Tag: zombies

Zombies!

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 2 Comments

Nearly halfway through a two week half-term and my world has been revolving around the undead. It seems that every way I turn I am faced with rotten corpses walking the Earth or the droning sounds of the walking dead. I've seen 1000s killed in various ways and run from 100s.

Over the last few weeks I've become slightly obsessed with 'The Walking Dead'. I was told by various people to give it a go – I'm currently nearing the end of season 3 – and if you like zombies it's definitely worth giving it a go. I find myself saying 'ooooo nice kill' at various points, I particularly like the slicing off the top of head kills. Now I know it's only a TV programme but there are a few issues:

  • It is annoying that that decide to do anything 'just before sunset'
  • Andrew Lincoln's ridiculous exaggerated American accent.
  • The amount of walking backwards checking for zombies they do.
  • The way most things take ages to do when you have a hoard of the undead getting closer.

If watching zombies is not enough I've taken to running away from them again….

It's been a while since I've been using the Zombies, Run! app to track runs – but I'm back using it.

On top of this I came across a fella at the woods who looked like Merle from The Walking Dead, from a distance it even looked like he only had one hand and was carrying a huge knife.

It did however just turn out to be an old guy with a stick walking his dog.

Like I said….I'm becoming slightly obsessed….

 

Going zombie crazy….

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ Leave a comment

Everything seems to be about zombies at the moment. Not exactly sure why, but the desiccating, decaying, emotionless beings and their insatiable desire to consume living human flesh is all around. Now I understand that today is All Hallows' Eve, but zombies seem to be infiltrating my life….

  • I have recently finished reading 'World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War', which I thought was a great read. This novel was a follow-up to Mel Brooks' 'The Zombie Survival Guide' – which is now on the list of must reads.
  • The blogosphere seems to be jammed packed with zombie related blogs. People taking part in various zombie runs, people in zombie training and people seemingly obsessed with zombies. I did experience a zombie run last year, so maybe it's time to have another go.
  • I've also recently started watching 'The Walking Dead', slightly late to the party I know, but people having been raving about this series so I thought I'd give it a go. Who can resist a post-apocalyptic world dominated by flesh eating zombies?

So, seeing that zombies are all around, I downloaded the 'Zombies, Run!' app for the iPhone and took to the woods to run from zombies. I did use this app a year or so ago and how I've missed it! The new version is packed full of missions including zombie chases that force you to speed up to avoid the zombie hordes and is very slick.

Zombies were not the only things I had avoid, I came across this…

This seemingly harmless bit of twig, with huge thorns, was about six feet long and somehow I managed to get the evil thing wrapped around my legs. Trying to escape its clutches was quite a mission. Give me zombies any day of the week!

In other news….we approach Movember….

Only three weeks until my first ever MoRun at Nottingham…..the cultivation of an impressive moustache starts tomorrow!*

* Please note I can not actually grow a very good moustache.

 

Zombie Evacuation

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 8 Comments

Today saw four brave souls, Dead Men Running, attempt to complete a zombie infested 5km run….

Great example of teamwork – one hold phone, one press button!

A ‘short’ walk to the Zombie Evacuation HQ on a very cold and windy morning was enough to bring us to the edge of collapse before we had even seen a zombie.

Liability waiver was signed and timing chip, belt and tags collected. The liability waiver did not help to ease our fears:

‘The risk of injury and/or death from the activities involved in the Zombie

Evacuation Race and the Event is significant’

But we are a simple group of blokes and after a coffee and a KitKat, the standard zombie runners breakfast, we were feeling more confident and ready to face the zombie hordes.

Our allotted evacuation wave time quickly approached and we were ready and in postion to begin. We jogged to an assembly point on the edge of the infected zone where team tactics were quickly discussed. It was decided that we would stay together at all costs and if necessary risk possible zombie infection for the good of the team. After a quick briefing from the head of operations we began to jog ahead in a surprisingly light-hearted mood. This was soon to end because within 30 seconds we were running for our life, amongst smoke and dead corpses, after a zombie attack. At this point it was clear it was every man for himself, Simon pushing other runners to the side, Dave violently pushing me into a ditch in an attempt to save himself.

Over the 5km course we encountered various obstacles (logs, fences, walls, barbed wire, forest, mud, mine fields, rope bridges), what seemed like 1000s of zombies, and managed to just about stay together as a team. Only on a few occasions did the pressure of virus-infected zombies cause any team issues:

  • Early on Neil lost his hat which I bravely went back for, despite the cries from Dave of “leave it – it’s just a hat”.
  • On a particularly muddy part, Simon was seen walking over Neil to reach the top of the ridge.
  • At a rope walking obstacle again Simon was seen disrupting Neil’s progress by excessive swinging on the rope, nearly causing a zombie to infect him.
  • Trees twanged back into team mates faces…
  • Lots of needless shoving and grabbing for reassurance (the zombies were actually really scary!)

 

As we approached the end of the course Dave was the only member of Dead Men Running not to be infected, due to some decidedly ‘gay’ hand wafting around his hips, and it was decided that we would do ANYTHING to get him home in one piece. To cries of, “We’ll get you back Dave!”, we faced the final horde of zombies. Final outcome: 3 infected, 1 survivor. Good job Dave!

Escaping zombies makes you happy!

Overall it was a great day, and despite the ‘screaming like a bunch of girls’ I was very proud of the boys! A well earned pint was the reward…..

Dave was keen to tell EVERYONE he knew that he was the only survivor!

Unicycling on hold…

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 5 Comments

After what has been a disastrous monthly challenge so far, I felt a post was needed to explain to my fans followers exactly where we are.

It has been over ten days since I last sat on a unicycle, due to a touch of sciatica. I don't intend on boring you with the details, you only need to read Unicycle Day 15 to find out more. Needless to say the chances of successfully managing to learn to ride the unicycle has taken a battering. It may well be that September's Challenge moves into October *sharp intact of breath*.

I'm also very aware of the fact that the Zombie Evacuation run is getting closer. After bullying persuading various teachers to join me in running away from zombies whilst overcoming obstacles I need to ensure I'm fully fit. So I've done the sensible thing, stopped the unicycling and I haven't actually been running for the past 10 days. I have also penciled in running the Great Eastern Run in Peterborough next month, so depending on how the next fortnight goes will decide if I do that or not.

The drugs seemed to have worked, my leg is nowhere near as painful as it was last week, it feels more like a 'dead leg'. This weekend I have done next to nothing in an attempt to get back on track. Well actually to be more precise, I have done nothing interspersed with a whole lot of nothing.

 

Juneathon Day 24

~ Phil Lengthorn ~ 1 Comment

What a great run today!

First run today with the fantastic Zombies, Run! app. After yesterday’s long run and the dodgy weather this morning I was aiming for nice gentle half hour run. I had anything but! 3.73 miles in a pretty swift time due to a bunch of ‘zombies’ on my tail.

The ‘Zombies, Run!’ app is a great way to mix up your training. You become a character in a zombie infested world. You hear the story through headphones in between your song playlist. It all starts off very calm until the zombies realise you’re there! Then you run for your life!

The makers have created a great little app, soon to be integrated with runkeeper, that should keep any runner motivated…

You tie your shoes, put on your headphones, take your first steps outside. You’ve barely covered 100 yards when you hear them. They must be close. You can hear every guttural breath, every rattling groan – they’re everywhere. Zombies. There’s only one thing you can do: Run!

Also on my run through town I came across preparations for the arrival of the Olympic Torch. It’s due in town in a week or so…

Total Juneathon mileage after day 24 = 90.10