The Walking Dead Survival Test

This is great! A survival test from The Walking Dead. It puts you on edge a little bit! My test results showed I am a tough chick - but I knew that already! Take the test, it's fun (and a little bit scary!).

The Walking Dead - Survival Test – AMC

Use your brain, while everyone else is having their's eaten!

There are many factors that will come into play in your quest to survive the zombie apocalypse.
Yes, fitness and survival skills will be necessary, but there is still a major element to survival which, when not kept in check,  can render the biggest and strongest of men as a jibbering wreck, unable to fight off those ever hungry zombies as they chow down on their weeping victim.

Your best weapon against zombies, or will yours be just another tasty snack?

You will need a survivors mindset!

Now, we all know that zombies like to eat them, but our brains hold the key in our survival and the survival of mankind. I found an interesting article which explores some of the key stages of survival phycology you may find yourself thinking about in times of zombie invasion, and other catastrophes.

Read the article here, and beef up those positive thoughts guaranteed to put you ahead of the rest!

So are you a glass half empty, or glass half full kind of person?

Don't let your thoughts drag you down!

Keep Those Gnashers Clean Or They Might Kill You!

Who would have thought that there would be a bigger threat to your life than those rotting, flesh-eating zombie beasts and it could actually be your pearly whites that become your ultimate downfall.

This is a great blog about how keeping those teeth nice and clean could save your life in the post apocalyptic world. Don't let gingivitis kill you. Live to fight another day!

Post-Apocalyptic Personal Hygiene: Brush Your Teeth or Die. | In Case of Survival

You May Die! Spartan Race

This looks ace! Of course I'd be applying if I was a little bit fitter! If you like a challenge - this is the race for you!

SPARTAN RACE Obstacle Racing - Spartan Sprint & Super Spartan obstacle course trail races and the Spartan Beast and Death Race endurance race

Ways To Keep Fit Outdoors

This is a fantastic article on getting fit in the great outdoors courtesy of Go Outdoors. I think there's also other benefits in choosing to train outdoors - you can get all your equipment together which will no doubt be super handy when it comes to surviving the zombie apocalypse.

If you can't use your home as a fortress, you're going to have to escape and get somewhere a little more remote. Having broken-in hiking boots, all the camping and survival gear, and knowledge of the surrounding terrain will put you in lead when it comes to surviving the undead. Thanks Go Outdoors!

Top Ways to Keep Fit Outdoors | Go Outdoors Blog

Zombieland - There's a new number one rule!

Now I know the quote from the infamous Zombieland movie states "Rule number one = Cardio!" But I have a new rule number one for anyone aiming to make it in Zombieland or any other land of the walking (or running) dead.

And here is it ...

Rule number one = Stretch!

That's right, and you heard it here first. There is no point in having the cardio rule if after 30 seconds of flat out sprint, you pull a hamstring or tear a thigh muscle. No amount of cardio fitness will allow you to keep running on to safety unless you keep yourself supple and ready to be active.
So a good warm up routine is needed, and even more important (and one you never get to see in the films) a good warm down routine as well. This will help keep your tendons and muscles stretched and ready for action.

How do I know this? I hear you say. Because it happened to me last week.
I pulled a thigh muscle and a week later I am still feeling the pinch.

So what went wrong?

It all started with me practising skipping with my son's pink kiddy skipping rope. Skipping is a good exercise which is practiced by many a boxer in training. Good for building stamina, it is also a real killer on the legs and heart. I thought I was doing really well as I managed to do 6 sets of 50 skip rotations with about 30 seconds rest in between. I kept up this skipping routine for about three evenings in the back garden. But I neglected to warm up as kids never seem to warm up when they skip. No harm done I or so I thought.

Until...I found myself running around playing five-a-side football a few days later. I ran up to kick the ball and 'Twang', I felt a horrid cramp in my thigh as my foot connected with the ball. I was in agony!


Owing to the fact I had not stretched properly after my skipping venture, I had all this lactic acid from the 'muscle burn' which was sat in my thigh muscles. Lesson well and truely learnt. Warm up, keep supple and warm down after excercising. Because without doing so, no rules for cardio will save you when the zombies come running.

How To Warm-Up

Here's a good one to watch about warming up. Don't let an injury stop your training. Zombies don't feel pain - you will! Don't be beaten!

This is also good to watch to have a bit of a laugh at the folks doing the warm-up! They look funny, and you will look funny too, but you'll be having the last laugh when you're getting away from those smelly, blood thirsty, flesh hungry undead dudes. The joke will be on office boy tucking into his next doughnut - don't be him! Fodder!

Bunkers with Bling

You've heard of glamping, well these are bunkers with bling - for a stylish end of the world! Very me!

Worried About the End of the World? Buy a Stylish Vivos Bunker | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

Fartlek For Your Life!

Now most people would be shouting 'run for your life', but when it comes to building stamina for running, nothing beats a good fartlek!

What is Fartlekking?

More recently known as interval training, Fartlek was a technique developed by Swedish trainer Gosta Holme way back in 1937. I also read somewhere that his technique is based on children's games and the way they mix up their play. Rather than running round at one constant speed they build stamina by running, then walking, then running around some more. As a father to a four and a half year old, I can see my son's stamina building in this way everytime we play in the park.

So we're trying this technique in our runs around the block and by varying our speed when training we hope to build up the aerobic stamina quicker and more effectively than solid one speed running.

Has someone been Fartlekking?

Break up your running.

I am using the distance between lamposts as markers, and alternating with a fast sprint, medium speed jog, followed by fast walking pattern.

The most noticible effect this has is that it breaks up your run, is more fun, and seems to get easier as we run every few nights. I feel like the run round the block needs to be extended to make better use of this technique and help build more stamina.

You can read all about the history of this training method here

So it's a big thumbs up for fartlekking, from us!

I Deserve To Be Eaten!

I've been very bad this week and I'm feeling it now. After eating half a Happy Meal, coffee, biscuits, two rounds of berry ice cream, fish and chips (with gravy, mushy peas, baked beans and ketchup) - I'm feeling pretty sick and out of shape.

I haven't done any training this week either, just a few long walks. I have certainly let my training to become Zombie Fit slip. So - no more! I don't feel particularly well for not being more disciplined, so this is the end of my greedy ways - I'm not going to be zombie fodder!