning), the bottom hem inches up and they are gathered at my knee for the rest of the walk.  I might pull them down at a stoplight, but basically, they are a small tourniquet around my knee for most walks.  Only THIS day, when I got home and did some stretches on the front porch, I realized something amazing.  They were still capri-length!!!  This is a big accomplishment and definitely one for the non-milestones milestone list.

Oh, and my reward for doing 8 miles?  I saw three deer at Mile 5!

They were super close.  Seriously.  Cars were slowed down, people were taking pictures ... it was amazing.