Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Post-Race Mania

With training for my fall half marathon completed, I feel like I'm bursting with extra mental and physical energy.  I'm still running four days per week, but the runs are relatively aimless.  I'm lacing up for fun - and a chance to chat with my BRF - which completely relaxes the mental aspect of running.

So what's a mother runner to do with all of her newly available mental energy?  Completely reorganize her house, of course!  While in training, I find that household tasks move into a holding pattern.  I keep up with all of the mandatory aspects of running a five-member household, but major organization doesn't happen.  Closets slowly become cluttered, bookshelves grow disheveled, and dog hair mounds behind the couch (Don't judge!).  I see that these things need attention, but I just don't have the mental space to really tackle them.

We have this closet in our house, which we affectionately call the closet of doom.
While training, I close my eyes and pretend it doesn't exist...

A few days post-race, however, I go on a cleaning and decluttering frenzy!  If you peeked into my house last week, you would have seen me scrubbing kitchen counters with a toothbrush, rearranging the furniture in several rooms, and purging, purging, purging.  When I resume training for a spring race, I know I will not have interest in such projects, so I'm taking advantage of this boundless energy - and the extra hours in the week that I previously spent running - to cross some things off the to-do list.

Does anyone else exhibit unique post-race behaviors?  And if you need a closet overhaul, hit me up!  I'm available for hire, for another few weeks anyway ;)