“You are a Runner en-route to one of humanity’s last remaining outposts. They need your help to gather supplies, rescue survivors, and defend their home.” Zombies, Run! homepage
Running can be a pain. Physically, mentally, you name it. Whether you've been doing it for a while or just starting out, finding motivation to run can be frustrating. So imagine my curiosity and later excitement when a friend told me to replace my running app with something called Zombies, Run!
If you haven’t already guessed from the name the app revolves around zombies. The app gives you missions and with each mission comes a story, starting out with a helicopter crash where you, the Runner, are the only survivor. You are then placed “in contact” with the last standing outpost for survivors. Each time you run you’ll pick up items (i.e. water, batteries, first aid kit) and if you so choose you’ll be chased by zombie hordes and be forced to speed up every now and then during your run. Believe me, you get so into the story that when you hear the “WARNING: Zombies detected 50 feet away” your adrenaline will spike and you will BOOK IT. Your fear of dying becomes your motivation and you suddenly end up running 4 miles instead of your premeditated 2.
Other than the awesome fear inducing story line this app has many benefits. It lets you connect straight to your music so that in between story segments you can listen to some awesome tunes. As for the missions, they build off each other so it's as if you are in a TV series. And if you feel like pushing yourself a bit more, you can always choose the training plan option, which allows you to set running goals while you go on your missions. For myself, my favorite part of the app is the “Chase” option. See the zombie chases happen randomly. My first time using it, I was chased 3 times. But during the second mission, I wasn’t chased at all. The randomness keeps you on edge and, at least for me, encourages me to keep moving.
Ask anyone and they'll tell you the hardest part about running is getting started. So why not make the starting part fun? Or terrifying. Whatever helps, right?
