The Post-Thanksgiving Slump

Thanksgiving bird

It hit me last Saturday: the post-Thanksgiving slump. It was a day late, but man I was feeling lazy. It was nice, really, because I've had way too much energy lately. My little fall manic rush is, unfortunately, a double-edged sword. It can make me very productive, but also restless, anxious, irritable, and unfocused. Plus, some of the stuff I'm "productive" with ends up being a waste of time because I either lose it and have to spend time looking for it or redoing it, or it's totally incoherent.

A head cold that'd been threatening to take full hold of my sinuses finally bloomed to maturity, and that morning I woke up with a nose full of snot, swollen eyes, and a feeling of ennui. I was waiting for the cold to show up since nearly every teacher in my school has had some sort of ailment this year, and I've been spared except for a one-day stomach bug.

Amazingly, the cold really only stuck around full-bore for that Saturday, and since then it's back to lingering. I've been told it's perfectly safe to run with a cold, so I did. I felt as good as I did all day that Saturday during my 12 mile run along the Minnesota River.

I love Thanksgiving, and now that the fun is over, I'm OK with having a little slump. Though being a teacher can be stressful and can sometimes feel like thankless work (it isn't, but it can feel like it), I'm still pretty fortunate to be at a year-round school where I'll get a longer winter break. I just have to push through these last two weeks, and then it's time for a little more fun and relaxation.

I did have a nice Thanksgiving meal on Thursday with our friend Brittany and my lovely wife Laura. Highlights included my mom's stuffing and a pumpkin cream pie with filling made by Children's Country Day students, crust made by the artisan bakers at Wal-Mart, and cream made by yours truly. After Brittany left, Laura and I did a little school work, watched "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles," and then started in on Christmas movies.

The Friday after Thanksgiving I worked on writing a training plan for our friend Jon and saw Ender's Game with Laura.. Since then I've been keeping crazy busy with work, getting some classes in at the YMCA, and getting some running in. I also got a new Garmin 210 on clearance at REI, and on my one indoor run it worked swell.

This past weekend we spent some time with Laura's family, and even braved the frozen tundra to play outside for awhile. I thought about going for a run Sunday afternoon, but the snow and well-below freezing temperatures kept me indoors.

Jeff (and I) braving the elements while hiking in Lebanon Hills park

Thanks again, readers, for reading. Even if you only look at the pictures or skim and scan, I appreciate you stopping by. This blog has been a nice writing outlet, and I hope I can keep it up in whatever form it takes.

Happy Running!