The Running Dead: A Race for a Cause

THE RUNNING DEAD are coming for you this April 21, 2012 at Filinvest Alabang in Muntinlupa City. They're fast, they're hungry, and they want to eat your brains! 

This will be a 7 Kilometer race with an off-road track featuring a few nasty surprises and elite fast-moving dead.

The event is not for the faint of heart!  There will be running, climbing, crawling, and RUNNING DEAD. Get the skinny over here.


All of the proceeds after race expenses will be going to four very promising youth trialthletes.  This includes professional coaching, racing expenses, and equipment.

Got Facebook? Get to know these future sports heroes over here and support this worthy cause!

Stay vigilant!

Outbreak Manila: Run for Your Life 2012

The infection has arrived! Outbreak Manila has recently concluded the first RUN FOR YOUR LIFE zombie race in the country and it was a runaway success. It took place at the grounds of Nuvali, Sta. Rosa near the EVO Living Center on April 15, 2012.

Got Facebook? Check em out over here.

Cosplayer gals make excellent zeds, but they'll still eat your brains.

Inspired by Baltimore's Run For Your Lives, it was inevitable that a similar event would take place over here considering the sport's growing popularity.

Hey, everybody's doing this zombie craze thing, but fitness never goes outta style!

The Skinny:

• 5 Kilometers of madness

• Over 5000 participants

• Challenging obstacles

• 200+ volunteer zombies, and the funky Zombie Jackson

• A long course that featured the full trail with less zombies (but still dangerous)

• A horde course that was shorter but was extremely dangerous. Many deaths!

• Same rules as Run For Your Lives with those 3 ribbons that represent your life

I'm all for these sort of events. Running is one of the best forms of exercise. Running away from the living dead will also save your life.

Zeds long to be CLOSE TO YOU

Outbreak Manila promises to infect the rest of the metro with more zombie runs for 2012.  I can't wait to join the next one. 

I wish they'd do an urban or nighttime run. That would be awesome.

Blood, sweat, and BRAINS.

Stay vigilant!

Myopia and the Zombie Apocalypse

I have an admission to make. 

The Zombie Hunter wears contact lenses. 

This is a very frustrating Achilles's Heel to have WTSHTF don't you think? I think it all started when I began gluing myself to the TV watching my heroes Sir David Attenborough, The A Team, and Randy "Macho Man" Savage.

I also devoured a lot of books growing up: Britannica, National Geographic, comics, Time, Popular Mechanics, I read them all.

No regrets.

I've got myopia, in simple terms my eyes are a bit near-sighted. At about 7 yards, faces start to become fuzzy, beyond that, things are soft around the edges. Even further, things look like I'm under water. Most countries will not permit me to drive without corrective lenses.

At home I use eyeglasses (being the domesticated Clark Kent that I am), and wear my monthly disposable contacts when I go out. 

I. The Past

I've always hated wearing glasses. Having myopia also meant that I sucked at billiards, got more pimples, and it defined my identity as being part of the "nerd herd" back in high-school. I could not be a fighter pilot or astronaut, two very important childhood dreams.

I was way more physically fit compared to my fellow geeks. That muscled guy who plays Dungeons & Dragons at lunchtime? That was me. Being part of the school's Competitive Swimming Team does that to you. However we were always picked on by the football and basketball jerks who got all the girls. 

II. The Present

I've been using contact lenses since the late 1990's when they became a lot more comfortable. This has allowed me to join competitive shooting events, and I could see as far as any eagle-eyed hunter. Life has gotten really sweet. 

That is until they get a bit dry after about 10 hours of use w/c requires me to dunk them in lubricant for at least 3 hours.

I'm too scared to get LASIK Surgery. This should make my eyes perfect, assuming the doctor does not screw up on me. (Murphy's Law + laser + eyeball = chicken)

Is it safe?

Maybe when the technology is as commonplace as a routine tooth extraction...

III. The Future

When the world plunges into the dark years of the zombie plague, I will be forced to don my eyeglasses once again. I've purchased a few rugged pairs that could withstand some abuse such as falls, scratches, or sitting on them accidentally. I think I need to hoard more of them too. 

There would be nothing worse than losing your last pair in a life & death struggle against an army of walkers.

I will also need to search for fresh contacts & lubricant if I ever brave a zombie-infested mall. The shelf life on them go for about 6 years. If the zombie apocalypse lasts longer than that, I guess I'll have to resign myself to being the best four-eyed zombie hunter I could be.

We sure take a lot of things for granted. Are you prepared to live without running water, electricity, convenient medicine, and perfect eyesight? 

Hey, this is serious.

• According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, more than 32 million adults have myopia. 
• Around 150 million people use corrective eye-wear. 
• More than 38 million Americans use contact lenses.
• I'm also worried about studies showing nearly 1 in 10 kids having nearsightedness.

Stay vigilant!

Run For Your Lives 2012

The VIRUS is spreading!

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES is now happening in 11 locations across America. 2011 was a huge success and this year promises even bigger thrills. You know its gaining momentum when the big news networks are talking.


There's a lot of videos on YouTube from participating runners, and its really cool that most of them were taken from the 1st person perspective. I really need to get one of those sunglasses with built-in video recorders.


Stamina and speed are important, but you really need to think on your feet to make it through the day.

All kinds of deadly challenges await the participants. From blood pits, an infested barn, dark tunnels, mud traps, deadly choke points, and things to climb over, this event will test the mettle of seasoned survivalists.

Don't wanna run? Wanna eat brains? Volunteer as a zombie! This totally rocks if you got creative make-up and latex skills.

Check out this volunteer's journal at The OMB's Lawn to find out what a cool dude and a lovely zombie named Deb endured to make the event extra special. Without the enthusiasm of awesome people like them, the whole event would suck.

This race is also a great opportunity to introduce non-survivalist types get into our vibe and spread zombie preparedness. If you ask me, I like this sorta thing way more than a zombie walk because nothing beats a runner's high!

Stay vigilant!

Headshot Training: SF Archery Recurve Bow

Its taken about two weeks for me shoot at stuff without embarrassing myself. The good part about it is that I can do this in my own back yard! 

At least 3x a week,  I pull out a double-layered rubber mat target and hang it on our laundry clothesline. I then pull out my SF Archery take-down recurve bow from my bug-out-bag. My archery range is pretty safe, there's a deserted grassy fiend behind my home.

Killing Zeds

We all know that head shots are the only way to dispatch the living dead. Easier said than done. Lower shots to the face may only go through the mouth and throat. Those won't do. 

Is the upper half of the head you need to aim for. Now try that on an undead person you may have known who is now shambling towards you. It will be quite disturbing.

Warning: broadhead arrows will damage rubber mat targets. 

I'll save them for a Smashing Coconut Test (TM).

Method

• Targets are set 15 meters or 49 feet away.
• The head area should be close to the actual size. Smaller is better if you have space limitations.
• The clothesline could be pulled up and down for added difficulty. 
• In the future I'll design it in a way that we can pull the target towards the shooter.
• Nighttime archery is very important training. Too bad the videos of these were too dark

Observe archery safety at all times:

1. A bow is not a toy
2. Do not hold your bow if someone is downrange
3. Be aware of your surroundings, even behind the shooting line 
4. Do not point the bow at something you are willing to destroy or eat 

Note: I eat whatever I catch. I frown on wasteful hunting and poaching.

This is how 49 feet looks like. 

Aim between the eyes.

Its best to use drawings or print-outs of zombies to shoot at. Full-color if your could afford it. 

Remember: they need to be menacing and creepy. You must be mentally prepared to take them out when the time comes.

Here's a short video of my session on a fine sunny afternoon.

best viewed on youtube

Archery rocks man. Survivalists will love its versatility. Feed your family, improve your physique, kill zeds. Its a quiver full of win!

Stay vigilant!

The Recurve Bow VS Zombies

I. Bows & Arrows

Archery has been one of mankind's primary tools for hunting, warfare and sport for the past seven thousand years. It can serve us well WTSHTF.

The zombie apocalypse will potentially last years or even decades. There won't be a shortage of ingenuity & craftsmen, only the raw materials.  Ammunition will be scarce, and maintaining guns will be increasingly difficult. On the other hand, wood and a little metal are needed to construct bows & arrows. 

Numerous resources are available for a variety of bow types (like the US Army Survival Manual), and the ones you find online are only the tip of the iceberg.

II. Training

I've recently gotten into archery and have been taking lessons with my family. It is quite satisfying to put your arrows where you want them to! I get the same buzz from putting lead on steel plates at 20 meters. Both disciplines require the same amount of skill and dedication. This is a life long thing, and I'm looking forward to every minute of shooting stuff.

For a pistolero like me, it was really cool that I could retrieve my ammunition and re-use them on the spot. No reloading required! I can do this in my back yard too.

It is not noiseless as some may think, but definitely quieter than most suppressed weapons. And a more accessible one at that. 

All in all, the bow is an effective weapon and a wonderful sporting activity for the whole family.

I chose the recurve bow for the following reasons in no particular order:

• anything that is an Olympic sport is a worthwhile activity
• ease of maintenance: dissasembly / assembly takes only a minute without specialized tools
• easy to stow away, compact
• components are durable, can last many years with proper use
• an excellent choice for zombie-killing covert missions & clearing operations
• can help you hunt for food: bowfishing, birds, deer, & other nice things

I've also made a SMASHING COCONUT TEST to see how it would fare against a zombie skull.

When the last bullet is shot, arrows will fly.

Stay vigilant!

Happy Halloween!

To celebrate, here's what went down at the Run For Your Lives 5K obstacle race at Baltimore. I really wish I could have made it to this one!

And here are some cool folks who volunteered to play the opposing force for the day. Hats off to the runners and zombies!

Stay vigilant!

Armed to the Teeth: Dental Plan VS the Zombie Apocalypse

Root Canal 

Impacted Wisdom Tooth

Cavities

Made you wince thrice, didn't I?  

Now think about going without dental treatment for a few decades in a zombie-infested world. Its hard enough to survive with dwindling resources, imagine what it would be like when your face is filled with rotten teeth. 

Think of the children! How will they manage if they have to endure a siege while battling tooth decay? Its your job to get everybody in top shape. It will be your fault as head of the family if you don't plan for this.

Dental Risk-Management for Survivalists

• "I wish I had my teeth done before the world fell apart..."

• "I wish I had my teeth done before the last dentist on Earth was devoured by the living dead..."

• Severe health risks can result from long-term neglect of oral hygiene.

• Do you know how dysfunctional your team will be if everybody has some kind of ache? 

• When society breaks down during a major outbreak, consider adding dental care products to your list of things to scavenge for.  Mark these resources in your emergency map.  

• Think about bringing a dentist to your safe house as part of your emergency plans. 

• Dental negligence will deplete your family's strength and precious medicine, especially antibiotics & painkillers. 

• Its really hard to do anything right if your face is throbbing from puss-filled cavities.  

You gotta cover all bases! 

The Solution

Prepare your family dental plan as soon as possible. Allocate a portion of your budget to accomplish this. In my case, Mrs. Zombie Hunter has very wisely taken off 25% from my annual allowance for ammunition to cover for our family's oral hygiene.

As a concerned parent, I would like to remind all survivalists to remember that a healthy family can overcome any crisis. 

Every tooth counts!  A healthy smile makes a happy survivalist.

Stay vigilant!



photo credit from www.studiodentaire.com

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! A 5K Obstacle Race with Zombies

Zombies are invading Baltimore!

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES is a one of a kind 5K adventure race that promises to test the mettle of anybody preparing for the zombie apocalypse. Unique challenges await participants! For this event, you'll be needing much more than leg power and stamina. Do you have what it takes to survive?

There will be ZOMBIES. And yes, they will be chasing you!

When:      October 22, 2011

Where:     Ramblewood
                 2564 Silver Road
                 Darlington, MD 21034
                 1.5 hours south of Philly

Special Features:

Participants have health points (and wear a flag belt), zombies will attack you and reduce your health. If you run outta health, you're dead!

Use your brain or lose it: Survival-horror scenarios await the runners.  Your lives will depend on the choices you'll need to make to overcome the 12 man-made obstacles.

If you're strong and smart enough, perhaps you can win  prizes at the APOCALYPSE PARTY.  This snazzy awards ceremony will have rockin' bands, beer, zombie merchandise, celebs, and way more fun!

I'd say the real reward is a chance to party with like-minded folks.  How cool is that?

Mark your calendar for this special event and get on with your training.  And this one's mandatory for all survivalists. You never know when you'll have to do this for real! For more information, head on over to the official website.  Register NOW!





Stay vigilant!


Big thanks to Laura for the heads up!

Fitness: Healthy not Husky

Some people think that stocking up guns, ammo and other supplies will get them through a real crisis.  And then they fortify their homes and think that all's well.  

Those people are wrong.  

Its quite unfortunate that many survivalists overlook the care of their bodies.  We need to be in really good shape to ENDURE.  

We need strong backs to carry our loved ones.  We need strong arms to bash the living dead into smithereens.  At the very least, we need strong legs to run away from the hordes of walking dead!  Mother nature is counting on us to prevail, and we'd better play by her rules. 

How fit should we be?  

I. Know the basics

With the proper motivation and discipline, you won't need fancy equipment or a personal trainer.  You can succeed if you can track these three items aside from your waistline.  

• body mass index - Is a formula for measuring a person's level of obesity using measurements of height and weight.  This is important for setting your goals.  There are many charts that can tell you where you want to be depending on your age and gender. 

• muscle mass - The more muscles you have, the faster you can burn calories.  Try combining cardio exercises with strength training to increase your muscle mass.  Running ain't enough.  You will need to carry heavy stuff when on the run or when engaged in combat. 

• fat percentage -  A lot of weighing scales at fitness clubs or clinics measure this.  There are also other methods such as special tape measures or calipers.  The goal is to decrease this, not necessarily your total body weight.  It may be that you've gained weight but mostly due to muscle.  This is a sign of progress.

There are more such as the Base Metabolic Rate (BMR), Bone Mass, and Metabolic Age, but we can stick to the first three as the basis of measuring your performance as you progress with your regular exercise.  By the time you're looking for more info, you're already on the right track. 

II.  Why do we need to be strong?  

Owning lotsa guns ain't enough.

When TSHTF, you'll need to accomplish all sorts of strenuous stuff to stay alive. You can be called a real Zombie Hunter if you can handle this scenario:

a. carry a loved one or two on your back
b. with your combat gear, weapons AND survival bag
c. while being chased by a horde of zombies
d. and running at a decent speed for probably a few kilometers to escape your overridden neighborhood
e. and then pausing for a while to smash your way through the zombies that happen to stand between you and your family's emergency safe house

Zombies don't tire.  Can you keep up?

III. Active people are healthier

A study from the University of Oulu in Finland correlates a person's overall health with cardiovascular fitness and body weight management.  The study also connects the positive health benefits of a person later in life because of the athletic activity done during adolescence.  

Here we could see how everything is connected to each other.  Our goal is to improve our health, and the table clearly shows what we need to work on to get there.  

IV. Family involvement + regular measurement = SURVIVAL!

Measure your progress regularly.  Stick a simple graph to the family fridge so you can get them involved!  This will give you tangible results of everybody's hard work. This is motivating stuff and the long-term benefits are innumerable.   Make it fun.  A team effort and sharing ideas from even the youngest family member could be the ticket. 

Its your duty as the protector of your family to initiate these things. 

Stay vigilant!

stepping up

Today is DAY ONE for my return to my physical training at a nearby gym.  This supplements my practical shooting, and will help keep up w/ my coach the Major. I gotta get back to my old form.

Past Awesomeness

Nearly a lifetime ago, I was in our high-school's Tae Kwon Do and swimming varsity teams.  For a whole decade, I was in really awesome shape. Looking good in a bikini Speedo was a daily thing.  

Decline

The excesses of college life had nearly erased my exceptional physical condition.  Back in the 1990's, everybody seemed to be partying harder and getting more smashed than folks do nowadays.

Chalk it to Y2K nihilism.  

Another big problem was my brush w/ Gangrene on one of my feet from a botched operation.   Long story.  Funny how the color of my diseased foot reminded me of the living dead.  It left me unable to run or do strenuous exercise for another 4 years.  If the SHTF then, I'd be screwed. 

Getting Back

I've been on and off from the gym and could not get it to stick.  Finally in late 2009, Mrs. Zombie Hunter and I started running & worked our way up to 30 KM/week.  It took a long while to reach 5Km in 30 minutes.  The first months were miserable!  It was like shaking off a decade's worth of laziness, booze, sleeping late w/ bags of Growers Savory Hot Peanuts.  

I've nearly quit booze & have lost a total of 15 pounds after 5 months.  Going back to serious training is a logical progression.  My new PT will improve my stamina & shed another dozen pounds to get into top form.  And thus I have committed myself to doing this & my running for as long as I could stand on my two feet.

You Can Do It Too

Anybody can turn things around with enough motivation and commitment. You'll be rewarded with a way better looking body, improved mood & higher energy levels.  Just give yourself a realistic target and think of it as an investment for yourself. 

And if that ain't enough motivation for you, perhaps the impending Zombie Apocalypse ought to get your lardy ass moving!

With washboard abs, zombies are doomed.  Wife is happier.

Survival Strategy #3: Get Into Shape

Unlike most of you boys and girls, I've been learning some really important skills.

About two years ago, I started training in Practical Shooting and have been attending outdoor survival seminars.  I've also quit being a lazy bum and shed 14 pounds after nearly  4 months of running 5 kilometers 4x a week.  Not only did Mrs. Zombie Hunter appreciate my improved looks, I've got the stamina to survive.

Learn from me.

Physical Training VS The Zombies: 

1. You gotta start somewhere.  

For the 1st month, get your partner to walk with you for at least 30 minutes to an hour every day.  After a whole month, start jogging.  Once you make it a routine, you can do this forever!  And from here, you can even go to the gym to really get some muscle.

Set a long-term goal.  Focus on something like "by this time next year, I'll have a real sexy-ass body for Boracay...". 

2. Strength is good, stamina is better

When SHTF, you will need the staying power to run distances with your bug out bag. You may need to carry one or two of your loved ones on your back while evading the living dead!

3. You gotta learn a martial art.  

Karate, Boxing, Ninjitsu...   Any of these will give you the discipline and fighting spirit to survive!  You gotta cultivate the warrior's mindset.  Learn to overcome your fear so you can focus on defending your loved ones.

Zombies will mindlessly eat your brains. Don't hesitate to ventilate theirs!

The S will HTF soon, get started today.