Monday, 7/1

I suppose one way to look at it is that I'm getting more protein in my diet. That's one way to look at it.

We've had a really rainy year here in Marquette. We've had so much rain in the past year, in fact, that we've set a record for the wettest 12 months in recorded history. And with all that rain and assorted other moisture brings a problem that we don't usually face, at least here in the city. Because everything is so saturated, and there are often yards of wet grass or puddles of standing water here and there, there seem to be a lot of bugs everywhere.

Now, I know those of you who live outside of Marquette may scoff, seeing as how bugs are an everyday part of your life, but unless it's extremely wet here in the city we don't get a lot of bugs. In a densely packed area, you just don't. But like I said, that's not the case these days. There seem to be more insects in the air in the past week than I've ever noticed in my life.

Just how to I know that? Well, I'm basing that solely on the number of bugs I've swallowed while out running.

When you run hard your body needs lots of oxygen. And sometimes, to get enough oxygen, you have to breathe through your mouth. And sometimes, when you're breathing through your mouth while running, you inhale things you don't mean to inhale. For me, in the past few weeks when the excess moisture has led to an excess of things flying around, that means bugs.

A whole lot of bugs.

Now, I don't mean to swallow bugs while running. In fact, I'm pretty sure no runner means to swallow bugs while running. But as anyone who runs will tell you, it happens. And it usually happens at the most inconvenient time, like when you're trying to make it up the Fifth Street hill in Marquette, gasping for air, only to have something enter your mouth along with the oxygen you're gasping, causing you to exhale all the oxygen (along with everything else in your mouth and lungs) in a vain attempt to get rid of the little creature that decided to make you its new home.

It's fun. Trust me on that.

I've been running a long time, which means that I've probably swallowed more than my fair share of the little critters. But I can't for the life of me remember a time when I've swallowed more bugs in a shorter span of time than the amount of insects I've swallowed in the past few weeks. I guess my only consolation is that I haven't yet picked up a bug from the bugs, and that, like I mentioned at the beginning of this, I'm getting a little more protein than usual by inhaling the insects along with my oxygen.

Because that makes up for it, right?

Hopefully, if our weather pattern gets back closer to normal (and that's a BIG if), I won't have to worry about this sudden (and unwelcome) change in my diet. But if it stays as wet and as buggy as it has been, don't be surprised if you see me running down the streets of Marquette wearing a surgical mask.

I won't be trying to make a fashion statement. I'll just be trying to cut down on my insect intake.

(jim@wmqt.com)