Things I Tell My Wife by Matt Knutson

“I got stung,” I told my wife after returning home from running around the neighborhood. It was the latest setback in my attempt to be healthy, but I won’t let it keep me down for long.

About two blocks into my run, I felt a stinging pain on my right shoulder. After quickly grasping the bug and tossing it on the ground, I paused to understand what had just happened. How did I become the target of this attack? Were there more chasing after me? What could I possibly do to defend myself? Clearly I couldn’t outrun their offensive if additional stingers were headed my way. Thankfully no other enemies presented themselves.

Did I mention that I was pushing my daughter’s stroller on this run? Occasionally Gracelyn and I run around the neighborhood in order to get out of the house and give my wife some peace and quiet. In order to keep Gracelyn happy, this often requires a bottle of milk and a stuffed animal of some sort. Normally we end up losing the stuffed animal halfway through our jaunt, so I’m always keeping my eyes open for when she might drop it. Because she’s my daughter, this is often done at the most inopportune time. Just as I was stung, Gracelyn decided her bottle was no longer essential. Already slightly disorientated, I tried to quickly react to her friendly screams of, “Done! Done! Done!” Because of my slow reaction, this then changed to “Done! Puppy! Done! Puppy!” as we both realized there were witnesses to this moment of chaos that became my life. Two entire families with dogs were nearby and glancing at the peculiar site of a formerly mobile dad pulled over to the sidewalk while grasping his neck and attempting to grab a flailing bottle from a 1-1/2-year-old.

An additional layer of fun is added when you take into account my daughter’s fear of bugs. Just last week at day care, Gracelyn’s teacher shared that our little girl abruptly stopped playing at the sight of a fly. She proceeded to let out a scream — indicating something was incredibly wrong. I’m not sure where this fear stems from, but it is becoming more and more prevalent. Normally a big fan of the playground, we had to abandon our favorite slide a few days because there was a bug. I was not about to give up on my run just a few blocks in, so I had to attempt to hide the vengeful bug who caused this whole ordeal, lest Gracelyn have additional ammunition in her hatred of all things creepy crawly.

My journey toward a healthier lifestyle has been in fits and starts. Just as soon as a steady rhythm has been established, something upends the progress. Whether it be sickness, traveling or laziness, something inevitably gets in the way. Most would agree that starting up again is always a challenge. Being stung could be another reason why I delay going for my next run, but I’m determined to not let it be another distraction. With autumn just around the corner, the countdown is on for the number of times I am able to go running outdoors for the rest of this year. I’ve already passed last year’s total mileage, but I still have a ways to go to beat 2015’s record of 127 miles in one year. I’m sure for some people that’s hardly an achievement, but I’m simply satisfied in attempting to beat it. Plus, it’s a lot harder to simply find time to run when you have a little girl at home and another one on the way, so out-doing 2015 would be a real accomplishment.

Sometimes in the pursuit of a goal, we get distracted. We can try to do everything right and still something gets in the way of progress. It’s our choice to determine how we respond. Hopefully all of our unexpected stingers lead us to an even better place.

Matt Knutson is a communications specialist in Rochester.