the 'g' is silent

Are you familiar with the tiny itty bitty insect who's nearly invisible body can pimple one's skin with itchy annoying bumps approximately 10 times its size? They are called gnats. The 'g' is silent. It doesn't matter how you pronounce the little buggers name, they rival a misquito anyday, their bites 10x's as itchy and longer lasting.

Maybe you've heard of them, but you've never experienced them 8 miles into a hot humid run, where they gang up en masse, a wall of insects you won't likely see until its too late and burst through (wiki tells me these masses are called "ghosts" and are formed by the males in large "mating swarms"). Now there are dozens glued with persperation to your face, and you are being stared down by passerby's as you spit and flail your arms about.

But you dare not stop running.

Oh no.

You wipe the sweaty back of your hand accross your equally sweaty forehead, it feels like grit but you know better, you now rub the sweaty, gritty back of your hand on your shorts, and attempt at steadying your pace. You finally get your focus back and settle back into your cadence and whack! Another wall.

Fool.

Should have learned the first time to keep your mouth shut.

More spitting and flailing and wiping and struggling. By now you've been pricked by the blood-thirsty carnivores and are peppered by its bites. You begin the phantom paranoia that they are everywhere and after you like a giant swarm of bees. All notions of your pleasant run have vanished and only one promising thought lingers.

A strong finish.

With all your energy expended on spitting and flailing and wiping and struggling and the occassional burst of grunting frustration, you attempt to sprint to the heavenly oasis that is your finish, but those last few miles have supernaturally morphed into slow motion. You swear that last one was more like three.... and a half.

Finally, you stumble to the car, throw yourself in, and lock the door- just incase. laughing maniacally from the inside of your sanctuary, you can't see them, but you know they are there. and you have won this battle, but the war will wage on.

gnats.

No, never heard of them?? Oh, well, just so you know, the 'g' is silent. :}