Zombies, Run! 5k Training Review

I'm quite unfit. It's not immediately obvious given a convenient metabolism that means I'm of a slight build, but I am. Some of it is down to laziness, some of it is due to an ongoing foot problem that means even when I want to, I struggle to be able to jog on concrete. This is why I joined a gym recently. The problem is, it's quite dull jogging (or in my case, attempting to jog) on a treadmill. There's not a lot to look at and music only keeps my attention for so long. So I was psyched to see Zombies, Run! 5k Training appear on the app store.

The younger sibling of Zombies, Run!, Zombies, Run! 5k Training is ideal for newbies like me. It incorporates a zombie invasion story with the user's music and instructions on how to maintain their pace and slowly improve. The running side of things has been devised by experts in courses aimed at newbies, while the storyline feels similarly professional. It's a little slow to start but, importantly, it provided the impetus to make me want to see what happens next. That motivation can be pretty useful, especially in the early days when working on the treadmill or jogging outside can get quite gruelling mentally.

Workouts start the user off slowly but any kind of exercise for the very unfit can take a lot of effort. Having this form of reward is a neat touch. Mixing in music via a playlist assigned by the user adds to the variety so that the storyline is peppered throughout these musical interludes. I'd have appreciated a shuffle button here as I made the mistake of adding a large playlist that comprised of some quite slow numbers. Take note from my mistake!

Unlike some other great ideas, Zombies, Run! 5k Training works just as well indoors as it does outdoors so there's really no excuse. Tracking is also possible via the app's ZombieLink service, making it simple to browse online as to how one is performing. No app can physically drag someone outside to do some exercise but Zombies, Run! 5k Training provides plenty of fun reasons to give it a go. Now, excuse me while I go run away from some zombies!