yes i find that i'm generally irritable on days i don't work out. maybe you should just avoid the day off, and schedule an easy recovery jog or ride? your family might be willing to spare you a 30 min jog if it means you'll be happier!

Are you extra tired, eating enough, hydrated enough? Do you have anything else to do on those days that's fun and keeps you from getting bored?

What do your rest weeks look like -- frequency, volume as a percentage of average weekly volume and intensity?

Good thoughts from you all- that day off is usually kid oriented going to sporting events and doing family things although maybe if I squeezed something in there I like it may take the edge off. I will watch how I'm eating and drinking and perhaps doing my weights and core that day maybe enough to keep me non-moody. My rest weeks I typically cut everything in 1/2 or make it easy if its only at 1 hour. I am also learning that on days when I do workout although I would rather sit and read the paper and relax in the am if I can get out and get my workout in- I'm not thinking about it all day so its not looming out there. Its all a balancing act getting in the training without it impacting the family in anyway. But just wanted to hear if others went through the same thing.

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COtrimom

Irritability syndrome tends to stem from one of two things. First, you are not resting appropriate during your training cycle leading to what we call "flash crash" during you rest days. However, it would seem you are resting appropriately -- cutting volume and intensity 50%. The other primary cause comes from not trusting your training and wanting to get those extra hours in order to feel prepared. However, athletes who rest appropriately tend to trust their training. I would consider doing yoga on your rest days and really make sure you get your fluids in. If you are going to train, I would throw in 10 mins of hard and the balance easy; this should take the edge off. What your experiencing is not all that uncommon.

I can be cranky on days off. (I can be cranky on training days, too ;-)
I think it's as simple as that exercise has a chemical effect on the brain, without that, you experience a bit of withdrawal.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

While your theory is elegant in its simplicity, it would yield a conclusion that "off day crankiness" is systemic. However, it's not, as evidenced by the number of sympathetic replies to this thread relative to the number of views of its contents.