Hi everyone –
If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook then you’ve probably been seeing me whine about running for the past few months…
Since I left high school, I haven’t run more than a couple of parking spaces. Between working a desk job, watching kid sports, and writing at night, my life had become extremely sedentary. When I did exercise, it was usually sitting on a recumbent bike! LOL
Anyway, a few months ago my daughter and some other author friends on facebook pointed out a 5K event that was right up my alley. The Run for Your Lives zombie 5K! It’s about 3 miles, and I thought if I was ever going to run, this would be the event for me.
But I didn’t actually think I would do it.
Then Ken & I started walking, and I got a little Couch to 5K app on my phone and for a few weeks I stayed on week 1 & 2 over and over, praying my legs would remember how to run instead of just lumber around the track! LOL I knew if I didn’t sign up, I’d never push myself past week 2 on the app, so I registered for the 5K and the training was on.
I ran around the high school track, and around the entire high school. I felt almost ready…
But nothing could have prepared me for what I saw on Saturday afternoon when I reached the event. First, the parking was almost a mile from the actual check-in and starting line and about ¼ of the mile was uphill! LOL I did meet a couple of off-duty zombies though, aren’t they cute? 
So by the time I found the check-in I was already sweaty. Not a good sign!
Then I realized where the course was laid out was straight up a mountain and I texted Panda… “Very nervous… All uphill…”
But I checked in anyway and got my number and my flags. You get 3 flags, and if you finish the race with at least one, you got a survivor medal. If all your flags were gone, you got a Zombie medal. I also got a cool T-shirt for after the run.
Now I just had to live through the run! LOL
When we gathered at the starting line, the fast peeps with actual 5K experience packed into the “Appetizer” row, the people who had completed 5Ks but weren’t ready to burst out into the lead filled the “Entrée” row, and I slid right in with the newbies in the “Dessert” row. They let us go in three waves, and this is the massive mountain we trudged up…
I was somewhere in that pack… We went up the mountain and see the ridge up at the top?
Yes we went all the way up there! *boggle* Definitely not what I had been training for!
Once we got to the last incline up the mountain, the zombie hordes descended and the adrenaline kicked in!
No more lumbering, my legs remembered how to sprint past zombies! LOL
I ran through mud bogs, crawled under barbed wire, dodged zombies, and climbed the wood scoffolding to go down the mud slide… I couldn’t tell how deep the water was at the bottom. I’m sad to report it was deep and my head went completely under in the muddy water…. GROSS!!!! 
With the finish line in sight, and as if I wasn’t muddy enough yet, we got to crawl (I opted to scoot) under about 50 yards of wood crawl space… So. Much. Mud. LOL
This event was MILES out of my comfort zone, but I gotta tell ya, when I finished I felt SOOO Hard Core, like some kind of Paranormal Romance Writing Superhero! J
During the race, I saw a couple of people have to take golf carts down the mountain, a couple of people were vomiting, and many folks in much better shape than me said this was the toughest 5 K they’d ever done…
And I made it to the finish line!!! Am I Hard Core or what??? LOL
Those are the muddy thumbs that are typing my next romance novel! LOL And here’s my Zombie medal… It’s now on my desk, proudly hanging beside my San Diego Book Award! LOL
Writers Rock!!!
Lisa J
Not just anyone could have braved your adventure Lisa. You rock on so many levels. First, just getting your butt out of the chair and onto a track. Then to stick with it for weeks and weeks. Finally to actually show up to the run and finish it! I wanna be just like you…minus the zombies and the mud :). Congratulations on getting out of your comfort zone and doing something scary!
Awww thanks Rachael!!! 🙂 I was scared and tempted to wimp out, but I’m glad I did it! 🙂
Next up is the Electric Run at night in February at the Del Mar Fairgrounds… Woot!
Lisa 🙂
Congratulations!! What a fun event. YAY YOU!
Thanks Sandra!!! 🙂 One of the craziest things I’ve ever done! LOL
Lisa 🙂
Whoa!
I don’t think I could do that and I’ve been athletic all my life.
Brave, brave Lisa.
Congratulations on finishing.
Susan
Thanks Susan!!! 🙂 And I just found out I didn’t finish last in my wave! I ended up 345th out of 407!
Felt like a victory to me! LOL
Lisa 🙂
That is absolutely awesome Lisa! I don’t know if I could have done that! I also had never run in my entire life but completed the NHS C25k program last year. I felt so empowered! I love the high I get from running… Then… someone dropped some dog agility equipment on my left foot causing multiple breaks. My foot finally felt well enough a few weeks ago to start the C25k program again. It’s been a year. I just started the 4th week yesterday.
I really admire you! AND that was all uphill! AND involved crawling… WooHoo!
Thanks for sharing…
The crawling and uphill were the worst parts… My knees hurt for a week after all the muddy crawling! LOL It was really fun though, so I’m glad i did it…
I’m still using the Cto5K phone app and I’m shooting for the Electric Run 5K in February… It’s a night run with lots of glow sticks! Fun! 🙂
Thanks for commenting Linda!!! I’m glad your foot is better!
Lisa 🙂
You are totally hard core! Congratulations for ‘surviving’ the Zombie run! I had a few friends who were up there with you and they said it was tough, so kudos to you! I would’ve taken one look at the mud and ran back the other way.
Love the pictures!
WTG!!!!
That is so cool! Reminds me of the Warrior Run they have here in Texas a little bit. You know there is an app called Zombie Run. You use while training or running. I haven’t listen to it, but its suppose to be the sounds of a Zombie coming after you. Keep having fun.
That is a badass, Lisa. I’m so proud of you! Congratulations for earning that zombie metal. Thanks for sharing your story! *hugs*
Melissa
omg, Lisa. WOW! What an adventure–and an accomplishment. You rock! Love the photos and title: Run for Your Lives. Yes, zombie run is right up your (paranormal) alley. 🙂 Keep up the awesome work! hugs and more hugs.
I was there!! I did that! I’m going to blog about it too. If you don’t mind, I’ll link your blog in mine. 🙂 I couldn’t believe that hill!!! Well done. That was a really hard race. Definitely something to be proud of.
Congratulations! What a fantastic accomplishment. I take my hat off to you and humbly bow. I could never have braved the zombie run. You are awesome.
Lisa, next year I’ll be there with you! That sounds like SO much fun!!!
WOOT!! Go Lisa! So next year will you go in as a zombie? You could be an undead Disney queen! Congrats- I’m so proud of you!!
You rock, Lisa! My middle son starts cross country in a few weeks, and I’m thinking about running with him on the weekends and during the holiday breaks (since I’ll have to take him to the track anyway). Thanks for the inspiration!
Five K, maybe, Zombie Five K, no way after seeing this. You are the bomb! I’ll stick to my “wogging”.
Right on Lisa! You go girl!!!!!!
Hi
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You look great! I would not have been able to do it! I would have been slinging the mud! LOL Congratulations! Glad you had fun! 🙂