Well, the photos from the disposable waterproof camera ended up being a bust, but I'll post some here anyway (along with the photos we took with my little point-and-shoot prior to putting our bag into Gear Check) so I can do a better recap of the race. Yes, I know the race happened weeks ago, but we've been a bit busy with holiday fun, and the zombie photos kinda fell by the wayside...
Upon nearing the event site, we saw a construction sign that you aren't likely to see very often (at least, we hope not):
Once we arrived and parked (fast and easy, since we arrived right as they were opening the event for the day at 7am), we signed our waiver forms, stopped by the registration table to grab our bibs and timing chips and other goodies (zombie tech shirts!), and went inside the "Safe Zone".
First order of business was to check out the starting gate and locate the other amenities (showers, porta-potties, beer tent and ID Check, changing rooms, Gear Check, medical tent, etc.)
After a trip around the grounds, Jay signed up for the Subaru Challenge. This required pulling a few zombies out of the trunk (of a Subaru, of course) and flinging them into their graves, rolling a tire through the graveyard obstacle course to pin another zombie with it, then aiming to "dunk the zombie". See him waving at me below?
Jay did well (it was a timed competition taking place throughout the day), but didn't get his name on the board because the Subaru folks were already losing track of things and not paying attention. No worries though, it's not like he missed out on winning a car or anything.
Next order of business was to check out the different obstacles that we could see from the Safe Zone...
This was the finish area: a waterslide down into a blood bath (the orange thing in the background), followed by a LONG crawl under "Normandy" style obstacles, and ending with a shimmy underneath a huge ELECTRIC fence.
There was also a large sand dune looming in the near distance...
After that, we chomped some energy chews, visited the porta-potties, and went to the starting gate. At first we thought we'd go in as "dessert", but then opted to start in the front/middle of the entree section. Safety in numbers?
Our race started at 9:30am, so we had plenty of time to chat with other runners and get all worked up over what MIGHT happen out there. We watched other waves start, then saw them walking shortly thereafter, when they couldn't have possibly been more than a quarter mile into the race. At that point we were really worried... I mean really. What the hell was happening that they were ALL already walking?
We soon found out why. Apparently being chased by zombies is exhausting. Unlike a normal race where you might go out a little too fast and end up having to slow down below your anticipated race pace for a while, the energy expended while sprinting, dodging, and jumping around zombies is enough to leave you hunched over and panting. Followed by walking in the fear that the zombies might turn around and chase you again (which they did, multiple times). When we could breathe again, we started an easy jog, only to round a corner into zombie zone two (there were 18 or 20 zombie zones total). This was where Jay was run into by another runner, then ended up rolling out of a zombie's reach only to find himself inches from the lake in a briar patch. His left leg was so scratched up that he was picking briars out of his skin for 2 weeks afterward.
I slashed my leg against a bush/tree/vine shortly thereafter and had a reasonable amount of blood running down my leg (I still have a mark, actually, over 2 weeks later). There were a bunch of easy obstacles such as mini hills topped with zombies and small water pits (luckily zombies don't swim) and hay bales with zombies hiding behind them and blockades to hurdle over. The obstacles weren't the hard part of this race (unlike Warrior Dash), it was the zombie zones that were so much work!
Eventually I lost all my flags too (but not before I outran a zombie girl so fast that Jay said she was cursing me and stomping her feet, hunched over after the long chase - she singled me out for an extended chase, so in my opinion she deserved it), so we had more time to stop and take photos of obstacles and zombies. The race was actually a lot less stressful and a lot more fun once we were both dead...
Also unlike Warrior Dash, the obstacles at Run For Your Lives that WERE difficult, were also a little scary. The barbed wire actually hung low enough to damage your skull. The house filled with fog and live wires really were electrified (AND there were zombies lurking inside). There were phony paths that led you into extra zombie zones and added mileage to our already tired bodies. The electric fence at the finish line was HOT and it zapped me good. I ended up splaying myself flat in terror and pain and calling Jay back to pull me out.
When it was all said and done though, we really did have a good time, and a one-of-a-kind experience. Here are a few photos I borrowed from our event's photographers: my favorite racer, the scariest zombie, and a group of zombies celebrating their kills.
If I didn't mention it in the other post, we stayed at a hotel nearby that apparently had a lot of other racers and zombies checked in. Later in the day (after our epic 3-hour naps) we opened the door to check out the huge rainstorm and a zombie walked by (she'd gone to get more towels). James wasn't even phased, and Cora just stared at her without saying a word...
So that's a wrap. If you're at all interested in running from zombies, go ahead and sign up because you won't be disappointed. It's a great event. However, if you're more interested in the trail run and obstacles, stick with a regular mud run (like Warrior Dash). Either way, you're bound to have a stockpile of memories and some crazy photos to share from the day!
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