What is Reddit's opinion of Zombies, Run!?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

Zombies, Run! Best workout app ever.

It is the only thing I've ever used that actually motivates me to get out and run.

It's basically an audio storybook that tracks your running pace. You join a post-apocalyptic township and go on missions to gather intel and supplies. The app sees how fast you're running and during certain times, zombies chase you and you need to run a certain speed to escape. Also uses your playlists to interject music between story broadcasts. Love this thing!

I remember seeing a news story about a hugely overweight guy who was trying to dispel the stereotype of "thin = healthy". He did marathon runs, hit the gym every day, and ate healthy. Built some crazy strength and endurance, but it didn't make him look thinner. So he still got treated like crap, because the average person's assumption is "you're fat, so you obviously don't exercise or eat right, otherwise you'd be thin".

"Health at every size" is fine, but the key word there is HEALTH. It's something you have to work towards. There are SO many ways to improve your health, and only a small number of them involve calorie counting or strict exercise regimes. (My current "workouts" involve DDR, karate, and Zombies Run, as well as basic weights and stuff.)

"Accepting yourself" doesn't mean refusing to improve yourself. It's also not the same as a complete denial of reality.

The company that made <em>Zombies, Run!</em> and <em>Zombies, Run! 5K Training</em> Have a game called SuperHero Workout that is aimed at beginners.

Never tried it myself, but people often mention this game as running motivation: https://www.zombiesrungame.com/

Edit: I don't really have any tricks apart from listening to hour long mixes from YouTube.

Run, Zombies is a pretty fun fitness app I use when I go for runs. Basically, you go on a mission, pick your music playlist, and run faster when you hear the groans of zombies. There's a story, compelling characters, and you always want to know what happens next. You pick up supplies and build your fort (although this is kind of a FarmVille deal, I'm not too big of a fan), raise moral, and get more population.

If the zombies catch up to you, you lose some of your supplies. It's really neat, and all the voices are British. It was definitely a big help in getting motivated to do daily runs.

If you want more info they have a website: https://www.zombiesrungame.com

They have a second season coming out (maybe it's already out, I'm not sure) and although it's a little pricey (a few micro transactions here and there, or buy a season pass I believe) it was still really fun and worth it.

Edit: Forgot to mention it's on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play store!

I've heard good things about Zombies, Run! which apparently can work if you're running on a treadmill or outside

Alternatively, you could ditch the gym and start following some youtube cardio videos or something like that. Since the moves change during the workout it's a bit more interesting than just one motion for an extended period like on a treadmill or elliptical Cassey from Blogilates has a few, but obviously there are plenty more to choose from

Almost everyone at the gym will only be concentrating on themselves. You don't need to be self conscious at all, everyone started somewhere. That being said, if it's not for you, it's not for you. I'll throw some links at you that might help, for the subreddits go to the FAQs first.

• /r/xxfitness fitness subreddit for women, much less overwhelming than /r/fitness. Great to search on if you get stuck on something.
• /r/bodyweightfitness for exercise with no equipment required
• /r/loseit if weight loss is one of your aims it is an amazingly supportive subreddit, for the good days and bad, it saved my life.
• http://www.youtube.com/user/jessicasmithtv This awesome lady has a huge selection of full length workout videos for all levels of fitness.
• Someone else mentioned the Wii, I have Just Dance and it's great cardio.
• If you want to get into running outside at any point I can't recommend Zombie Run 5k training enough https://www.zombiesrungame.com/. It plays music from your phone playlists, interspersed with audio clips setting you up as the main character in a zombie survivor story, it's like being in a movie or a video game. It's really fun, and absorbing.

Find something you like and you can stick to, it has to be something you can build into your life. Although she's not exactly a fitness resource in the same way I follow http://fitandfeminist.com/ on facebook. Because it's nice to get fit and kick the patriarchy in the teeth. She discusses some pretty interesting ideas, is very body positive now. And /r/trollxfitness is a bit of fun. It's quite late where I am, so I need to get some sleep, but if I think of any more resources I'll be back to update.

Awesome job! So glad you are keeping up with it and other people are joining in. :) And those pants... lol. I know when I do the run things, I usually jog around the room (or use a treadmill when I can). I hate running in place. It feel so unnatural. I ended up running up and down the furniture, circle left, right, just anything that is within sensor range. And a secret: if you can go fast enough, you can chase the cats and go on different paths (at least in the Wii version anyway).

I also have a recommendation for anyone who wants something fun to motivate them to get moving (walking, running whatever). I enjoy an app called Zombies, Run! that is basically a radio play where you are part of the zombie apocalypse. It has little bits of the play mixed in with your own music. It's well acted, a neat story, and you "collect" things on your runs (you play a "runner" that goes out on various missions) to build up a base the way you want. It also has zombie chases where randomly zombies will start chasing you and you have to speed up to get away (yay interval training!), but they are optional. The chases works for GPS tracking or motion if you are using a treadmill. They have three seasons out already, so there's lots of material to listen to. The newest version of the app is a bit slow and annoying if you aren't always connected to the internet, but the play is still awesome.

If you've got a smartphone that you run with, consider getting the Zombies, Run App. I love it! It's a little like being in a good post-apocalyptic audiobook. And you get attached to the characters and can't wait to run the next mission to find out what happens next!

Also: the app Zombies, Run! on iPhone gives you items and points if you run away from enough zombies. It follows an interesting story, just started using it but it's great so far.

Yeah, even in /r/b210k the consensus seems to be that that program ramps up too fast.

I really like the idea of your schedule - a combo of distance, strength and maintenance. I think I might steal it :-)

Personally, I'm currently in a "running 5ks for the rest of eternity" phase. I ramped up to 10km last summer (one glorious day when I just felt I never wanted to stop running) but fell apart in the autumn. Currently churning out 5ks until I feel confident to start stretching myself again.

For motivation, I'm listening to the Zombies Run app while I run so, even though my runs are pretty much the same (maybe chucking on a couple of circuits round the block at the end if I've got the energy for an extra km), at least I've got something new happening to encourage me out of the house. (I think a podcast that you only listen to when running could help the same way).

Finally, like /u/meeeebo , I'm looking at my local calendars and considering half a dozen races this season. There's a local store that organizes a series of seven... at the moment it looks like I might be able to do all seven which would be pretty cool.

Haven't seen much in the way of health apps in this thread. I'm keen on:

• Headspace - A very beautiful app for a secular meditation and mindfulness program. The UX is great, the art is lovely and the content is good. They've done a great job with it.

• Zombies Run! - Maybe a little better known but really fantastic for getting into running. It combines training with a pretty compelling story and enough gameplay to keep you engaged. Also some very good voice acting.

Zombies run app!

https://www.zombiesrungame.com/

This app is amazing. When I first started C25K this was the thing that kept me interested and helped me finish the program. You can use the Zombies run app with the C25K app simultaneously. Check out /r/Runner5 as well.

Kind of a different concept, but I've been thinking about turning exercise into a game by using Zombies, Run. I normally just mindlessly jog, but it sounds like a really awesome way to push yourself and make things more interesting.

Hi all, I'm Robyn, 34 year old sales and service worker in Melbourne, Australia.

I actually posted quite a large piece of writing on my ZR journey over here

You can find me at https://www.zombiesrungame.com/Robdoggz/

If you do C25K, I recommend either the NHS podcasts, which contain music paced appropriately and encouraging tips between telling you when to run and when to walk, or the Zombies, Run! 5k Training app. I've used the full-on Zombies app and it's great fun and motivation when running alone.

C25K was the best thing I've done for myself - when I started I was coming out of heart surgery for a long-standing condition which prevented me exercising, and I'd gained 20lb over two-three years through eating badly. In conjunction with eating more healthily, I'm now down over two stone and can run almost 8k with a few walking breaks - something I never thought I'd be able to do. Running has changed my life for the better.

If you have an iPhone or an Android phone (and soon, even Windows Phone) I would recommend trying out Zombies, Run! ... It makes running into a game, and still logs your runs, distance, etc. This is the sole thing that got me away from doing p90x workouts for cardio and into running.

And now I just fucking love running. Even though I still smoke cigarettes... But that is changing very soon as I've progressed about as far as I can until I quit.

Consider:

• Zombies, Run! ( I play this. )
• Pokemon ( I played this for a week at the launch. I hear it is improved. )

We are in the same boat. Maybe I can help you paddle. Thanks to a long string of illness/depression I went from marathon distance to "Have I run a mile yet?" in a little over a year.

Just now getting back into running. Using a training plan that focuses on time length of each session with pace only loosely defined has been very helpful in keeping me from dwelling on what I used to be able to do instead of appreciating the fact that I've already progressed from couch to road.

Example: Today's run was "warm up 10 minutes, then run 3 minutes at threshold pace, cool down 1:30 repeat 5 times then cool down".

I focus on pushing my self to do the workout and call it a win when I put forth the level of effort I would when training hard for a race -- regardless of the actual pace.

Also, if you have your phone when you run, might want to check out https://www.zombiesrungame.com/. It's a kind of interactive radio drama/game. Now I'm not just running -- I'm completing missions.

Lastly, I try to remember that while I've lost conditioning I haven't lost all I learned about how to train -- and now I've got a chance to avoid a lot of mistakes I made the first time round.

Good luck!

Friend of mine got into using an app that played music, but periodically told you that zombies were chasing you (thus making you pick up the intensity). Kinda made it a game. It sounded cool.

I think this might be it, but not sure: https://www.zombiesrungame.com

just completed my week 6 training program and I could mostly run on all of my three free form runs. Thats a huge positive. Week 6 was not difficult for me and I dint feel tired after the workouts. I feel my endurance level rising a lot when compared to my previous levels.

Also bought the main app at half the price during this sale season. Also looking forward to week 7 and plan to run a 5k marathon near my area anytime soon.

My ID : https://www.zombiesrungame.com/anbknaga/

No post last week? No, I haven't given up, I just completely forgot about posting.

Anyway, finished week 5 and 6! Screenshot of my runs!

As for the highlights: W5D1 was an average day, but I managed to run fully the last free-form run. A whopping 10 minutes, it was probably the first time in my life that I run so much!

My dad joined me in W5D2 (for some background: my dad used to run marathons in his youth, but stopped some time ago. Now he's about as tall as me, but about 30kg more, and hasn't run some months. He still somehow managed to complete W5D2, but I've beat him in the free-form runs). It seems that having someone to run with help a lot, and my average pace increased, and thus it was my longest run yet.

Nothing special happened on W5D3.

W6 was special instead, for the first time I managed to run 100% of the free-form runs without stopping a single time all the three days. I've been mostly consistent, and I can hit the 5km mark after 40 minutes.

On a side note, I went to donate blood the day before W6D3. I still managed to run it just as the same as W6D2.

My profile, if someone wants to add me: https://www.zombiesrungame.com/Spittie/

I'll break the ice, in case we have new folks that 1/ don't know me, or 2/ don't want to go first ;)

I'm Robyn, I'm the Robdoggz incarnation of Runner 5, please feel free to add me!

My story is here

Update on that story - I am now in week 8, two days of training to go, and am less than 5 days from my first official 5km race :D

I am loving all of the introductions. It is so great to hear about everyone else!

• I am a 33F, and I got into running in July 2013, but stopped pretty quickly. I live DC, which has a super active runner community so I have always toyed with the idea. Now I am back and really into it! I have been running with a real commitment for 6 weeks now.
• My running goal for Round 13 is to complete my first race, a 10K in May. I know I can run a 5k (a slow one), but I didn't feel ready for Bridge to 10K. I am doing Ease to 10K instead. Though Zombies, Run! is calling my name for when it gets nice outside!
• As I mentioned, I plan on running a 10K in May. No goal time yet since I am not really sure what to expect. My husband and I are thinking of signing up for the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon in November. But that is a big step for people who just became runners a few weeks ago!
• An odd goal I have for myself is going to an actual running store and buying shoes that are good for me. While I love my running shoes (Mizuno Wave Inspire), I want to talk to a professional about what is best!

Looking forward to hearing from all of the other runners. I'm so excited to be part of the run club for the first time in my life!

Welcome! On Zombielink you can click 5k Training then click on the card for that workout and it will let you see your run along with descriptions of the audio clips. The full app gives you the option to listen to audio clips online after you've completed a mission, but the 5k app only has this written summary option.

Basically what /u/krayzin said. It's an app you can buy which I completely recommend. It made my running experience really enjoyable and less boring. Here's a link: https://www.zombiesrungame.com

That zombie 5k does sound amazing too but there's a lot of awesome 5k (or higher) out there.

There's a cool running app that adds a zombie apocalypse to your workout. Its called &quot;Zombies, Run!&quot; and plays mission audio while you run, advancing a story, as well as telling you what items you pick up to use to build up your base when you get home. I personally haven't tried it, but it currently has 4/5 stars in the WP store.

I'm in your shoes too, with completing it, running consistently for a year or so. Then stopped.

I would try to run at random times, because now I "knew how to run". And would just run as long as I could until I had to slow to a walk. Kept thinking I could do that to get back into shape, but I was wrong. I couldn't recover the discipline that I had after completing C25K. Huge gaps in between runs, and never could quite get past 10 minutes of straight running.

So then I realized that I needed to just start it all over again. And it has been working pretty well for me so far. Also slightly changed up the program, and started using the C25K program from https://www.zombiesrungame.com/. It is a little different, has more intervals and also throws in some body movement exercises between running intervals. Such as knee lifts and what not.

I have a free gym membership, but something about going puts me off. I'm not uncomfortable, and the place is very nice; but the structure of it is very annoying.

Instead, I aim to do anything that gets me outside: hiking, biking, walking, yard work, fishing (although, that's not that much work) etc...

I find I am not only more motivated to push myself, but I also can go further by not being in a sweaty, indoors, area.

With my weight, it's not advised that I run. but, if you're up to it, one way to make it more interesting would be the Zombies, Run! app.

Eventually, (once it won't kill me) I plan on joining my local Rugby team to knock some skulls around. Ultimately, a workout should be something you do not only for health, but because you thoroughly enjoy it also.

If the start looks a little aggressive for you (it was certainly beyond my capabilities in W1), take a look at the Zombies Run 5K schedule. It starts a little slower with 15sec runs and doesn't get to 60sec until week 3.

I really enjoyed it - the storyline keeps you interested and motivates you to get out running again. Only drawback I found was there's lots of "free form" runs where you're supposed to "run as much as you're able"... which kinda leaves things up to you. But you can make yourself do run/walk drills in those sections until you're able to run them straight through.

Congrats on the first run!

A podcast can be good (serial is excellent). If you're looking for something that integrates with your runs, I'd heartily recommend Zombies Run - just be aware that their 5K program differs slightly from the conventional C25K schedule (starts off slower, takes 8 weeks) - still gets you to the same place though :)

I don't know what Just Dance is like but if it's anything like DDR it is a serious workout when done on appropriate difficulty levels. Absolutely intense. I have a Stepmania pad just in case I can't make it to the gym.

That said, have you heard of Zombies, Run? It's not a game in the traditional sense but the storyline keeps me interested in otherwise boring cardio. https://www.zombiesrungame.com/

Hi, my name is Andy, I'm 48 years old, live in Washington State, USA and recently transitioned from Obese to now just being classified as "Overweight" (Yay!).

I started off with Season 1 of ZR, now plodding through Season 3 and it's been partly responsible for helping me lose 60 pounds (27kg) in the last year and a half. However, I've been "Walker 5", not "Runner 5".

I bought the ZR5k app when it was on deep discount last year for a special promo from Six to Start, but it sat on my phone collecting dust until last month when i decided to take up running to add something new to my fitness routine and break through a plateau in weightloss.

I just completed Week3 yesterday and i've been posting to the /r/c25k subreddit on my progress the last couple of weeks.

I do my training in the neighborhood and usually early morning when most of the neighbors are still sleeping. Here's my selfie i posted to c25k subreddit yesterday after successfully completing W3D3.

So far I'm loving the app, and as a fan of ZR I like that this also fills in some of the backstory to the Season1 drama that shows how we were introduced into actually becoming Runner5 for Abel.

Here's my ZR profile and mission completion reports.

I'm looking forward to providing support to others here and receiving your support :)

An idea would be the Zombies! Run! App. Their 30 minute stories incorporate Zombies chases at random intervals and you have to outrun them. You have to run some % faster then you were running previously to outrun them.

I know it sounds corny, but it's actually a lot of fun. Your music plays the whole time, when a story part comes on they turn your music down so you can hear the talking.

I'm doing the C25k version (trying to recover from an injury and take things slow for a while) and it's a lot of fun too. I use their c25k "running" sections as interval training and their "free form runs" as regular running. There's an interesting story and my music. It's been really great thus far.

Io tiro invece con questo: https://www.zombiesrungame.com/

:)

Comunque magari sono solo io, ma non riesco proprio a considerare la corsa noiosa, anche senza "supplementi tecnologici". Mi piace uscire e guardarmi in giro (infatti cerco di variare percorso spesso) e mi piace rimanere solo con i miei pensieri per una mezzoretta ogni tanto (non di più eh, sono noioso e mi annoio da solo)

Get the zombies Run! app for your ipod or iphone. Its an app that has "missions" for every run. You can play it with music in the background and has a continuous story that is actually pretty well written. Here is a link to their website: https://www.zombiesrungame.com/

Why did you change your app name? You were pushing Running Man just a few months ago.

Also, it's only fair to throw out a competitor or two. I enjoy running with Zombies Run. You get your music spliced in with bits of a building narrative and zombie chases for interval training.

Hi guys! I recently got back into running about a week ago thanks to Zombies, Run! I was taking it easy, mostly walking through the workouts. Anyways, I got injured the other day. I'm experiencing sharp pain on my right foot, specifically the arch of the foot, each time I take a step. It doesn't hurt unless I walk on it, but it hurts like all hell. I took some ibuprofen and rested, but I can't find anything on the web that can tell me how I even got injured. Does anyone know what happened? How did I cause it/how can I avoid it in the future?

i'm on the 2nd week... for the 3rd time cough this time is different this time i signed up for a 5k . anyways i could use new friends to everyone!

omgitzrory

Hi guys,

I'm a 35 year old male living in The Netherlands and started the ZR!5K last week. I still have to do W1D3 but hope to get that done on Saturday. I travel a lot for work and won't always have a chance to run when I'm away, so i will have to try and run whenever I can.

Like a many people I started ZR!5K as a way to get me excercising as I need to lose some weight. I haven't run since I was at school and remember really hating it back then, but the ZR looked like fun so I decided to give it a go. I can tell you that running has definately been a challenge so far, but fun one! I don't regret starting and I am really proud of the first couple of runs I have done. I have noticed that I am running a bit too fast though, so I've got to work on that. I'm currently doing my running on a treadmill (gotta use that gym subscription :) ) but hope to start running outside soon.

Come and check me out on ZombieLink if you want: https://www.zombiesrungame.com/Bosco/

P.s. It looks like I was the 500th subscriber. Yay, me!

You know, it's funny, because I do sometimes worry that I won't have anything to "think about" during a jog. But afterwards, I couldn't even tell you what I thought about. I went for a jog this morning and I'm trying to remember what I thought about...I got nothing. I assume I did think, because I didn't get bored, but I have no idea what it was.

You might like something like Zombies, Run! or another story-based app if you find yourself getting bored, though.

I followed development closely through the kickstarter and jumped as soon as it launched on Android. I think it is a hoot. Essentially it is an audio book with some interactive elements. You begin a run and the story alternates between story clips and your local music tracks. Once in awhile you'll have zombie chase scenes, requiring you to up your speed ~20 percent for ~2 minutes to outrun them. The longer/faster you run, the more items you pick up to upgrade your township after the run. They recently added an awesome new "ZombieLink" feature where you can log your run and create a cool summary pages like this: https://www.zombiesrungame.com/kollock/292541/

In the end, it is just a fun distraction during running. I've found that the story is entertaining enough, it gives me a stupid reason to get a bit more exercise than I would have gotten without.

At 3 bucks, I'd call it "easy buy."

Some of my friends were talking about this app recently. It made running a lot more fun for them and gave them incentive to go running more often. It's basically a zombie game designed specifically for a running workout.

I'm a fairly new runner too, and someone who has always hated running (and exercise in general, honestly). I started playing roller derby four years ago and it has really changed my outlook- first I enjoyed just that one activity, but over time I've come to quite like exercise for the sake of exercise. The physicality and using my body's strength has become the reward, which has also turned weight training and running into recreation instead of chores to be tolerated. I'm not necessarily recommending you get into derby, but the point is to find something you actually have fun doing!

Speaking of fun, and since you apparently like zombies, I can't recommend Zombies, Run! enough. If you have a device that will support it, use it! That has helped motivate me a TON. On days I didn't want to run, I still went out because I wanted to know what happens next in the story. (P.S. I'm completely jealous that you are doing Run For You Lives).

Lastly, Pandora. Keep a short leash and train her to stay next to you so she doesn't end up in your way. You can do this by walking a few tight circles around a tree or a chair, again with her on a short leash. That will help teach her to stay next to you and follow your lead- the last thing you want is her randomly crossing in front of you while you're running! My dog has nearly taken me out this way more than once. As far as her being high energy- the 5K training may help her pace herself. My dog LOVES to run, but he'll wear himself out in the first mile (especially now that it's hot). He used to be the one who kept me going when I didn't want to, but now that my endurance is improving he can't keep up so I have to leave him home. It's actually an accomplishment I'm pretty proud of!

Good luck, and watch out for zombies!

There's an app I've been using called &quot;Zombies Run!&quot; which is a story based entirely on you running to help your town during the zompocalypse. You listen to your music and every 5 or so minutes it interrupts with a bit of the story. It's super immersive and there's a function you can turn on where zombies chase you and you have to run faster to escape them.

It's easier to use with the GPS tracker but I think it has a stepcounter ability too if you prefer that

Running's so versatile! Wish I enjoyed it more/didn't hurt my knees. xD

P.S. For other nerds like me, check out Zombies, Run! the smartphone app for a neat story while you're running. It's freemium now, and they have a C25k version :)

The Zombies, Run! app is AMAZING. I cannot say enough good things about it. I'm on the 5k training one right now and it doesn't rush you, is very positive, and has a really cool story. I love it.

Friendship is always cool, Melissa! We do sound very similar, even down to vegetarianism.

Trying to get healthy when your mind is against you is tough. Something that motivated me is an app called Zombies, Run!. You're in a zombie apocalypse and a runner for supplies. The 5k training one has you slowly work up to it. It's really positive and doesn't push you beyond your limits. I love it!

My favorite non-video game is a cross between Chez Geek and Fluxx. My favorite video game of the moment is Bioshock Infinite. As for hobbies, I'd love to take up sculpture. What about you??

The most involved game I think is "appropriate" for a smartwatch would probably be something like the upcoming Letterpad from Nimblembit (the Tiny Tower people).

The watch also furthers the possibilities, I think, of an entirely different type of game.

I tunes gift card for a premium membership to their favourite run tracker app, or to download some more tunes to keep them going.

But for real, something like this? How awesome is that!?

I just posted this in another thread, but this is the only thing that gets me to enjoy running. I'm not a cardio person in the least, but lately I catch myself looking forward to going for runs around my neighbourhood. It's awesome...and painful.

Not a runner, and in fact I really hate running, but I've been using Zombies, Run to get myself out there on my "rest" days. It's way more addicting than I expected, and sometimes I go running just to find out the next part of the story. I've had to cut the random zombie chases for now, at least until my lungs get whipped into shape.

What's impressed me the most are the fitness apps you can get now. I haven't tried the Zombies, Run! app (https://www.zombiesrungame.com/) but it just looks so cool. You can easily find a ton of testimonials on the web about stuff like this working for people who have found it hard to get in shape.

The game has a story separated in 30 minutes sections, and most of it is your own music playing. Once the section is done it continues going with the music for as long as you want. Sometimes there's "zombies" running after you, so it tells you to escape them. You have to run 20% for 1 minute to do so.

When you're done you could look at a neat graph, for example one of my runs: https://www.zombiesrungame.com/Knuk/4781028/

I don't have any gear, I go with shorts and a tshirt.

this the one I use

You can use it at the gym or on the road.

The story is amazing. It's really customizable and I'd pay twice that easily.

I'd make excuses to go outside and use it so I could get more of the story.

I made a post recently about runkeeper's intervals scaring the crap out of me because they didn't really feel couch-potato friendly. /u/jonjennings suggested the Zombies Run 5K app, and it's much less terrifying. I'm actually excited to start on W2 with it because it feels achievable rather than like I'm doomed from the start.

I will echo the belief that exercise helps with mood and focus. I suffer from anxiety over here and, in addition to medication, I find the time spent running gives my head a chance to clear.

It does take a lot of work to get into the habit, though. When first starting my running program, I used Zombies, Run! (https://www.zombiesrungame.com/) to make it a bit more fun. Something about hearing the undead at your heels in your earbuds helps quicken the pace.

As /u/zeuf says, the first secret is often to slow down. Many people think of running and they think of what they see experienced runners doing... long flowing strides as they pound effortlessly through the miles. Until you build stamina you'll probably find yourself doing better at a much slower pace... almost a shuffle.

Secondly, if you can't make the time (and I know I couldn't in W1 either), try making yourself a "week 0.5" where you only jog for 30 seconds instead of 60.

I actually did a slightly different program (Zombies Run 5K) where "W1" was 15 second jogs and I was exhausted by the end of those.

Finally, have you got proper cushioned & supportive running shoes or are you running in your workout shoes? A proper pair of running shoes (ideally from a dedicated running store where you can talk to someone else who runs) is usually a good investment and might help with the shin pain by reducing the impacts.

We had a thread in this post the other day about improving speed. One nice idea was to repeat the program but slow-run the "walk" sections and sprint the "run" sections.

You might also get a kick out of the Zombies Run app - it has a fun "zombie chase" mode where you're randomly attacked by zombies and have to speed up by 20% for the next 60 seconds to escape them :)

I'm scared now.

https://www.zombiesrungame.com/ was my savior. I'm going to sound like these cross-fit evangelists now, but I really enjoy working with it. For 1: I paid for it. I paid for an app, so I have to use it. Thereby, it's a game. I like games. It's like the nerds ultimatum. 'I can fight against zombies, but I have to walk for it...'

Really enjoying it, lots of storyline, nice schedule, really motivating and fun. You'll never believe what a smile words like "mission complete" can bring to your face.

Have you ever heard of "Zombies Run!" app for running https://www.zombiesrungame.com/

They have a website with a simple store off the homepage. They seem to be selling shirts and water bottles. I don't know how successful it is but as a user, I wouldn't really be interested in a store like that unless it was part of the iOS app.

I would try to partner with the bike shops and allow the user to visit the site or browse products on a store by store basis. If they allow you listing all of their inventory you could eventually start making them charge a listing fee.

Hello from central Florida!

I picked up the main Zombies, Run a bit ago but only started doing it in earnest recently, walking through the first four episodes. I picked up 5K Training with the Humble Android Bundle and finally cleared enough space on my phone to start, did the run, and was energized enough to look for the subreddit after - so I guess that puts me in W1D1.

I think I might alternate 5K training days with walking supply/radio days, then finish Season 1, then treat myself to the season pass and get further caught up. And if I happen to lose weight and shrug off my depressive tendencies in the process, well, all the better!

Edit: ZombieLink page woo!

Your honesty is appreciated! I LOVE listening to podcasts when I walk (Radio Brendoman is my favorite right now http://www.radiobrendo.com). That or I do "Zombies, Run!" (https://www.zombiesrungame.com/) This app is AMAZAZING.

Thanks for the motivation :) this is exactly what I need.

There's no harm in hating an exercise. In fact, it's more productive to find an exercise you enjoy rather than rehashing something you find no joy in.

As someone who loves running, I have two tips, but if you've already heard them or tried them, then just ignore me. You're entitled to hate running and that's fine. Have you been trying "walk-running," where you walk for so many minutes, then run for a minute, and repeat, and slowly build up to running for long periods of time? That helped me. Also, listening to podcasts that I like or using the Zombies, Run! app has made it so I can't wait for my next run (to find out what happens next in the story) or they help pass the time so I forget about the tough parts of running and only focus on the fun parts. Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

This isn't really applicable for treadmills, but I've always thought this was pretty nifty. https://www.zombiesrungame.com/ Turn your jog into a zombie escape.

Edit: Trailer says it works for treadmills. Never tried.

Treadmill eh?

Introduce him to this - https://www.zombiesrungame.com/

Their 5k training program is almost designed for neckbeards - it's got zombies, achievements, a home base to build up online and even an actually well written story that has won awards.

It's also (physically) very easy at the beginning, so if he's super unfit it won't really be a problem. And he is guaranteed to not be super unfit at the end of it.

Alcool, la causa di tutti i miei acquisti impulsivi :D

Comunque non so se può piacerti, ma dai un occhiata a Zombies! Run, è il motivo per cui ho iniziato a correre :) Credo che si integri anche con il FitBit.

P.s. Io quasi 9kg (l'~8 è tipo 8.7) tiè :p

There is FitRPG, and I just found BattleSuit Runner Fitness. I also am a fan of Zombies, Run!.

Finished W1D3 this friday, today is for W2D1. I like to run in the evening as the weather is cooler.

Hopefully it won't rain like it did on friday, it was kinda nice to run under the water, but I'd rather not do it again (especially for the wind).

If anyone wants to add me, I'm not doing anything special but my account is over https://www.zombiesrungame.com/Spittie/

EDIT: W2D1 done, I did a little worse than W1D3. Asma kicked in at the beginning :/ But I started to feel better halfway.

Thank you!

I don't really feel the need to run either way. Maybe when I switch schools and have access to the pretty gym at my new college, I'll give that Zombies, Run! program a shot, but until then I'm content with my 15min mile :)

there is actually a one that builds you from 5k to half marathon... but do you like zombies? Zombies Run has a prerequisite of being able to run 30 mins - it's like a story you play while running. I'm hoping to be able to do that at some point!

Zombies, Run! mobile fitness app!

Also, coming soon:

Run An Empire, a fitness app the claims the territory you've run around and contests the territory of other people!

OP, I don't know if you will see this, but you should totally check this out. It's an app to get you running, from the very basics... while you are being chased by zombies :D It lets you play music between intervals, and you get to do missions and stuff. It's a really good place to start if you need something to distract you from the awkwardness of your first runs.

That's great to hear! If you haven't tried it yet, I recommend the Zombies, Run! app as it has a great storyline that ensures you don't get too lost in thoughts as you run. As time goes on things get better in the sense that you have less bad days and more good one, so there is hope at some point.

If you're thinking of doing c25k and have a smartphone, I recommend Zombies, Run! - they've just launched a 5k training app, and it seems pretty solid. I did C25k with the NHS podcasts over the summer, and that was a good solution too.

Run for Your Lives is really fun and silly. You're being chased by people dressed as zombies. Of course, these zombies get tired, too, so they usually stand in the large path and try to grab a piece of fabric tied to your waist. It's a 5k (just a bit more than 3 miles), but there's enough obstacle to give you a break from straight running. It's really not that hard.

Rule #1: pace yourself. Start off running slower than you think you'll need to. You should be able to hold a conversation while running.

Set yourself up with Couch-2-5k (lots of apps out their phones). It's a great building block to get you running which starts off with some easy run/walk intervals. I love it. I went from barely being able to run a block (titanium femur) to being able to run a straight 5k. You can also zombie-fy your run with some great running-based zombie games, like "Zombies, Run!".

If you want to run, look at this app. I promise you won't be bored :D.

Unfortunately, your proof picture needs to contain your torso, so let me know when you have that updated so I can approve your post. Thanks!

If you think of exercise as something you have to do, with no specific goal or enjoyment for it, you're not going to stick with it.

Don't think of it as exercise. Is there a sport you want to try? Even if you try one sport, and change things up every few months or every few years. I've found things that seem right for me, are nearby, and are challenging so I don't get bored.

For example, right now I'm doing mostly yoga, running, and kickboxing. I love how yoga stretches out all those sore spots and I feel great after. I look forward to going for a run with my dogs and listening to Zombies, Run! (I am crushing on a certain character with a sweet British accent, must know what happens next.) I found a great instructor for kickboxing, it incorporates strength and cardio, and I want to improve so I can do more. Plus I get to punch and kick crap as hard as I want!!!

My hubby hates gyms and group classes but goes mountain biking with his friend weekly. (There's women-only learn-to-mountain bike classes btw). We used to go rock-climbing when we were closer to a gym - great for improving strength & like a big mental puzzle too - and cross-we go country skiing in the winter. My coworker rows with a Dragonboat team. I have my eye on broadsword fighting classes at the rec centre... see? So many fun things to try!

Agree, upvoted! =)

Also, gotto tell ya man, having an interview by a company that dabbles in AR on Monday xD

I'd like to do googling/pipl.com-ing/facebooking on everyone in sight by facial recognition, showing the gist of new people next to their faces.

I'd like to record every conversation around, making it all searchable; "Computer, play me the conversation I last had with Lisa", "Computer, print the conversation I had with John outside McDonalds a Tuesday about a year ago", "Computer, show me all discussions I've had about taxes".

I'd like digital billboards with art/architechtural/historical/whatever information, stores opening hours and their websites, comments other people scrabbled, direction arrows overlaid on the road/sidewalk, et cetera.

But man, don't diss the gaming aspect of GG. Imagine Zombies, run! on em!

What would you want to see in your Google Glasses?

Try this: https://www.zombiesrungame.com/

It won't involve people necessarily, but it makes extremely interesting conversation. Plus exercise is a natural anti-depressant. That's not BS, as I'm technically morbidly obese, though it's slowly coming off. I just walk with it, but it does its job.

I prefer biking though. After buying a crappy bike, I quickly ended up with a few of them, where I kinda zone an hit a trail for a while.

The site tries to play the .mp3 files via some JavaScript, but the link points back to www. instead of classic. So, if you can read the HTML, you could highlight the "play" icon, get the URL out (e.g. https://www.zombiesrungame.com/api/cdn/v1/missions/M-E06/scenes/01/ for Voice In The Dark), change the www. to classic., and it plays! Change the /01/ to /02/ for the second segment, etc. Voila!

https://www.zombiesrungame.com/

Zombies, Run! is basically 80% of why I run now at all. I used to struggle to even jog 1 mile at 5-6 mph.

Now, I can do 3 miles at 6 mph without even realizing it, and often accidentally speed up to a 7-8 mph pace on accident.

The voice acting is superb, and the story has twists and turns that you don't expect. (PEOPLE FUCKING DIE! WHAT?!?!).

I would recommend the app to anyone who wants to start out running. I often go running just to see what happens next in the story. Yay for accidental exercise!

I don't wear makeup, so no need to enter me in the contest, but as far as finding awesome sci-fi/fantasy/zombie related nail polishes, I recommend looking at Accio Lacquer's Blog. She's reviewed a lot of those types of polishes.

And if you're big on zombies, the app Zombies, Run! just became free-to-play (first four missions free and then one more each week. Available on ios and android) and it's super fun! It's like an immersive audiobook that you listen to when you go out for runs or walks, etc. set in post-apocalyptic England with zombies. I've been doing it since it came out in 2012 and I can't begin to say how much fun it is!

My suggestions 1) find the exercises you like. If you hate running (as I did; https://www.zombiesrungame.com/ is helping me get over my cardo hate) then doing cross country is going to SUCK, and if you're anything like a normal person you will find a reason to not do it. If you like weightlifting/crossfit/boxing/yoga/strongman/something else (or if you've never done it, good you get to learn something new) sure some days will suck but you'll be having fun most days and you'll be working toward something you like.

2) find a diet you can stick with, (Palo, low-cal, Low carb, who cares) that's 2/3's the issue. I did David kings 30 day challenge (http://www.davidkingfitness.com/) and was miserable but my sister LOVED it(he's great guy, BTW). I've been doing /r/keto for over year and it's working for me, but it may not work for you.

I was really sad when I saw that /r/rundenim isn't a real subreddit...

I personally use the Zombies, Run! app. It gives me speed at each mile, a website to track my data, and, most importantly, a really awesome running/post-zombie-apocalypse themed audio book that is inserted in between songs of my running playlist

I think "gamers" (I loathe that term BTW) would be most interested in PSN, Steam, XBL notifications that are native to the Apple Watch. The watch to me doesn't seem like an ideal arena for gaming. The screen is too small and the buttons don't really lend themselves too well towards gaming. Remember the Game Boy Micro? Game Boy Advanced games on a screen the size of a postage stamp. Perhaps a fitness app like Zombies, Run! can utilize the watch better due to the Apple Watch's heavy focus towards fitness.

Great work! You might want to check out Zombies, Run!; running/jogging stuff has always been too strenuous/boring/uncomfortable for me, but I started Zombies, Run! and was really impressed at how accommodating it was to my skill level. It does a lot of the walk/jog alternation as you train, but it encourages users to go at whatever rate they're comfortable at. You can listen to your own music, too!

I have the same problem. I picked up an iPhone game called Zombies, Run! to make it enjoyable. It's like an interactive audiobook/music player/game. You're part of a survivor camp and you run missions for supplies, fighting rivals, etc. You start with a brief intro and get sent on your way, then whatever music you have on you device plays while you run and you get notices that you picked up various supplies. Between a song here and there the story picks up again before returning to your run. You'll randomly be attacked by hordes of zombies, where you have to run faster than the pace you have held to escape them or else get caught and lose your supplies. It's a lot of fun and the only way I've found to enjoy running.

I don't have an android, but I know that this app is available on both it and ios: Zombies, Run! It's a workout app that's kinda like an audiobook, but immersive. I use it all the time (both for running and while I'm using the stationary bike) and it's helped me get motivated to exercise. I won't talk your ear off about it, since it's not really going to help you with organizing, but I had to share!

Zombies, Run! is also a couch-to-5k program, and is great if you're the type of person that gets into a storyline. It's great if you need more than just music to keep upi interested.

I wonder if someone could take the touring carriages mod, and remove the carriage. Just running with a tour guide.

Also, not skyrim related, but have you tried zombies run? It got me interested in running a while back.

If the 60sec runs are too long for you, you could try making yourself a "week 0.5" where you run for 30 second intervals and then progress to W1 next week. I know there was no way I could run for 60secs when I started (I did the Zombies Run 5K program which starts with 15sec intervals and I swear I was exhausted at the end of every one of them)

Injuries really suck - congrats on coming back. I always say forget all the hype about W5D3, W1D1 is THE hardest run.

60 seconds of running may be too much for you to start with (it was for me even though I wasn't particularly overweight & could walk for hours).

Maybe try an introductory step of a "week 0.5" where you do 30 second runs instead of 60.

Or alternatively, if you like apps and zombies, I used the Zombies Run 5K Training app which uses a slightly easier schedule at the beginning than standard C25K - 15 seconds in W1 and 30 seconds in W2 before you get to having to do 60 in W3.

Calf pain is quite frequently reported... but it's usually something that manifests itself after you've run (&quot;DOMS&quot;) rather than during.

If I was you, I'd try reducing those run intervals for a week and if that doesn't help then maybe go see a physio - they'd be able to actually see what your body's doing and suggest specific exercises.

Glad to help!

What are you running in now?

I tried to do my first run in the pair of sneakers/trainers that I normally wore out of the house. I figured they were supportive and cushioned & all that stuff. Oh boy was I wrong. Bad leg pain when I got back.

The program I used was called Zombies Run 5K. It's broadly similar to the official C25K schedule but starts off slower and (my only criticism) uses a lot of "free-form" runs where you're supposed to run as much as you're able. We were talking about it earlier today in another thread and you can see its workout schedule here

I like /u/UrbaneTexan's jog/sprint suggestion.

Also check out the Zombies Run app - it has a fun "zombie chase" mode where you're randomly attacked by zombies and have to speed up by 20% for the next 60 seconds to escape them :)

^^^(a ^^^fun ^^^mode ^^^that ^^^I'm ^^^apparently ^^^too ^^^chicken ^^^to ^^^ever ^^^turn ^^^on)

It is - see https://www.zombiesrungame.com/. They have two different apps - one for C25K (technically not official "C25K" because it works on a different schedule but it gets you from "the couch" to "running 5km" in 8 weeks, so it's comparable) and one for more general running.

The ZR5K app is 15sec runs on W1, 30sec on W2, 60sec on W3. I loved it because a) it started off much slower for me and b) it gave me an interesting storyline to listen to as I trained.

Actually, now I think about it, I don't think you get pace announcements from the 5K app... I think they're only in the main app.

I heartily recommend ZombiesRun, but two drawbacks I would mention:

• it's not great if you're on a treadmill because you quite often have to stop to do stretches or exercises (heel lifts, half-squats etc) - full schedule is here if you wanted to see. When you jump off the treadmill mid-way, the treadmill has a tendency to reset itself.
• ZR5K has a lot of "free-form runs" where you're asked to "run as much as you're able" which I felt was a bit of a cop-out. I wanted someone to train me! I got around that by timing my own run/walk intervals in those periods - until the point where I discovered that I could run all the way through the free-forms and I could stop staring at my phone. That was one of the most magical days of my running!

Congrats!

Given that you've got a smartphone, get an app that gives you audio prompts for when to run/walk. I'd enjoyed the Zombies Run 5K program but be aware that the training schedule is a little different to the standard C25K one so your "W4D1" then isn't the same as a "C25K W4D1", which makes postings a little confusing.

The other advantage of an app, for both outside runners and treadmill runners, is that it means you can stop looking at the time. I found that watching the time made my runs seen to last forever. If I could just listen to music and audio prompts then I could zone out much more effectively and not be all "are we there yet?" every 5 seconds.

On a treadmill you can also then cover up the screen to help forget there's 19...18...17...16...15 seconds to go.

Two years ago when I first started running, I picked up this Zombies, Run! app and used that to start out. It has a c25k version and then a more standard running version. It's gimmicky, but has a nice story-line and helps you zone out when you are starting.

I also second the idea of signing up for an OCR. Sign up for a Warrior Dash, a Bullfrog, or some other 5k race to give yourself a taste of them. Putting money down on a race is a great motivator to continue working out too.

If you're interested in running a Battlefrog or Bullfrog, shoot me a message and I'll give you a discount code for it. I'd post it here but I'm not sure if that's against the sub's rules or not.

If I take the bus I read a book, if I go by car or subway I listen to an audio book. If the weather allows me to ride my bike I use Zombies, run! on my phone.

PS: I'm a freelancer so I don't go to the same place every day

I feel like the The Walk comes really close. Its like a pedometer version of Zombies, Run. It tracks your steps and after a certain amount of time walking it gives you more of the story. There are also achievements for completing a story in a day and completing all the side missions.