Zombies, Run! Season 2 Mission 8

36:52 minutes - 2.26 miles - 16:17 minutes/mile

The alarm woke me at 7 AM, I went back to sleep until the cat woke me at 7:30 AM, so I got up and ran, but I felt tired and slow the whole time. In fact, I gave up running after about 20 minutes and just walked the rest of the way.

Two zombie chases, at 3 and 17 minutes. The first one came so soon, I wasn't even really warmed up yet, even though I am walking two laps (about 4 minutes) before starting my missions. I felt tired already and the zombies got within 50 meters before I evaded, something that usually doesn't happen on my first chase of the day any more. The second chase was even worse—I tried to speed up, but about halfway through I said, forget it, let the zombies get me, and started walking. Somehow, I managed to evade them even so. I guess I'd gone fast enough the first half of the chase to stay ahead. It was soon after that that I decided to go ahead and walk the rest of the way.

Splits were 15:10, 16:31, and 18:14 for that last little quarter mile. Not bad while I was running, and even walking most of the second mile didn't slow me down that much.

I went to a cardiologist and had a stress test yesterday. It was only about 10 minutes walking and running on a treadmill, but I felt exhausted afterwards and never really recovered. Maybe I'm still worn out from it.

Zombies, Run! Season 2 Mission 7

41:21 minutes - 2.56 miles - 16:10 min/mile

Slow run today—although I did a bit of switching back that probably made my time register slower than it really was. I accidentally put my running belt on upside down, and then when I went to put my phone in the left pocket where I always put it, my handkerchief was in that pocket. I'd put in a fresh handkerchief this morning, and somehow assumed it was in the right pocket and the one in the left pocket was an old one I'd missed. So I ran up onto the porch to put the "extra" handkerchief on the chair. Then, later, when I actually wanted to use the handkerchief, my right pocket was empty. So I had to turn around and run back to the porch to pick up the handkerchief so I could blow my nose. (Running always makes my nose run. I don't know why. Hot or cold weather, my nose runs.) I don't think the GPS is accurate enough to tell when I turn around and run back 10–20 feet, then turn again and cover the same ground. It probably thinks I'm standing still the whole time.

The other reason I was slow—and slowed way down over the course of the run—was two zombie chases  early, at 5 and 15 minutes. They really wore me out, I think, and slowed me down later. My splits were 14:43, 16:22, and 17:18.

But I got my run done, and that's the main thing. Today's mission was kind of funny, in that most of the time we were blockaded inside an old farmhouse against a horde of zombies. And yet I was still being chased by zombies in the living room, and I was apparently looting these people's house as I went around, picking up shorts in the library and a radio in the living room and so on.

Zombies, Run! Season 2 Mission 6

47:20 minutes - 3.12 miles - 15:09 min/mile

Had intended to run yesterday (Saturday), but I made the mistake of drinking a Coke with lunch on Friday—I have lately done some experimenting with caffeine, and decided that I wasn't as sensitive as I used to be, so I've been having the occasional Coke with varied results. Friday's result was as bad as it has ever been—I couldn't sleep that night for hours and hours. Finally got a bit of sleep after 4 AM, slept in late and felt really icky when I finally got up, and skipped my run. Kept telling myself I'd rest a while and run later, but eventually just gave up.

But I slept reasonably well last night, and was able to get up at 7 AM and head out to the park. I was supposed to run 3.1 miles for my 10K training program, and was going to just run at home, but I've been feeling really depressed lately and having a hard time getting myself to run, and I thought it would be easier and more fun to run at the park. Which it was. Nice weather, low to mid 60s. I didn't get to the park until nearly 8 AM, but it was still reasonably cool.

Started off having a good laugh at Jack and Eugene, which was great to get me going. There were three zombie chases, at 21, 28, and 34 minutes. The first was was uphill, near the beginning of the second mile. I'd walked a bit after the first mile and was still feeling fairly fresh, so I still managed to evade fairly easily. The second chase, though, was near the top of the hill, still uphill and only seven minutes after the first—that one was really hard! I kept trying to put on bursts of speed, but my legs felt like water and just couldn't keep it up. Despite that, I evaded the zombies, although they got within 50 meters maybe halfway through the chase. The third chase was after the turnaround, downhill, but I was still tired from the second chase and the zombies got within 50 meters again, but I did evade them. Whew!

Splits were 14:47, 15:18, and 14:42. Kept up a pretty good pace on the second, uphill mile—must have been those chases! Good time, I'm pleased.

Zombies, Run! Season 2 Mission 5

43:25 minutes - 2.81 miles - 15:28 min/mile

I managed to avoid the Wednesday curse this week! Had a Tuesday curse instead—really bad day Monday, barely slept Monday night, felt exhausted all day yesterday. But I was tired enough to sleep last night, and was able to get up at 7 AM and get out there and run.

It was a longish run today, but I still kept up a pretty good pace. Splits were 14:59, 15:29, and 15:32. Slowed down a bit but not too much and the third mile was virtually the same as the second. There were three zombie chases, at 6, 9, and 36 minutes. Those first two were very close together! I hadn't even finished walking a lap after the first one when the second one started. Evaded both of them before the zombies got close. The third one was near the end and I was getting tired. I'd run myself down to a walk and decided to walk a lap, and the chase started coincidentally just as I was finishing the lap. I was glad I'd taken a walk break, it made evading the zombies much easier! They got within 50 meters but I evaded right after.

It was a happy story today, which I was very glad of. Monday's mission was a downer. I suspect I was actually putting it off because I didn't want to run it. (Could have skipped it, I guess, but that wouldn't have felt right, either.) I've been battling depression lately and putting myself into a story where someone—a person, not a zombie—was actively trying to kill me was not helpful to my state of mind. So today's mission, where we got to find one of our lost people alive, was very welcome.

Zombies, Run! Season 2 Mission 4

32:48 minutes - 2.16 miles - 15:11 min/mile

Having a really hard time getting out to run lately. I feel so exhausted and weak so much of the time, I feel sick. I set the alarm for 7 AM, but when it goes off, I can't drag myself out of bed. I tell myself I'll run later, but by the time I've gotten up and finished morning chores, it's already too hot. I think I'll try running in the evening after it cools down, but it doesn't cool down until the sun goes down, and then it's dark so quickly I don't have time. After missing a few runs, I just gave up again.

But I've been feeling a little better these past few days, so I tried again. And it was a pretty good run today, back to my near-15 minute miles. Splits were 15:20 and 14.55—increased my speed a little in the second mile, probably mostly due to the zombie chase at 25 minutes. Only one chase today, which I was glad of.

I wonder if the high-potency iron pills I recently tried have been the reason I'm feeling better. My red blood cell count was just under the low end of the normal range, but my doctor didn't seem to think it was low enough to be a problem, even though my tiredness, dizziness, irritability, insomnia, and so on are all pretty much textbook symptoms of anemia. I did feel ever-so-slightly better when I started taking a multivitamin with iron in it, but the 18 mg dose of iron in the vitamin pill isn't really enough to treat serious anemia. The other day I decided to see if there was a higher dose iron pill, and found some with 65 mg of iron. Took one Friday and one Saturday and each time felt horrible—sick to my stomach, clammy and dizzy, extremely bad-tempered. But I woke up yesterday, Sunday, feeling much better. Stronger and in a much better mood. So maybe I did need the iron, even though I seemed to have a reaction to the pills?

Anyway. I got in a good run today, and hope I'll be able to keep it up. I've got to start training for my next half marathon by the end of next month!

Zombies, Run! Season 2 Mission 3

40:50 minutes - 2.51 miles - 16:16 min/mile

The Wednesday curse hit me again, so I ended up doing my second run today, on Thursday. (I should probably just forget about trying to do a Mon–Wed–Sat schedule and say it's going to be Mon–Thu–Sat. Anyway, either one works just as well.)

I got up at 7 AM and didn't feel tired, but blah, what a slow, sloggy run I did today. Partly, I think, I was trying to take it easy, since I knew it was a 40-minute mission, and didn't want to run out of steam early. But really, I was just slow and energy-less today. I wonder how long it will take to get back to running mostly 15-minute miles? Seems like I really lost a lot of momentum taking those two weeks off.

There were two zombie chases, at 9 and 28 minutes, and I evaded both. The first one they got within 20 meters, and the second one 50 meters although I evaded just after. I felt like I hadn't really gotten warmed up yet on the first one—it was hard to make my legs move faster. The second one was easier. My splits were 15:56, 16:09, and 16:15. So I didn't slow down much, which is one good thing.

Still didn't have any instruction from the training plan. I guess I'm just supposed to time it myself. Anyway, I attached today's run, which is 10 minutes more than the training run was supposed to be, so it qualifies. The Saturday run is supposed to be 1.9 miles, which I'll have no trouble doing with a 30-minute mission.

Zombies, Run! Season 2 Mission 2

36:28 minutes - 2.34 miles - 15:35 min/mile

I started the 10K Beginner training plan today, sort of. It was a bit confusing — I enrolled in the training plan, then it said to attach an existing run or start a new one, so I went ahead and backed out and started the new mission. The training plan banner was above the mission start button, so I figured it was attached, but there were no training messages during the run. (The training plan was supposed to be run 15 min, walk 2 min, run 15 min.) After the mission, there was a button to check to include the mission in the training plan, which I did, so it counts as a training plan run, but while I was running it was just the normal mission. I suspect I was supposed to tap the banner for the training plan before I started the mission. I'll try that next time.

But, in any case, I did my run. The 10K Beginner plan is three runs a week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. The Monday and Wednesday runs are 30 – 40 minutes, with a longer run on Saturday. Pretty much what I'm used to in training for marathons. I think that will work better than trying to run 4–5 times a week. This should get me ready to do the 10K Virtual Race at the end of October, and also there should be time to squeeze in the two 10K race missions and find out what I missed from Season 1!

It was an okay run today. Three zombie chases, at 9, 15, and 30 minutes, all of which I evaded. I walked a lap or so after each chase, so I guess I sort of did my walk/run intervals as intended. My splits were 15:11, 15:21, and 16:32. Still slowing down at the end, but the first two miles were fairly even. I managed to strain my right hamstring again last time, so I was trying to take it easy today.

At least the weather is better than it was earlier in the summer! Nice and cool, around 50 F when I started out.

Zombies, Run! Season 2 Mission 1

43:28 minutes - 2.80 miles - 15:30 min/mile

Welp, it looks like I took a couple of weeks off. I was having a bad bout of depression and the "I don't want to"s were getting really hard to overcome, so I decided to take a week off and relax. And that turned into several weeks. A couple of times I meant to start running again, but I just didn't. Yesterday I finally made up my mind to do it. Meditated for 15 minutes last night (I'd quit doing yoga and meditating, too), then set the alarm for 7 AM—with the days getting shorter and the weather cooling down a bit, I decided 7 AM was early enough to start.

And I got up at 7 and went out and ran. Went ahead and started Season 2—I'll fill in the races later, or not, whatever. I'm thinking I may start the 10K training program on Monday and see how that goes. Don't know if I'll be able to finish it before starting the half marathon training at the end of October... have to check my calendar later and figure it out.

Anyways. It was a longish mission today, and I felt tired and slow. Overall pace wasn't bad, but my splits were 14:49, 15:16, and 16:10 —really slowing down. But I'll pick up again once I get back into it. There were three zombie chases, at 8, 22, and 36 minutes. I evaded them all, but it was hard.

I'm confused about the story. Looks like Abel's survivors have moved to New Canton and are running joint operations. I remember starting this mission by accident and then stopping it, and I thought it started differently. Oh well, nothing to do about it but just keep going anyway.