On Target: Rest/Race Week

Nifty, nifty. Guess who ran 50? Last week's mileage was capped off with a 10-mile race pace run on Saturday and a 20-miler Sunday while I was visiting newly relocated family in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

My 20-miler was tough. I carried my water bottle, but never saw anywhere to refill it, and it was empty with five miles to go. But that wasn't the tough part.

The Enthusiast decided to come with me to the park and walk Dobson while I ran. When I reached my turnaround, I turned on my phone and called her to say I was on my way back. She sounded scared.

Dobson had gotten startled by some noise and ran into her leg and caused a blood clot. I was 12 miles into my run and felt helpless. I was at least five miles from where she was hurt and about three miles from the last road crossing.

Thankfully, she was able to call my family to come pick her up, and she didn't require medical attention. It was a frightening situation. She told me to finish my run. After the phone call, I logged two of my fastest miles, but I couldn't sustain that pace with the heat and lack of water.

The blood clot seems to have dissipated. The Enthusiast is in some pain but otherwise she's OK, which is all that matters.

Akron Marathon Training Week 12:

• Tuesday was a form-focused five-miler with a smashed toe to flush out a good, bad, and ugly Week 11 (10:08 pace).
• Wednesday was a 10-mile barefoot learning experience (8:59 pace).
• Before the Flashback Friday picture show, I ran five miles down the R.I.P Hill on Memorial Parkway and wore shoes for the first time all week (9:11 pace).
• Saturday's 10-miler was 0n the Rivergreenway in Fort Wayne (8:53 pace).
• Sunday's 20-miler was also on the Rivergreenway and was a minute faster per mile than my last 20-miler (10:13 pace).

My weekly total was 50 miles, my highest ever and the first of my twin peaks. I will reenact Week 12 in Week 14 after the Buckeye Half Marathon this Sunday and before tapering for the Akron Marathon in just five weeks. Aside from the race this weekend, this is a rest week with 35 miles on deck.

Do you remember this post? I declared way back in January that I wanted to average 20 miles per week. I've been in the hole for most of this year. But when I plugged in my runs from the weekend, my log showed that I have caught up to my goal with a current weekly average of 20.1 miles. Back on target! Now about those PRs ...