Week two of training

Well week two is in the bag and I must say that I have definitely been tested.
The weather is starting to prove that it is winter time.
On Tuesday we ran 3.3 miles with two quarter mile sprints, one in the beginning and one at the end. It was a good day, not too cold or windy. On Thursday we ran 4 miles at a regular pace but the wind started to pick up. I say we because I am referring to a friend at work. This is our lunch time ritual. We have been doing this for sometime now. I can not exactly remember when we started but it was before the summer began. Come to find out that if I was not running at lunch time, neither would he which he is going to be running the Shamrock half marathon. So I motivate and inspire someone. That felt great to hear.
Now on to Friday where the wind did not let up. It started Thursdays afternoon and really started to pick up Thursday night and into Friday morning. When I got up Friday I was tired, but I needed to follow the training. There was nothing wrong with me. Sure I could have picked any excuse in the book, you know the one that has been mentioned in numerous podcasts of late. I can not remember exactly which one but it could be the run run live podcast or the Phedippidations podcast, or the runners roundtable or runners lounge. The title of the book is: Coach, I didn't run because...: Excuses not to Run by Coach Dean Hebert.
I could have crawled back into bed and put it off, but I just could not do it. I went out and ran 3.28 miles in a howling cold wind. It was worth it. Sure I hated being out there, but I felt so much better when I was done.
So now comes the weekend and my long run. A friend of mine from the local running group was doing an ultra on Saturday and a couple of other guys were going down to run with him on the last 10 miles. They invited me. I was tempted to go but I was hesitate as I did not want to run too much. What I mean is that I ran on Thursday and Friday so I wanted to rest on Saturday and do the long run on Sunday, instead of running on Thursday Friday and Saturday.
Well, there is part of me that was thinking I should bite the bullet and run on Saturday but I did not. Enter the book of excuses.... Saturday night it starts to rain. Temperature drops to hover around the freezing mark. I wake up to a wet morning, but no wind thankfully.
Well I met up with the local running group at the predetermined location for a 12 mile trail run.
It was cold and raining. Including me there was 4 of us. Being that I am the "rookie Marathoner in training" I was instructed to set the pace. This was a change for me as I usually am the one playing catch up with the others, but it was fine. No one really said anything we were all glad for each others company on that cold rainy day. After a while we all forgot it was raining. I can not really tell you what we talked about. A lot of this and a lot of that and a lot of nothing in particular. We all joked and said that if it was not for the group we would not have come out to run today. We all inspired each other that day.
So week two in the bag with a total of 22.58 miles. WOW! who would have thought!
Thanks for reading.