Welcome to the final installment of Running A-to-Z. Every week I covered a running-related topic following the order of the alphabet. It has been a fun 26 weeks and it flew by so quickly! If you missed any past posts you can catch up on all the alphabet topics in the archives.
When I started this challenge 26 weeks ago I didn't plan out what the topic of each letter would be in advance. I am nowhere near that organized. I took it letter by letter, week by week. I liked the structure of the series, it was easy to come up with new topics every week (except for L and V those were hard) and it kept me on track with fresh content each week.
Now here we are at letter Z. Now that we are at the end I feel a sense of accomplishment that it is over, but also a sense of sadness and I can't help wonder what I am going to do with my Mondays from here on out. It's kind of like when you finish a book or your favorite TV series ends.
Running A-to-Z: Z is for Zombies. Say what?
Speaking of favorite TV series, did you watch the Walking Dead last night? Shhh don't tell me. I didn't watch yet. Poor Daryl. How's he gonna get out of this one? If I have one guilty pleasure it is a show about zombies. We are not big TV people and I am not a horror genre fan in general. When I tell my work buds that I don't like scary movies they look at me sideways because they know I love the Walking Dead. It's more about the walking for me than the dead. I often say I might like the show even more if it wasn't for the flesh-eating monsters.
I was bouncing around a blog post in my head, Life Lessons Learned from The Walking Dead. What can we learn from the Walking Dead? We learned pretty quickly that you have to kill the zombie's brain to take them down, a shot in the chest won't work. They're already dead. D'uh. What else? They can't climb so your best protection against the zombie apocalypse is a tall sturdy wall. Most importantly, no one is safe. (Well, except Daryl. I hope.)
While valuable information should we ever find ourselves in a zombie apocalypse, some lessons learned by my beloved characters have more of a real world application. For example, people working together for a common goal can accomplish much more than individuals alone. Sometimes you're forced to fight for what you want out of life. You don't know how strong you are until you have to be, you might surprise yourself. Family is what (and who) you make it.
You're five paragraphs in and are wondering if you are reading the right blog. What does all of this have to do with running and Running A-to-Z? Stay with me.
Would I last long if the world was overcome by zombies? Hell-to-the-no. I am way too much of a wimp. But I can run pretty fast, so I could probably outrun those slow-ass zombies. Want to find out?
There is this fun free running app called Zombies, Run. (ahh. Finally, the point.) I love this app because running is as much as a mental challenge as it is a physical one. Sometimes once you get past your brain, the running part is easy. The zombie app tells you an interactive story as you run. What better way to distract yourself from your pesky brain than to have zombies chasing you? If that doesn't make you run fast, I don't know what will. With 200 missions it unlikely you'll ever get bored.
I love that's an interval workout. The app alerts you when zombies are nearby and you run faster until it confirms you are in the clear. It's a fun way to run Fartleks! You get so caught up in the mission and running from zombies you (almost) forget you are working out. Sometimes we take ourselves way too seriously. While it is always great to have goals and work hard, there is nothing wrong with having a little fun with it too.
My only note of caution on the app is to be aware of your surroundings. Never run on the street with headphones so you can't hear the actual dangers around you. This is a great app for the track (slow lane please), the treadmill or maybe sidewalks, but only if you can still hear your surroundings. Zombies aren't a real threat, cars, animals and sometimes people can be.
Was Z too much of a stretch in the running A-to-Z series? Thanks for indulging me. It was fun for me to write about my favorite TV show and tell you about this running app.
Dear Walking Dead, If you're reading this...Please don't kill off my Daryl.
Do you like the Walking Dead? Do you miss Glenn? What's your favorite running app? Have you been following along with Running A-to-Z? Do you wonder what the heck I am going to write about next Monday? Me too.
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I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help.
While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program. This is an opinion blog. No information in this blog is intended to be taken as medical advice or prescription. Please see your doctor and/or registered dietitian for any health concerns.
