Zombies, Run - the review

If you remember way back in January, I set out to try a couple of apps to see if they would help improve my fitness, motivation and inability to put down the cake. Finally I have time to let you know how that went. First, Zombies, Run:

I downloaded the Zombies, Run 5K edition for the bargain price of 69p (now £1.49, sorry!); 

quite a big step for me as I have never bothered to pay for an app before as I find that there are a great many good free ones so I am not affected by not having whichever paid apps are trending this week. However, something about Zombies, Run spoke to me and, throwing caution to the wind, spent my 69p on it. 

Having played it for a few weeks, 5K really does seem to be a training app in the best

Ice and Zombies

I have a confession. As the snow has come, my ability to get off the sofa has gone. As I speak, I am snuggled in the living room in multiple pairs of pyjamas, leg-warmers, dressing-gown and blankets: yes, even though it is 4pm on a sunday. 

My only possible excuse is that I was going to go for a run but, you know, it's slippery out there, what with all that snow and ice. Nobody mention yesterday's thaw, please. So since Friday (snow-day, day-off, yippee!) I haven't completed my Martin-training - not that I can do 40 press-ups on the trot anyway - and I haven't got anyway near 12,000 steps. Quite possibly hovering near 1,200. A day. Pitiful! I did, however, play Heavy Rain till 3am last night - a dark, film-noir-esque detective story with a lot of fighting in it.


So how to get out of this rut? I'm going to try a couple of apps over the next week to see if they motivate me to move. The first, MyFitnessPal, I've used before and found to be quite successful at reminding me what I'm eating (and what I shouldn't be eating!) and helping me to keep within a calorie limit.

The second, Zombies, Run, promises to be a story-led running app, which will motivate me to get out there and keep moving. A previous app (Zombie Run, it's a bit confusing), pitted you against a GPS map full of zombies you had to avoid to win. I found it very entertaining but the fact that I had to run while continuously checking the map on my phone disrupted my pace although the zombies wanting to eat my brains meant I had to take different routes to get home which was fun. The other problem with this app was the fact that it was better suited to running from one point to the other rather than round the block or neighbourhood which is what I (and I assume, many of you) do. Anyway, I hope that Zombies, Run will combat these niggling issues by having instructions given through the headphones and no strict necessity to check your phone every couple of minutes.

They're after you. No they really are.

So that's the plan! Watching what I eat with MyFitnessPal and if you see me running down the road like a crazy it's because some Zombies are chasing me!

I'll let you know how I get on, let me know if you have any good fitness apps or training tips here or by email and don't forget that there are many ways to follow us: Facebook, Twitter  and, of course, JustGiving! 

Only 140 days left! Thats only 20 weeks!!