Health: Zombies Run – 5k & The Walk

Spring is here and that means it’s time to make plans for holidays and fun parties. But it also means the weather is (potentially) getting better and you can spend more time outside soaking up the sun and enjoying nature. For me that always meant a lot of walking. When the weather is nice and it isn’t raining like crazy I love to go to places on foot rather than using public transport or just go for a walk in nature. Sadly this year that turned out to be easier said than done.

Quote by Nike “We own the Night”.

Back in March I busted up my ankle and managed to tear my ligaments on both side of my right foot. Being a stubborn person I managed to hop around with it for a bit until I was told to see a doctor. Long story short the healing process was longer due to complications. But now after 8 weeks I am able to walk for longer periods and I am slowly looking forward to become more active again. I feel my ankle has been weakened and I really need to try and strengthen it back to it’s old condition.

Even more so since in October I will be going to Edinburgh together with Jo. I know for sure we will be walking around a lot to see the city and to visit whisky distilleries in the highlands. And as is tradition there will also be cocktails involved. To combat that effect I suggested to go running on some mornings to start fresh and clear our minds. She thought it was a grand idea and so a deal was made.

But to be fair I am not in a good shape right now and I really need to get my “behind” into overdrive. In order to enjoy my summer walks and keep up with Jo, I need to get my ankle back in the game. And what better way to start walking again and train for a 5k (running five kilometres in a row)?
Luckily I have done this before and so I know that with determination and a good and steady approach I can manage to get back unto track in no time.

Apps
In order to get myself motivated I use two apps on my smart-phone. Both of them I used before and I know they work perfect for me and get the results I need while keeping me motivated. It goes without saying that both these apps have a somewhat geeky side to them.
For walking I use an app called: The Walk
For running I use an app called Zombies Run- 5K (in 8 weeks).

The Walk is a fun app which encourages you to walk for long(er) distances.
” A bomb explodes in Inverness station, and you’re given a package that could save the world. To stay alive, you’ll need to walk the length of the UK.
The Walk is more than just a (great) pedometer — it’s a way to turn walking into a journey, a challenge, and a rip-roaring adventure.” – App Description

In the app you play someone who is thrown into a spy like story by accident. Your smart-phone ( with headphone) is the way you are being kept up to date of your missions and surroundings. Each missions last between 30 to 50 minutes and takes you deeper in the story. There are 51 episodes to play which should keep you entertained for awhile. And in the missions you can take different approaches to get to the end which offers it a little re-playability and gives you access to in-game achievements.
The app is available for both Android and Iphone for €2,99/ £2,29 /$2,99

Zombies run 5k is a trainings program which lasts eight weeks and will change you from a couch potato into a survivor capable of outrunning the zombies. Every week you will have three training moments which will help you build up your endurance and get you to that point that you can five kilometres in one go.

Zombies, Run! 5k Training is an 8-week training program and audio adventure for beginners that’ll improve your fitness so you can run a 5km distance. We give you clear and detailed instructions about when to walk, jog, run and stretch, building up your confidence and stamina over 25 workouts – combined with a gripping story delivered straight to your headphones. – App Description

The application itself is much like the original Zombies, Run app. If anything the 5k version is the one that helps you get to the level that you need for the original one.
You start off very slowly with your training which makes it a very easy to use program if you are new to running. It can also be used on the treadmill at the gym which is a big plus.

You play a new addition to a small town that tries to survive during a zombie apocalypse. They take you in after a crash and in order to earn your keep you will be trained to become a supply runner for the town. The app manages to craft a really entertaining story with a very nice cast of characters. And training suddenly becomes a lot of fun as you want to explore the story. In the end I felt I actually started to care about certain characters and the zombie sounds were freaky enough to keep me on my toes.
While there are many apps that will help you train for a 5k, I found them often very dull and not something I was looking forward too. But this was just right up my alley.. Combining my wish to be more healthy and my love for zombies.

The app is available for both Android and Iphone for €1,99/ £1,49 /$1,99

The only major drawback for me is that both these apps don’t support the Spotify playlists. So while you are able to listen to music during training you need to download songs and making a separate playlist just for training.

I will do a more in depth review of these apps a bit later on. My previous experience was based on the old versions and since that moment a lot has been changed.

One Comment on “Health: Zombies Run – 5k & The Walk

  1. One downside I have experienced with the Zombies Run 5k app is that I was unable to use it in the gym. It could just be my building of course and perhaps it works perfectly fine in other gyms. But I would love to be able to use it on the treadmill. It’s a fabulous app and like you’ve stated, it makes running so much more fun.

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