Technically today’s post was supposed to be an update on my house renovation following my last update in January. Unfortunately, excepting the last two weeks, things haven’t been great on the weather front which has resulted in delays with the progress of the roof which in itself has had a knock on effect with the rest of the project. I know all very dull. I promise though to have a glorious post with all the nitty gritty detail in the next few weeks.

So you’re probably wondering what the hell the title of this post even means and what if anything it has to do with a supposed post about interiors. I’ll get to the point; it doesn’t. Instead today’s post is all about my newfound love for Zombie running.

Before you think I’ve lost the plot or that you’ve accidentally typed in the wrong website address (you haven’t by the way), I should say that you’re now reading this post as a result of a recent Whatsapp conversation I shared with some of the Rock My Ltd team. I casually mentioned that I had to stop chatting one evening because I was off Zombie running which led to much surprise, confusion and a spot of mirth from the girls and then a demand to tell them exactly what it involved. Apparently, they said, you lot needed to hear all about it too…

It all began fairly recently following a conversation I had at my sister’s hen do a few weeks ago with one of her friends after I was moaning about how boring my current exercise regime was becoming. I was a member of a local Crossfit box prior to Hector’s arrival but since I’ve become a mum attending the classes has become cost-prohibitive and incompatible with my work and Hector’s bedtime schedules.

Nothing else has really hit the spot since. I enjoy yoga but I don’t have the discipline to stick to a daily routine on my lonesome and committing to regular classes isn’t kind on the pocket. I tried pilates but found the regimen didn’t work for me and I loathe team sports. I know! I’m SO antisocial. I’m too lazy to want to go swimming daily as that would mean having to wash and blow dry my hair more often than I’m willing to do and I find ‘going on the bike’ makes my legs super muscly which isn’t something that looks great on my small (read short) frame. I’m also someone that gets bored easily…of exercise that is. Essentially I want to keep fit without feeling like I’m….well keeping fit. If my brain is engaged whilst I’m working out then so much the better.

So when Leanne suggested that I download Zombies. RUN! something clicked. I love running. I find it clears the mind, gives me much needed fresh air and a chance to get out of the house. I especially love pounding the streets in Spring and Summer as it gives me the chance to have a nosy at other peoples’ front gardens and the air is so fragrant and warm too. I do find however that I can get stuck in a rut – running the same routes and sticking to a pace I find comfortable rather than challenging. Not so good.

I figured that giving the app a go wouldn’t hurt, after all the basic level of the app was free and if I didn’t like it then it wouldn’t have cost anything. Suffice to say after one ‘mission’ I was hooked.

The premise is this….

Only a few have survived the zombie epidemic. You are ‘runner 5’ en-route to one of humanity’s last remaining outposts; Abel Township. They need your help to gather supplies (think anything from pants to battery packs), rescue survivors, and defend their home. By walking, running or jogging you are required to complete a series of missions (which you listen to via your headphones) whilst automatically collecting supplies (as you run) to build up the base of Abel Township. Each run equates to one mission completed. The more you run, the more supplies you collect, which I’m told can help to unlock more missions too. So far, so motivating.

The story is narrated to you over the course of your run interspersed with listening to music from your own playlist/s. Essentially a guy ‘radios in’ every so often and shares a bit more of the story which is brilliant at keeping me going at those times when I’m starting to flag.

I’m only half way into season one (there are four in total) which focuses on the player’s arrival and acceptance at Abel Township and introduces you to Abel’s rivalry with New Canton – another larger outpost nearby. So there’s not much I can reveal at this stage but I can say that the storyline is intriguing and that each mission lasts 35 minutes to an hour.

The app can record the distance, time, pace, and calories burned on each mission through your phone’s GPS. I tend to tailor my run depending on how long my mission lasts, opting for more compact faster routes for shorter missions and then slower and longer courses for lengthier ones. Better yet, you can turn on ‘zombie chases’ requiring you to run at least 20% faster in order to outpace them for a short period of time or risk losing your supplies as a distraction to prevent being caught. This is interval training at its best. There aren’t, I should make clear, pretend Zombies jumping out of bushes at you to frighten you as you run past as some of my friends presumed.

I’m curious to see how long I stick with this type of training. What I have noticed so far is that I’m running faster, longer and more regularly as I’m keen to hear how the storyline will develop and I’m not getting bored whilst I plod along. It’s also pretty funny to hear which supplies I’m picking up and listen to the new characters that get introduced in each episode. It doesn’t hurt to hear my stats either as I progress either in terms of how many kilometres I’ve run and how long it’s taken me to do so. It means I can (and do) up the ante if necessary.

I can’t say that the zombies are particularly scary however…. I’ve heard worse from Ste singing in the shower. I’m not complaining though. For now I’ll continue in my missions to save the world and to find out what the hidden twist in the plot ends up being.

Are you with me?

Have any of you tried the app? What do you think? Perhaps you take part in another unusual fitness activity? If so why not tell us all about it…we’re definitely up for trying anything interesting on the keep fit agenda!