While I do not advise participating in any “zombie shuffles” where one dons zombie garb and mocks the bringers of death and pestilence by pretending to be their kin, you may want to explore several of the spate of recent footraces that incorporate obstacles or pseudo bad guys. As long as you are not confusing yourself by allying with an already distressing enemy, nor confusing me by looking a lot like creatures that I train to slaughter, it can be useful to explore the notion that basic cardio on a smooth path will not be the reality of your post-apocalyptic track career.

Any 5k or 10K can help you solidify your cardio skills and your ability to tolerate running in a crowd without getting trampled, but some courses aim to challenge you even further. The nationally syndicated Warrior Dash may be a gimmicky money-making machine, but it can also give you a taste of running in old footwear and overcoming your fear of heights without slowing down. Where else are you going to get sanitary, relatively safe experience clambering on top of old, ruined, slippery-as-an-eel cars in the mud?

There are also running events where you can pay people to chase you in a more organized and professional manner than arranging for your hillbilly cousins to stalk you in the corn field. The westerly Run For Your Lives combines the frustration of climbing a cargo net with the adrenaline rush of flag football, where the flags represent your brains. If you cross the finish line with one or more flags, it signifies your survival in the face of pursuit and hardship. There is some debate as to whether or not you will be thrown, screaming onto the burn pile at the end if you do not retain any of your flags.

If you are not ready for such serious stakes, there are many less threatening options, where you can just wear survival garb and train yourself to prioritize your destination over killing every undead poser in sight. For example, the Portland-based Run Like Hell will not seek to playfully destroy you, but you can, at least, pay good money to motivate your training schedule.

Lastly, these races can all help remind you to always be prepared. If you don’t pack a towel to clean yourself off at the end of the likes of The Warrior Dash, you will have to bathe yourself in the filthy, shared pond, where your comrades who have already starting their celebratory drinking are vomiting and disturbing the bees nests. Bring hand sanitizer. Always.