Braving the apocalypse with "Zombies,Run!"
I hate running. I also hate zombies. So what do I do? I decide to try out the Zombies, Run! app through the suburbs of Grahamstown, merging running and the zombie apocalypse.
Initially, I was terrified, both of the imaginary zombies and the fact that I am not a runner. Not only am I not a runner, I am also extremely unfit at the moment, which made matters so much worse.
But things did get better. With the guidance of the nervy British man keeping me posted on which stations to reach and where the zombies were, I slowly started to place myself in this simulated world of supposed 'no return', where I am the only person alive.
The app does a really good job of keeping you on edge. In the beginning you receive all the necessary instructions from the headquarters that are necessary in order to stay alive, as well as finding other survivors of the apocalypse.
A robotic voice will tell you every few minutes of all the supplies you have collected, such as medical aid kits and water. And then your selected music playlist starts playing and you are left to wonder where the zombies are and where you are expected to go next (no one likes being left in the dark like that!)
The Zombies, Run trailer does a good job of visualising how I felt using this app, even though the sun was still up and I avoided the dark alleyways. But the sound effects of this app honestly made me feel like I was experiencing the real thing.
These were the zombies I imagined were hungry for my brains.
Effects aside, this app is awesome to get people like me to run, i.e. if you hate running but want to exercise without getting hellishly bored. We live in an era now where we need to be stimulated all the time, and exercise is becoming harder and harder to do because we are scared of exiting our comfort zones, i.e. our beds. This is my case, anyways, and I understand that there are many gym-bunnies out there whose lives would be nothing without their morning runs and fitness routines. But, if you are like me, and find exercise like running extremely tedious, then I would recommend this app.
So, you're probably wondering what I looked like whilst using this app, right? I got the GoPro out and videoed myself (excuse the brief glimpses of my unfortunately defined double chin). I must've looked like the most self-obsessed person on planet Earth running through the streets with my GoPro on a selfie stick, but I was determined to give this app a go. So here is the result!
