Tag: running

Excitement in the air

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

It started last night, when it became apparent that my ghost town of a little Days Inn was well occupied suddenly. This morning at complimentary continental breakfast, were several obvious-purposed persons, doing what I had in mind; get fueled up and get prepared for the zombie run.  Upon speaking with a few of them, most seem to be from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, as I’d imagine anyone who lives in Virginia or fuckingMaryland is probably just going to commute it.

But no make mistake, as much as I’d like to have thought I was the only zombie runner staying in this place, regardless of the “official” accommodations in Edgewood, fuckingMaryland, but I’m clearly not.  That’s not a bad thing though, seeing other people here for it has awakened some excitement within me, and 1 p.m. can’t get here soon enough.  All this unknown and anticipation is making me stir-crazy.

Mildly perturbed

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

Lately, I’ve been a little irritable.  A little bit of it has to do with daily nuisances that come with having several pets in the home, and a significantly large bit has to do with a scenario that could be really good or really bad, depending on what happens in the process. Regardless, it’s filled with the unknown, and I don’t really like too much of the unknown right in front of me.

More of it has to do with a lot of the anxiety of the unknown that stands in front of me this weekend, as I will embark on an adventure to prove my capabilities in surviving a simulated zombie apocalypse, when I challenge Run For Your Lives. I don’t know what to expect, and this concerns me, because I’m a very competitive person, and I want very much to succeed at “surviving” the run.  More unknown, and it has me a little on edge.

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Incredible

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

When I was little, and growing up in the dairy farmlands of Harrisonburg, nobody in that hicksville had any idea what a Korean person was.  All through elementary school, people always gave me the “are you Chinese or Japanese?” schtick, like a real-life King of the Hill.  When I said no to both, most people were absolutely baffled, and had no idea of what possible alternatives there could be to Chinese or Japanese people.

A long while ago, I wrote about a how a kid in my neighborhood apparently thought I was Spanish, and said “hola” to me.  Throughout the last few months, this kid has seen me a few times during my morning jogs, and has said “hola” to me on all those instances.  Because I’m not Spanish, I do not respond ever.

Just the other night, while I was out on my evening jog, I ran by two little batarians, to which one of them said “hola” to me.  Seeing as how I was now right next to the kid, I finally said, “I’m not Spanish.  You don’t have to say ‘hola’ to me.“

Being in numbers often times creates a false sense of courage in kids, so the other kid laughed, and began motoring his mouth as I proceeded to leave them behind.  In the midst of my pulling away I heard “So what are you?  French?  Italian?  You speak Japanese?“

Wow.  Aside from being Spanish, I’m mistaken for a French person, or an Italian person, before even hitting the continent of Asia?  Man, these little black kids live in a sheltered world.  I’m actually surprised at how dumb these kids are going to grow up to be.

No turning back now

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

I am officially signed up for Run For Your Lives.  I will be in the 1:00PM wave, and I am hoping to survive this ordeal with at least one health flag intact.  I have no intention of failure for this event.

I have been talking this up to many friends lately, as I would greatly love to experience an event like this with others, and not solely by myself.  That being said, if anyone would like to join my starting wave, it is the 1:00PM wave.  Regardless, I have full intention of hanging out afterward, to see what the Apocalypse Party is all about.

So to reiterate, I’d love to have some companions on this arduous 5K quest through zombie-infested woods.  1:00PM starting wave, register and join me run motherfuckers.  I haven’t looked forward to something on this magnitude in a long, long time.

I have never wanted to do anything more than this in a long time

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

The skinny: A 5K run in Bumfuck, Maryland, that has obstacles, rugged terrain, and oh yeah, ZOMBIES.  October 22nd (A Saturday), and it apparently costs like $67 entry to run, and prove your survival instincts and physical prowess. I’m trying to temper my expectations since zombie paintball in Kissimmee kind of blew, but damn I would be lying if I didn’t say my heart was excited and greatly looking forward to this event.

Naturally, I post this information, because I really really want friends to get in on this, even if it means the rigors and expenses of travel, lodging (possibly camping), and the physical nature of the event, but seriously, this looks like it could be the very most fun event in the entire world.

The new world, off kilter

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

Superman screamed across the Atlantic, going at a speed undetectable by human eyes.  He got a late jump on the missiles, and he actually worried if he would make it on time.  Superman narrowed his eyes and focused hard on trying to fly faster, thinking if he could hit the speeds in which he could essentially turn the Earth the opposite direction on its axis, and turn time back to just a few minutes ago, to where he could hope to prevent the launch of these nukes.  But as hard as he flew, he couldn’t catch up.

He was within visual sight of the first two mushroom clouds that emerged from Moscow.  Superman slouched in failure, as the savior of the world couldn’t prevent such destruction.  This moment of desperation was ill-timed, however, as screeching right past his head were several more missiles, headed in the opposite direction, at an amazingly fast speed.  Superman took off, hoping to intercept these Russian missiles, but again, his moments of hesitation proved to be costly.  By the time he got within visual of the remains of the New York skyline, all he saw were clouds of smoke, and dark skies.

I wake up in my dad’s old Caprice Classic station wagon.  My family is together, my mother, father, and sister.

“We’re here,” my dad says.  Where is “here,” I’m thinking?  It’s our new home, it’s explained to me.

New home?  What happened to my old home?

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It’s a different world before sunrise

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

After four months, give or take, of opting to do a cardio routine in the morning instead of running, I feel like I have regressed.  Sure, I’m getting my heart rate up in the mornings, and physically, I feel like I’m exerting myself more, than when all I did was run 1.5 miles.  Considering I’m doing roughly 33 minutes of cardio, plyo, yoga, and core as opposed to the typical 15 minute pace in which I circle Zombieland, I thought I was making a good choice in opting to stay indoors to workout than going out into the bitter cold of winter mornings.

Long story short, I simply feel like I’m regressing, with going the route of superman-bananaing, as opposed to running.  So until further consideration, I’m going to limit the cardio routine to Wednesdays only, and return to running most mornings, since it’s no longer ball-shriveling cold anymore.  That being said, I started with this morning.  And throughout the last few years, I’m starting earlier than I’ve ever started, due to the time it takes me to get my shit together in the morning, and attempt to get in by 8:30 a.m., so typically I’m out the door and beginning to run by around 6:40 a.m.

Needless to say, it’s like a different world out there at that time.  I’d like to think of those ass o’clock early hours to be quiet, and leisurely outdoors, but at the time in which I began running was anything but.  Legions of worker ants all departing their homes for whatever early shift and/or long commutes they’re gearing up for.  Me, having to dodge cars zipping out of their driveways in the dark, their drivers not expecting any studious morning runners.  Black people driving way too fast in the 25 mph residential neighborhood, with me, praying that they don’t run me over.  Trucks I’m suspecting are full of stolen goods as I jog by, sitting on the curb, idling, while spouting clouds of exhaust, me holding my breath while passing by.

Nobody has ever interrupted me while jogging before; color me surprised when a FedEx van stops me before 7:00 a.m., asking for directions to a street that doesn’t exist, with me telling them such intel.  And then at least ten more cars fly past me, driving too fast before I make it back to the house.

I’ve jogged around Zombieland at various times of the day; and once this past weekend when it was the nicest weather in the world.  But never, have I seen this place so busy, bustling, and active, than during a time of day, in which I simply imagine everyone in the world in some state of sleep still.