cyclist-5

[cyclist-5]

Dang, I started Hybrid Calisthenics this week to try to build some muscle alongside the cardio workout of ZR, but I started getting serious pain a little below my knee during the introductory squat session.

I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to see a doctor about it, but from past experience I'm pretty sure it's patellar tendonitis. I guess I've been putting more wear on my knees lately than I'd realized. So until I'm in a position where I can see a professional, the plan is rest. Luckily the issue seems extremely localized, and I can still walk and pedal with no discomfort. But I'm going to slow down on my bike, and I think that when "leg day" comes around again, I'm going to focus on stretching and gentle movement for now. For better or for worse, it's not my first rodeo.

[cyclist-5]

whats your Five lore? how did they get to Abel? all the fun details and stuff!

Alright! So my Five is pretty heavily based on myself, but thrown into a truly wild situation, and with some details changed for the fun of it. They're nonbinary and use they/them pronouns, and are somewhere in their late-20s to early-30s. I'm a little unsure of what they did before the zombie apocalypse, but I'm currently leaning toward grad (or maybe law) student. They were a bicycle commuter for eco-conscious reasons. They were American, but doing a semester abroad when things went Bad. After a trusted faculty mentor tried to eat them, they hopped on their bike and just fled, eventually reaching Mullins Military Base. I gave them my own hypermobility and joint issues- running is pretty hard for them so they weren't a full Runner at Mullins, but they did get some physical and weapons training there and started to do some work as a courier. Eventually, they were assigned to Project Greenshoot (they still have no idea what it is), and sent by helicopter to Abel township, when they were shot down by rocket launcher and had to make a run for it. You know the rest! When I originally started playing ZR, I actually listened to Welcome to Nightvale instead of music between segments, and interpreted WTNV as a radio signal that Runner 5 was picking up! While I generally listen to music rather than podcasts while playing these days, I still like to think that my version of the world still has some of that Weirdness. They have a small portable radio that always seems to work despite not having any visible power supply, and they can tune it to some of the fiction podcasts that I listen to. Whether they're tuning in to something in an alternate universe or picking up something happening elsewhere in the world is kind of ambiguous, but there's clearly *something* going on. Also, I kind of think that they don't tell anyone their name. I'm not entirely sure why yet, but I think they like having that bit of a distinction between their previous life and the topsy-turvy world they're in now. They can go back to being [redacted] once things are back to normal, but for now, they're Five.

[cyclist-5]

It's been 84 years, but I finally made a ZR blog!

I found this on my drafts and one of these days, this will be finished. One of these days...

Anyway, you can follow me in my Main Blog (if you want)

(From left to right: Simon, Jody, my Runner Five, Sara, Jack, Sam)

[cyclist-5]

I collected a golden sports bra during the community run so I had to draw Five in it. Is it comfortable? I feel like it can’t be. But she’s thriving.

[cyclist-5]

To celebrate finishing the season 1 community run (🎉🍾🎊🏃🏻‍♀️) here are some more dumb text posts based on ZR characters from this season

Sam:

Janine:

Sara:

Maxine:

Simon:

Jack:

Eugene:

[cyclist-5]

we did it, runners 5! well done, no matter how much of the community run you participated in.

this was great fun, got me even more excited to start s6 soon!

(both five and me are glad but exhausted. don't look at the shoes too closely, ta)

[cyclist-5]

Actually, maybe I'll change my blog title to cyclist-5. It's a new start, a new season, about to be a new year.... Plus I bicycle it and I don't really want to follow my original blog idea of an in-character diary anymore.

[cyclist-5]

For me it's a mix. I originally started playing ZR as a kid. My dad was really into it- I'm like 90% sure he discovered it and started playing back in Season 1! So when I wanted to get into some form of cardio to improve my health, he recommended it. I've picked up and fallen out of ZR a few times over the years, usually starting over from Season 1, so I never made it very far. I've had trouble because of issues with my joints that got worse in college, and I had to stop running for a while. Which led to me falling out of ZR again, and also kind of abandoning this ZR blog that I made back then. But... I got an exercise bike, so cardio's back on the menu! I played for a bit at the start of 2024, switched to watching Netflix while cycling for a bit, but then got back into ZR for the S1 community run. I've so far stuck with it, and am now helping rebuild Abel in Season 2. I'm loving the momentum I've got rn and I'm really excited to experience S2 all the way through for the first time ever! So while I'm not much of a runner, Zombies Run has been with me on that whole journey, and I'm really loving being Cyclist 5 these days.

I'm curious- how many Fives really started running because of the app verses already being an established runner before?

I've been running off and on for almost seven years, but mostly off because I despised running and just forced myself to do it. But since getting ZR, I've really genuinely begun to love running, and I've become a far better runner and I'm in the best physical shape of my life. At this point, even if I lost access to the app or something, I would stick with running because now I love it.

So while I am technically a really experienced runner, and have done a LOT of miles and gotten quite a few injuries and know shoes (and sports bras) and the whole shebang well, the its only been less than a year that I've actually loved to run.

What about you guys?

[cyclist-5]

If you put a note of any type on this post I will send you questions about your Five :D

[cyclist-5]

Starting Season 2!

SO, are any Runner 5s on here joining in the Rofflenet quasi-official Season 2 community run? I recently got back into ZR for the Season 1 run, and am juust about caught up. I'd love to know if anyone else on tumblr is doing it too!

[cyclist-5]

ZOMBIES, RUN! SECRET SANTA 2024

IT'S NOVEMBER (just about still) AND THAT MEANS IT'S TIME FOR THE ZOMBIES, RUN! SECRET SANTA!

The year marches on and it's already time for the 8th ZR Secret Santa!

Entries are open from now (right now, actually) until December 2nd - we've left it a little late this year for sign ups but all that means is that you should already be feeling festive. ❄

The form will stop accepting entries after 2 December which means we'll get to work assigning each of you a gifter and a recipient.

Gifts can be art, fic, a combination of both, graphics, compositions, interactive fic, playlists (so long as the playlist is complementing something else!), or whatever you think will bring your secret giftee some joy.

SIGN UP HERE: https://forms.gle/ERzeAQBzN8yLP2916

The only rules are to keep it secret, and spend some time on it!

Dates!

December 2nd: Sign ups end!

December 3rd: You recieve your secret santa giftee

December 24th: Entries due! Post 'em on tumblr, send 'em direct to your recipient, do both! It's up to you.

December 25th: We post all the entries in one mammothly festive post (if you'd like to be included!).

If you've any questions, concerns, confessions feel free to message this blog direct, or for a more timely response message @notforconsumption or @delucadarling on tumblr or at @bubosi or @perscoot on discord.

[cyclist-5]

A while ago you made a character sheet thing for zombies run, do you still have a blank copy of that which you’d be willing to share?

Yes I do! Here you go!

[cyclist-5]

Rofflenet's organizing an unofficial Season 2 Community Run!

Just in time- I've nearly finished my playthrough of Season 1! (I restarted midway through the S1 community run and ran out of time to finish). Looking forward to finally playing all the way through S2 with the community

[cyclist-5]

Running a bit behind on the S1 Community Run because I still have the plague from SOMEONE and also I fell on my arse and broke it at roller skating class on Sunday so I've been taking it very easy (other than, you know, working in SEND and facing things like pushing kids on the roundabout all day and having a chair thrown at me)

BUT

I just walked S1 M16, and Janine calling Sara by her first name instead of Ms Smith like she does with "Mr Yao" is absolutely adding fuel to the fire of my Janine/Sara headcanons (that I may or may not write for sparktober)

I'm absolutely loving seeing the ZR fandom being more active during this community run, I hope they do this again with more seasons at some point!!

[cyclist-5]

Wow, it’s been a few years since I used this blog!

I unfortunately had to stop running. I’ve always been hypermobile, but I realized that my joint pain was getting really bad, and that I very literally was injured more often than not. Maybe it would technically be possible to get training on how to run safely… but I’m not a devoted runner and it just didn’t feel worth it.

I ended up getting a little exercise bike and using that because it didn’t strain my joints, and since I wasn’t running I fell out of zombies run! My old bike recently broke, so I got a new one. In my excitement I redownloaded the app, and reset all my progress! I’m going to give it another go, this time not as a literal runner, but as a cyclist.

[cyclist-5]

*five voice* I may've had to slog through a muddy field to get medical supplies last week but at least I'm not dealing with a faceless woman who lives in everyone's homes

Five sees horrors beyond anyone's comprehension every Tuesday but at least they've never had a giant glowing cloud drop a tiger (deceased) on their head!

[cyclist-5]

Going out for long solitary runs (or walks- quite honestly I’m not in the BEST possible shape and I never did finish the 5k trainer!) has become an easy sort of meditation. It is easy to do alone for the most part, although only about half the people I pass seem to be making an effort with regard to social distancing.

It’s nice to be able to let my brain surround itself in stories as I walk or run. Zombies, Run! holds the structure of my movement, while I fill in the time between clips with podcasts. Usually horror, haunting, and sometimes humor. I feel like on some level, this idea of horror or dread is just how I feel right now- on a very low, almost imperceptible but Constant level. Not enough to impact my work, and I can convince myself that everything’s fine, but I’m always on edge because no it isn’t? Honestly it’s wonderful that we have stories- I think that they are important for getting through this. Whether it’s catharsis or escapism or just helping yourself feel less alone, i don’t think that the benefit of stories can be underestimated.