Tech Stuff Tuesday * Put A Little Zombie In Your Run

I think if these two were chasing you, you'd definitely run faster.

I hate running.  I mean, I really hate running.  I didn't pick up the sport until I was 39.  Because I hated it.  When I lived in Atlanta, friends would see me and say, "Oh, I saw you running down Highland Ave last week."  And my reply would be, "On a scale of one to ten, how pissed off did I look?"  Their answer was a key indicator into how far along into my run I was when they saw me.  A four told me I was somewhere near the beginning, trying to tell myself this would be the run when I found the runner's high (never found it. Ever.).  An eleven meant I was about half way and totally mad I still had the other half to go and a two?  Well, that meant I was almost home and already thinking about the brownie I was going to eat to reward myself for that stupid run.

This is me running near our house during the day time.  See how angry I look?

I've always been more of a swim/bike/yoga/weight room kind of gal.  Even back in grade school I hated running.  Mom always blamed it on my "asthma" (still not sure I ever really had asthma, but it got me out of having to run often, so I went with it).  I blamed it on genetics.  I'm not built to run.  Swim and bike?  Yes.  Yoga?  Yes.  Lifting weights?  Yes.  Golf?  Let's not push it here.  

Here I am running at night.  I know the bad stuff is just behind me.  

Back when I was traveling all the time for the day gig, I needed some way to work out, no matter where I was. And what's really the only cardio you know you can do on the road?  Running.  But here's the catch - I was always running while listening to my local NPR news station.  Which most people thought was totally weird.  And they were right.  But it was the only thing I could find to keep my mind off of my misery.  If I ran to a playlist I'd created, I ended up memorizing the playlist and knew how much more running I still had ahead of me based on the song playing at that moment.  I needed something to mix it up. Something I could, at least sometimes, get lost in and NPR was my best solution.  

Until . . . . I found Zombies, Run!  Which changed everything.  
1) I now had zombies chasing me.   Have you ever been chased by a zombie?  It's freakin' scary!  And guess what?  You move faster with zombies chasing you. Even up hill.  I live out in the sticks.  So, while we do have paved roads and a few street lights, if I'm running at night, it's still generally pretty dark.  All the sudden I found myself looking behind me, just to make sure there weren't really zombies back there.  No kidding.  
B)  I was now responsible for others.  I had to "pick stuff up" on my runs, like a pack of underwear, or a vial of special serum or other critical supplies, to take back to base camp. "They" (whoever they are)  needed me to run for them, so we all could survive.  
iii) I could compete with friends who were also using the app.  And if you've ever seen me with my FitBit (just ask The Hubbs about me jogging in circle around the bedroom at 11:45p just so I can beat Jody or Betty with my number of steps for the day), you know how competitive I can be.  

And if I knew what came after iii I would tell you that you can even integrate your own music in-between the app's directions to you.  You see, the guys at base camp are communicating to you throughout your run and they tell you when the zombies are coming (as if you couldn't hear them - zombies are LOUD moaners) and they also give you other helpful hints.  Bu when they aren't talking to you, the app can access YOUR music, so it plays randomly.  Randomly!  So you don't know how many more miles you have to go! Eureka!  

Sadly, I had to take a running hiatus this spring and summer, but hopefully I'll get clearance from the doc at the end of the month to pick it back up again.  And when I do, I'm going to use their 5k training app to get back into the swing of things.  Nothing like a bunch of zombies coaching you along to help you cut time off your mile sprint (caveat - I don't know if that's how the app really works, but I'm sure hoping that's the case).  

If she's chasing you, I'm 110% certain that you'll achieve a new personal best time.

It's perfect fall weather (at least it is here in North Cackalacky) and there are only 85 more days until the New Year, when we'll all make a resolution to be healthy (again) and we'll be battling all the added pounds that the holidays bring with them (by the way, why are Hanukkah and Kwanzaa countdown timers so hard to find online?).  Now you can get a head start on both the holiday pounds and the zombies.  You're welcome.
P.S. As usual, these folks have no idea I'm writing about them.  So, if you do download the app for your iPhone or Android, tell them I said hi and thanks for the motivation/shin splints.