Week 3 {Zombies Run}

Tuesday night Taryn and I did week 3 day 1 of our Zombies, Run 5K training. Phew. That KICKED my butt. This week is one minute of running (each week so far the running has increased by 15 seconds) followed by a minute of walking and then ten knee lifts. I already feel like a slug, but then to see Taryn go zooming past me – ZOOOM! She’s doing pretty awesome (I’m proud of her!) and it motivates me to want to do better (of course at her age, I was a lot faster, too).

Considering that a year ago after my IIH diagnosis, I needed help getting up and down stairs, I can’t complain – I’m pretty happy with where I am right now and my progress. I just think back to our first week and how hard the FIFTEEN seconds of running was and now I’m doing a minute and how that seems like such a big deal. It is a big deal…it’s a stepping stone. Gotta start somewhere!!!

I’m not going to bootcamp today so I’m hoping that I won’t have as much trouble tonight as I did on Tuesday night. Ironically, the worst part about our last run session was the pain in my back and shoulders from bootcamp that day.

Week 3 Day 2 INCOMING!!!!!!!!!!

Zombies, RUN!

When I was in elementary school I had a huge crush on this boy.  He was fast.  So, so fast.  In 7th grade, we had to run a cross country mile in our gym class several times a week.  He always finished first.  It dawned on me that if I was faster and finished sooner…I could talk to him and you know hang out with him.  And before I knew it, I was sometimes beating HIM.  I was doing the mile in less than six minutes.  It was pretty exciting, even for my 7th grade self.

I wanted to keep it up, but then a cruddy thing happened.  I got boobs.  I mean, I already had them, but they just kept getting bigger.  And I just didn’t like running as much.  We moved away from that school district (Navy Brat!) and I pretty much didn’t run again until the next spring when I signed up for track.  I did join the team and I did run cross country, but I didn’t do that great – I will tell you that I always finished, though.

One thing about it, I miss that feeling.  I miss running.  It will be a long time before I’m ever at a point that I can flat out just run a whole mile without wanting to drop dead, but you have to start somewhere (you know – every journey begins with a single step!).

This summer, I decided to finally make use of the Zombies, Run 5K app I purchased nearly a year ago.  It’s similar to the

ZOMBIES, RUN!!!

couch to 5k program, only way more fun because well, you know…zombies.  This app is AWESOME.  I’m purchased it on my daughter’s phone, too, so we’re both doing it (my boyfriend has it as well, but he’s only come out with us once so far).  They now have two different apps, the 5k trainer that’s still $1.99 and then a regular mission based app that’s free to start but you can open up one new mission each week or pay monthly or yearly.  Since I’m still going to be working with the 5k trainer for awhile, I went ahead and got the free one and I’ve been opening up new missions each week to get a head start.

The app basically is training you to be a “runner” for supplies for a township (a safe place) in a zombie apocalypse.  Since this is the 5k trainer, it’s getting you to a point where you’re running for longer stretches at a time.  Tomorrow night, my daughter and I will be on week three, day one.  Our time out, our distance, and our speed have already increased in just two weeks.

Unfortunately, since we’re on the “old” app, I have to use an outside app to track our walks (I’m using RunKeeper and have that synced with my MyFitnessPal account).

I have never had so much fun while out running – the last few “missions” have been a little more exciting and the story lines as we have gone along have gotten a lot more enjoyable.  I am thinking about signing my daughter and I up for the KC Glow Run on June 27th (my kids leave for Memphis on July 13, and with July 4th, it’s the best 5k I could find).  I hope we’re ready!!!