20 Questions

There's a game called 20 questions. It's very easy to play along. You're asked questions and you answer them.

The version I like to play is where the 20 questions are all related to running. There are so many questions that can be asked about running! Some of them are basic, like what time of day do you like to run. Some of them are complex, like why did you start running?

I like to play the game with other runners to get to know more about them. I post the 20 Questions game on my blog and post a link to it on Twitter for other people to get to know them as well. This makes it fun for everybody!

Zombie Runs

What is a zombie run?

A zombie run is a run where you run early in the morning, while most people are sleeping. Usually this means your brain is still sleeping and doesn't quite realize you're running.

I started 'zombie run' training back in January. I was waking up at 4:30 so I could get to the gym for a treadmill run before work. I knew I could wake up at 4:30 since I already was waking up at 5am for work. I did this 3-4 times a week. Each run was 4-6 miles.

The trick I found was to roll out of bed, get dressed, and go directly to the gym. I wouldn't give any time to talk myself out of it. Once I was in the truck heading to the gym, it pretty much sealed my fate of hitting the treadmill to get a few miles in.

Once I was on the treadmill it wasn't until the first couple miles kicked in that I felt fully awake. I was 'awake' enough to function, but not enough to really enjoy the run. By the time the run was done, I was not only fully awake but sometimes also had the runner's high kick in (depending on the workout).

For those who are wanting to get a run in during the early morning hours, I recommend trying it for a couple days. You're going to need a couple days to see if you can get a rhythm going. Keep trying. It can be done!