Day 73: Challenge One = FAIL?

You be the judge.

The preceding broadcast can be viewed at blip.tv or YouTube!

Details on the next challenge Faster Slackmistress! Kill! Kill! coming...soon.

Comments

[Dan]

Diet. yeah, that's the killer. I'm doing a non-zombie based workout right now, and diet is the hardest to maintain. Pushups? improving. Situps, not too bad. Staying away from sugar, wheat and meat? Not so good....

[Alyce Smythee]

Diet shmiet!

Really.. What zombies are marathon runners? Don't most of them stumble about? I mean, they are decomposing flesh, so it's not like they can hold together under intense circumstances.

Methinks you have to learn more about short-distance runs interspersed with hedge hurdling and sneaky ways to get away.

And, get proficient at using those hairspray/lighter fire gun things for those times when guns aren't available. Extra points if you wear velcroed clothes like Helen Hunt.

[the slackmistress]

Lighter doesn't always mean faster, but it's less bodyweight to move across space. It's less bodyweight to pull up. It's training to live with less food.

I KNOW that you're coming at this from a friendly perspective, but I've been taken to task via email from those who feel like me dieting equals making some societal comment about them and their body. I'm doing this to be a better Zombie Athlete, and while I want to address people's concerns, I also don't want to spend the next ten to twelve weeks constantly defending myself, either.

[Mandy]

Just know that, in the event of a zombie revolution. I can keep several of them occupied for a long period of time. ;)

[DeftKosmonavt]

I'm going to nerd out/geek it up on martial arts for a second...

The importance of hand to hand combat is not necessarily to fight zombies, but to fight off those scavengers and roving bands of ne'er-do-wells sure to populate the post apocalyptic landscape.

Although grip breaks and some throws/takedowns are good to know if a zombie manages to get a hand on you.

Outside of that martial arts can increase your stamina, help you get used to dire and stessful situation under controlled circumstances and help you learn that the human body is not as fragile as most people think.

...Also breakfalls. Breakfalls are the most important thing you can ever learn in martial arts, in my opinion...

[the slackmistress]

@Deft: I don't disagree. However, about three years ago, I went through major jaw surgery. After two years in braces, my jaw was sawed off my face and tacked back on. It was to fix my bite and my profile, and cost nearly $40K when all was said and done.

So my real reason for not indulging in any hand-to-hand combat is simply that I don't want to get hit in the face. Pain doesn't worry me; it's that I couldn't ever afford to get it done again.

Obviously in a real-life situation I will sacrifice my face. However, I simply cannot afford to do so for just practice.

[L.Bo Marie]

smooth criminal... crap.
Now I'm going to be humming the MJ all night.

[Liat]

In the interest of saying something constructive, I have been on somewhat of a vegetable loving diet..

I lost about 15 lbs. I run about ten times faster than I could at the previous weight. I also feel a lot less pain in the knees.

I also blame my other regimen of squatting for three minutes after runs.

If the zombies are anything like the remake of Dawn of the Dead, you will definitely need to be fast. Romero and the zombies are obviously up to speed.

[DeftKosmonavt]

@SlackMistress: Very understandable. Though breakfalls would be a good idea none-the-less. Proper falling technique can save you from a broken arm/wrist/shoulder/etc or concussion and learning it isn't to terribly jarring.

[Belinda]

It's a tough thing knowing whether to choose a zombie philosophy (i.e. slow and shambling vs. fast and rabid) and train full-out for that, or to hedge your bets and try to fit in some techniques to combat both the old-timey slow zombies AND the more modern, "28 Days Later"/"Dawn of the Dead" remake SUPERFAST zombies.

Don't even get me started on the Will Smith "I Am Legend" remake zompires. Speed + Agility + Problem-Solving Skills = DEAD BELINDA.