Post-Marathon Blues

Turns out there is this phenomenon called “post-marathon blues”. Runners can hit a slump after one of the most intense and endorphin-generating feats – emotionally, mentally, and physically. Now, I know zero about running. Since P.E. in high school, I only run after toddler tornados. Closest I’ll ever get to the color run 5K is cheerleading from the sidelines. However, I do understand the post-project slump after a more mental kind of marathon. I can Get Shit Done when it comes to a project plan. #GSD is a personal motto that I’m sure I need to talk to a therapist about. This transition has been consuming my mind every single day since last summer. I’ve had to-do lists, project plans and Josh had even more to-do lists and project plans. Even with a newborn in tow, I was packing boxes and filling out visa paperwork. It was a daily grind for months with an almost impossible sprint to the end.

Slumping in Florence

And now it’s here. Everything we planned for is finally unfolding. We are in stunning Florence, surrounded by some of the best food and wine in the world alongside incredible history and art … yet, I’m flat out exhausted. I’m in a slump, AKA the post-marathon blues. I’m sure part of it is dealing with jet-lagged boys. Though part of it is finally having some space to not do something every day. Yet, I still can’t rest. My brain goes back and forth between “you must sleep” and “you’ve only got 18 days left in Florence and you still haven’t seen a single tourist spot.” That’s right. I’ve been in Florence for two weeks now and the closest tourist spot I’ve been to is walking past the Duomo on the way to replace my son’s shoes that now lie at the bottom of the Arno River. RIP Adidas.

#GSD Detox

I keep telling myself Italy is the place to get your no-guilt slumping out of your system. Life here is slow and simple. I can leisurely fill my days with going to the market, strolling through ancient streets, and dreaming about the next meal. I can embody the Italian “dolce far niente” – the sweetness of nothing. But, I still have that nagging addiction to #GSD and that’s not magically stopping in a new country. Maybe all I can hope for in this stretch of our journey is to detox even a little bit constantly producing. Maybe with a little space from that, I’ll tackle what I’m supposed to do with myself and try to not sign up for another marathon.

What’s your favorite way to detox from stress?

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