Running can be… fun?
The other day when I got home, I was planning on taking a nap. Miraculously, I had actually managed my time and didn’t have any homework due the next day. I flopped down on my couch and shut my eyes. I started thinking about my schedule and it came to my attention that I did not have PE this year. With my PE requirement behind me, I had turned my new free block into a study hall. I would get no physical activity (other than walking to and from class) all year. I don’t play a sport and don’t have the initiative to use my free time to exercise. The thought that I would not be active at all scared me a little bit. I’m not the most athletic person, but I do (albeit grudgingly) realize that it is good for one’s health. I got off the couch and decided I had to do something. I downloaded an app that I’d heard about called “Zombies, Run!” It is a running app that basically tells you, “Oh no, there’s a group of zombies behind you! Run now.” After a while, a Siri-like voice would tell you you had outrun them, so you could walk. I realized after the first couple of minutes that it is so much more. I turned on the app and started walking toward a trail through the woods, deciding to fully immerse myself in the idea that I was in a zombie apocalypse. I was surprised to hear someone talking to me through what sounded like a radio headset. The idea is you’re the main character and your helicopter has crash-landed in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. These radio people see that you’re alive and are trying to get you back to their base-camp, while keeping you mostly away from zombies. The voices didn’t sound scripted, they sounded like actual people who wanted to get me home safely. Every once in awhile, I would hear static and the voice come across again saying something like, “There’s no easy way to say this, but there are zombies following you.” That was my signal to run. Often the characters would share a bit of their backstories, which hit me right in the heart-strings. At one point, the Township’s doctor came across saying, “So we really need some medical supplies and I’m so sorry, but you’re so close to it… Could you please run through the hospital and pick up a few supplies? I know it’s swarming with the undead, but you have to earn your keep here.” I got completely immersed in the story and after a while it didn’t even feel like I was exercising. The idea is that there are episodes and a bunch of seasons, like a tv show. It’s a story and I felt a part of it, running for my life from the un-dead. I realized I was actually having fun. I’m sure if I was really running away from zombies, I wouldn’t use “fun” as the word to describe it! But the logical side of my brain (the left side - thank you, Ms. Hoza) was telling me that I was safe, while the right side was imagining a hoard of zombies on my heels. I felt like the main character of some post-apocalyptic book, movie, or tv series, only I wasn’t watching it or reading about it, I was living it. I ran for a good forty minutes, until the episode was over. When I got home, I was in the best mood. I was invested in the story and characters and wanted to do it again the next day. Unfortunately, because I don’t often exercise, I was so sore the next day I could barely walk without saying “Ow.” And the next day and the next. It has now been three days since I’ve run from zombies, and I’m waiting restlessly to do it again once my legs stop being sore. This app is perfect for people who aren’t the most athletic, but do love a good story. You also get to listen to your music while the radio voices aren’t talking. I would definitely recommend this app to anyone. People who love to run, people who hate it, even people who have a dog they need to walk, just to listen to the story. It’s so fun! Peyton Beaumont Western Albemarle High School Library Communications and Outreach Intern
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