Zombies ... RUN!

Some people enjoy running on treadmills at the gym, surrounded by machinery and juice bar temptations. Others run outside, on trails or along the side of the road, listening to their favorite music.

And some of us like to run through deserted, post-apocalyptic townships with the sound of radio transmissions in our ears and a small army of angry zombies chasing after us.

I don't often pay money for apps, but "Zombies, Run!" is completely worth it. For someone like me who hates running, turning every jog into an adventure is one of the best motivations.  The game mixes your workout playlist with a series of radio transmissions, and as you run you receive instructions from your superiors, pick up supplies, and occasionally get chased by zombies.

The app uses GPS tracking on your phone when you're running outside (or an accelerometor that measures your steps if you're at the gym) to track how far and how fast you're going. If you don't pick up the pace when the zombies appear, they WILL catch you!

Of course, I may have several unusual experiences with this game ... I tend to commit to the story line a bit too much, and run like my life is actually depending on it when I'm being chased ... In fact, if anyone happened to be watching my first ever "Zombies, Run" experience, they were in for a laugh.

It was last fall, and I was running through my parents' neighborhood. Taking it slow and easy, listening to the radio transmissions, proud of myself for getting in shape.  And then, just as the voice in my ear yelled, "Run, RUN!" a neighborhood dog popped out of nowhere and started yapping its head off. I had already gotten so wrapped up in the story that it scared the crap out of me, and I ran like a bat out of hell. I don't think I stopped running for about six blocks.

So take your boring, everyday runs and spice them up with the undead! Even with the slight trauma that results from coupling this game with an over-active imagination, it's worth it.