YMCA Run Of The Dead- 5k

I don't understand everyone's obsession with zombies.  
We pretend there are real zombies.... we write books on how to survive a "zombie apocalypse", 
we have zombie movies, zombie tv shows.... 
America loves zombies.

I on the other hand,  
just don't get it. 

Stacie over at Amateur At Large Blog sent me a link one day with a groupon to a "zombie 5k".  At first I was quite skeptical.  Run 3 miles through the woods with people dressed in zombie garb chasing me? 

 Think ill spend that Sunday morning sleeping instead.   

Then she told me the race was half off, being held at the YMCA camp at the lake across the street, benefited the YMCA, and the race didn't start until 11. 
Good cause and I can roll out of bed and walk there after a nice relaxing breakfast and coffee.

Okay, fine. 

And the trailer was pretty cute...

watch it here!

So what exactly is this zombie race I speak of?

The YMCA has a really amazing camp (Camp Hazen)  right on Cedar Lake in Chester, Connecticut.  They set up an obstacle course over three miles of trails in the woods.  You start the race with a flag football style belt that has three flags on it.  The goal is to make it through the race with at least one flag.  Throughout the course there were various obstacles.  I should have kept my map because it was pretty hysterical.

The course started up a steep flight of stairs where you enter the woods.  The obstacles varied from crawling through the mud under ropes, going through tires, climbing over hay bails, to the extreme of hoisting yourself over this 10 foot wall (which I opted to go around-  no one is grabbing my butt and throwing me over a 10 foot wall).

Throughout the course, zombies (donned with rags and make up)  are on the trails waiting for you to grab your flag.  It is really hard to make it past some of them as they are right in the middle of a pretty narrow trail. There were parts of the course where you could earn back a flag/life after some of the obstacles.

It definitely was not your typical 5k-  a lot of run/walking, and a lot of steep trails.  It may not have been a solid run, but it was a great work out none the less! I  signed up with a bunch of my friends and only two in the group made it out alive (made it out with a flag still on their belt).

They were rewarded with a survivor medal and a twinkie.
You bet I wanted that twinkie....


I did not bring my camera or take any pictures.
All in all- it was a silly run that was really fun in a group.  Because it isn't your typical road race, you can run it in a pack with your friends regardless of everyone's physique and abilities.   There is a lot of walking and the obstacles are fairly easy (except that stupid wall but you can go around it).

If you want a non traditional race and have the zombie bug... find a race near you.

I think I am going to stick to 5ks of the living kind.... :)