Train to Busan

Last week's movie was Train to Busan.  This is a 2016 movie from South Korea, and it is excellent! 

"Damn train!" - the zombies, probably

Intense and scary action, characters you care about, and real drama.  For me, Teresa, this was my first time watching it.  I'm not going to spoil it for anyone since it's still fairly recent; I'm just going to tell you to definitely go watch it.  And have some Kleenex nearby when you do.  It's free to stream if you have Amazon Prime.  If you have seen it, message me, because I really feel the need to talk to someone about it right now.

The zombies in this movie are very fast, and strong.  Infected people also turn super-quick, so one zombie becomes an entire train car full in almost no time.  In an interesting twist, they don't seem to be able to see in the dark, nor can they smell live humans.  So we don't have to be fast necessarily, we can sneak past them in the dark if we're very quiet.

Teresa

I ran 15.25 miles this week, and pedaled another 46.55 miles on my stationary bike.  Not a whole lot of mileage, but with November Project Homecoming going on, I was active every day.  In addition to our normal workouts, Nick led an intense boxing workout that left us all sore, and Steph led another yoga session that was very needed.  We also went fowling again, and I'm definitely getting better.  If I can't outrun the zoms, maybe I can take them out by throwing footballs at them!  And I probably wouldn't be able to outrun these zombies.  I can put on a short burst of speed when I see the finish line, but I can't sustain it long.  Speed work is about my least favorite thing to do, but since we don't know what form the zombie apocalypse will take, I should get back to it.  Pre-Covid I had been doing weekly speed work on Monday evenings with Badass Lady Gang, but our in-person workouts are still on hold.  It's too bad, because I was actually starting to see some improvement.  Group workouts are about the only way I'm going to do speed work.  On my own, I'll just keep logging miles at my comfortable pace.

Was I Last? Unknown

Julie & I ran/walked the Indy Pride Virtual Rainbow 5K on Saturday.  Since runners have until October 31 to complete the run and submit their times, results aren't published yet.  We didn't see any zombies on our run, fast or otherwise.  In fact, Brookside Park was almost deserted, even though it was a beautiful day.  

Laura

Laura & Mark ran the Quest for the Crest 10K on Sunday.  About 2,000 feet of climbing up Mount Mitchell and back down, all technical trails.  Mark was the 15th male finisher, with a time of 1:27:11, and Laura was 8th female, with a time of 1:38:20!  Excellent finish times!  They'd probably stand a good chance of outrunning these zombies, especially on single-track trails.  The zoms may be fast, but they're not smart or coordinated, and they often trample over each other and take each other out.

Cindy

Little sis is having a hard time getting motivated this month, and so zombies are all over me (except that I can be quiet and move around in the dark!)  Scott and I didn't get back into our house to stay due to the septic problems until Saturday.  So I did have another week of lots of stairs...still some leg strengthening!  

This Week

Next up:  Zombieland, a fun take on zombies!

Warm Bodies

 Last week's movie was Warm Bodies, a slightly different take on the zompoc.  This movie is told from the zombies' point of view.  Eight years post-apocalypse, most humans are living in walled cities,
occasionally venturing out to search for supplies  and resources.  There are actually two types of zombies in this movie. The first are Corpses - the more recently deceased who shamble around looking for living creatures to eat.  They can still think somewhat, although they don't remember much about their life, they do know they were once alive.  Though they mostly shamble and wander, when they see living creatures and feel that fierce hunger, they move much faster and attack with surprising strength.  The other kind of zombies are Boneys.  They've been dead much longer, and are basically animated skeletons.  They still eat the living, but they no longer have any connection to being human.  They're much faster and stronger than Corpses, and are dangerous to both humans and Corpses.

Teresa

Back to more normal activity for me.  I ran 24.08 miles this week, pedaled another 66.35 miles on my stationary bike, and did 95 burpees.  I also took a Yoga for Runners class that Steph did as her final project for her yoga teacher certification.  She's a fantastic teacher, and I got a lot out of the class.  I really should do yoga more often. As far as specific benefits to fighting off zombies, it helps with core strength, flexibility, and staying injury-free.  It definitely wouldn't do to pull a hamstring or have IT band issues while being chased by a pack of zoms.

Was I Last?  No!

Thursday was Run(317) Fountain Square, the final Run(317) event this year.  Even though I
stopped halfway through the race and had a White Claw at Sarah's open house, I still finished 452nd out of 568 runners.  The zombies would have a lot to eat before they ever caught up to me.

This is my 5th year being an Ambassador for Run(317).  I have always enjoyed promoting these races and helping out at the events.  No race expos to work this year, and two of the five races had to be virtual, but it was still a privilege to be part of this team and help to bring these safe and fun events to Indy.

Laura

Laura was too busy to give us an update this week - hopefully we'll catch up next week.

 

Cindy

I have been doing lots of flights of stairs this week.  The hotel that Scott and I are staying at now while dealing with our septic issues has lots of stairs, and we're on the 3rd floor.  I know that's not too high, but I've been intentionally walking the stairs a lot.  And at least half of the time I am carrying a 15-20 pound dog, whether going to the house with our Honey or just taking her out to the hotel yard.  She is blind, and although she can do a few stairs, I wouldn't let her try several flights multiple times a day.  I especially feel I wouldn't be eaten this week with Warm Bodies zombies helping keep the Boneys at bay and my legs getting stronger with the stairs.  I've seen quite a few people who don't seem to do much but step out on the balcony and stand around...so the Boneys and even Corpses would go for them!

This Week

We're going to watch Train to Busan, a South Korean zombie movie that I (Teresa and also Cindy) have never seen, but it's on every list of top zombie movies so I'm interested to check it out.  This week is also November Project Homecoming Week!  If you're in Indy, definitely come get fit and have fun with us!

Night of the Living Dead

Last week we watched George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, the groundbreaking 1968 movie that contributed a lot to what we now accept as common zombie knowledge - zombies as reanimated recently dead that eat the living and can only be killed by destroying the head.  The zombies in this movie don't run, but they don't exactly shamble either.  They walk at a pretty good pace.  They're also smart enough to use tools, like using rocks to break the car windows to get at Barbara.  One or two zombies can be easily fought off, but a large group is definitely a threat.  If you find a safe place to hole up, though, like Ben does in the cellar of the farmhouse, they will eventually give up trying to get in and wander off.

Teresa

This was a low mileage week for me: only 11.35 miles running, and 55.91 miles on the stationary bike.  Thursday I got my second shingles shot, and as with the first one the shot made me really sick for about a day and a half, so there was no working out at all on Friday or Saturday.  If the zombie apocalypse happened at the end of this week, I would've had to hole up in my basement and wait it out, because I would not have been able to outrun Romero's zombies.  However, I'm now better prepared for the future, as I don't have to worry about being incapacitated by shingles once the zombie outbreak begins.  Just before my shot I did a short run through my old neighborhood & by this little family cemetery, and I didn't see any signs of the dead returning, so it seemed like a safe time to get vaccinated.

Was I Last?  Yes and No.

 

I had a couple of timed events this week.  On Monday, along with several other Run(317) Ambassadors, I ran the Fountain Square course to demo the RaceJoy app for runners who will be doing it virtually.  I wasn't last because we all stuck together to see how the app was working, so I would've had company if the dead started coming for us.  Wednesday was Race Day at November Project, and I was last.  But Colleen joined me for my last 8 burpees, and she and Blake both ran with me on my final Up & Over, so once again I would've had help fighting off any zombies that caught me.

Laura

 

Laura ran the 48 mile Black Mountain Ultra Traverse, up Mount Mitchell, across the Crest Trail, and back.  Much of that at an elevation over 6,000 ft and temps in the mid 20s.  Night of the Living Dead doesn't address how zombies do in temps below freezing, but a lot of popular zombie fiction has the zombies shutting down & unable to function.  Also, since Laura won the masters female division, she definitely would've outrun any zombies that were still moving up there on the mountain tops.

Cindy 

I would have been last this week against Romero's zombies.   I have been dealing with septic issues and several days have not been able to stay at home; therefore, Ride Owltober is off to a slow start.  But a zombie could fall in the hole in the backyard if I was only being chased by one, or slip and fall in the water in the basement.   We'll try to find the positive in it! 

 

This Week 

We will be watching Warm Bodies this week, a much more contemporary romcom look at zombies, even personifying some that retain some of their personality. 

#CountdownToVegas Week 15: PR in the Rain

Saturday morning on the Monon

Short blog post today, because it's almost time for the season premiere of The Walking Dead.  I'm not enjoying the show as much as I used to, and I actually think Z Nation is a better show at this point.  But I'm curious enough to still watch at least the first few episodes this season, and see where it might be going.

I had a rather busy week with work and other obligations, plus one day I just plain forgot to pack my sports bra, so I didn't get quite as many miles in this week as I'd originally planned.  I only ran three days, which feels like slacking.  But they were good quality runs, so I've got that going for me.

Monday was reverse hill suicides with #TeamMoHills.  It was a really tough workout, but these ladies always make it fun.  Crazy that it was still in the 80s in mid-October!

3.17 PR

S'more on a Stick!

Thursday was the final Run(317) race of 2016.  It was in the 50s and raining, but I had a great race.  The course was crowded at the beginning, but once it opened up, I was feeling strong so I ran hard.  Not all out since the pavement was wet, but definitely pushing.  My mile splits were 10:38, 10:09, 10:38, and my final time was 33.22, nine seconds faster than my previous best at that distance.  I know some people prefer a straighter course, but for a 5K I like a course with a lot of turns.  Mentally it helps me, because I can break the race down to just running this block, just pushing to the next corner, etc.

The Run(317) races this year were all a lot of fun, even though the weather didn't always cooperate.  I'm looking forward to seeing what they have for us next year.  Now that Indianapolis has a second area code, though, will they have to offer two distances?  Either way, I really hope to see the S'more Mobile again!

Long Run

Saturday was my long run - 16 miles.  I had listed on our What's Next page that I was running the Hendricks County Fall Colors 10K, but I never actually did sign up for it.  Normally I don't list an event I'm not registered for, but I kept intending to do this one.  Every time I brought the website up, though, something stopped me.  So I decided to do my long run with BGR's All About That Base group, and I'm so glad I did.  I ran with Re'Nita for the first 8 miles, Broad Ripple to Carmel.  I was enjoying chatting with her and didn't even feel like we'd gone all that far.  She had a longer run on her schedule than I did, so I turned around at 8 and headed back while she kept going.  It was a gorgeous fall day - perfect weather for a long run.  Average pace was 13:01.  Interestingly mile 8 was my fastest, at 11:41.

Total miles for the week: 28.4

Total training miles to date:  396.05

Winner x 2

Hopefully Laura blogs soon, but while we wait I'm going to brag on her.  She ran two races Saturday: a 10K road race in the morning and a 5 mile trail race that night.  She was 1st in her age group and 5th female overall in BOTH RACES!  Way to go Laura!

Up Next

Two Halloween events this week:  the Athletic Annex Candy Caper on Friday night (not a race, just a fun run), and the Brew HaHa Saturday morning.  Despite Siri's advice, however, I have some good costumes for both races.  Stay tuned to Instagram....

#CountdownToVegas Week 14: Thriving During the Zombie Uprising

Lots to write about this week!  First off let's start with my left knee.  I'd been running in denial since August.  I would not admit my knee hurt, because saying it would make it real, and if it was real I might have to do something like stop running for a little while.  The only person who knew was Josh, because he'd see me icing it, and I would say something sarcastic like "my knee doesn't hurt, I'm icing it just in case it was to start hurting".  Of course he knows how to translate that, though.

I should say here that I was not actually running through pain. It really didn't hurt while I was running, only afterwards.  And on a scale of 1-10, it was a 1 or 2 at most.  But this past couple of weeks, it started to be more of a 3, and I started worrying maybe something was wrong and I was making it worse and damaging my chances to continue to be active long-term.  And once that worry started in my head, it started to suck the joy and fun out of running.  So I made a doctor's appointment.  My doctor is a runner too, so I knew she would get it.  It turned out she was out of town, but Kevin's doctor is in the same practice and he's also a runner, so I made the appointment with him.

I'm glad I went; especially since it was all good news.  He said my knee pain is just from overtraining, gave me some exercises to do, told me to continue icing it and take naproxen.  But most importantly he said it was fine to keep running.  Whew!  And just like that running is fun again!

My Social Media Fast

Blame it all on Run Bum.  On Sunday 10/24 he posted on his Facebook page a challenge to give up something until Friday afternoon and write about how it made us feel.  He suggested soft drinks or TV, but I rarely ever drink soft drinks and I don't watch TV every day, so I didn't think either of those would be too challenging.  I could give up coffee with more notice (I have to do it gradually or the caffeine withdrawal will trigger a migraine), but that won't work for spur of the moment.  Then I thought "Well, what about Facebook?"  So I immediately closed it.  Then I thought I should include all social media or it wouldn't really be that hard.  This was shortly after 4pm Sunday, so I decided to go till 4pm Friday with my social media fast.

Sunday Afternoon/Evening

 I didn't really miss it too much that afternoon.  Sunday afternoons are often my time to do chores around the house, and I usually leave my phone sitting in my room anyway, so I kept busy and didn't really think about it until I watched The Walking Dead.  Glenn!  Oh no!  And I can't get on Twitter to chat about it.  What to do with these feelings?  Luckily Josh and his friends were downstairs getting bored with the Colts-Patriots game.  They decided to watch TWD not too long afterwards, so I went down and watched the end again with them and then we discussed.  Well that's better than live-Tweeting anyway.

Relay Style; Don't Care Bears; + TWD Season Premiere

Lots to cover today.  Lots of stuff coming up too, so that's why I combined this all into one blog post.

Back On My Feet Marathon Relay

On 10/3 I did the Back On My Feet Marathon Relay with some ladies from work, calling ourselves the Pace Cadets.  We had a couple of runners, a couple of run/walkers, and a couple of walkers on our team.  We also had a lot of heart and determination.  I led off with the first 3 laps (6.6 miles).  It was cold and windy, but still dry when I ran.  I did my laps in 1:17 and was very happy with my time.  The course is along the White River Parkway, so it's very pretty with a beautiful view of the city.  That wind though.  Brr!  As with any other lap races I've run, the faster runners who were passing me were always so encouraging.  I love that about runners!

Go Ape Adventure

Last week, Josh & I took a day off and went to the Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course at Eagle Creek Park.  We'd both been wanting to do it since it opened in 2012.  It's much more than just a zip line - it's an entire high ropes course with rope ladders, swings, bridges & other crossings.  We had so much fun!  It takes 2 to 3 hours to complete the course, so we definitely got our money's worth. 

I'm not really afraid of heights, but I was still a bit nervous.  Even after 13 weeks of boot camp, I still don't have much upper arm strength, and for some reason I thought that I had to hold on & partly support my weight on a zip line.  I knew there was a harness to keep me from falling, but I didn't realize the harness actually holds me completely and don't have to hold on at all.