My name is Alyssa Kulik, and I have been running for about 8 years. I started XC at Mauldin High School in 2004, and ran Cross Country and Track at Mauldin for the next 4 years until 2008. I was state Champion in Cross Country in 2006 (my HS PR was 18:04), and in the 1600m (HS PR 5:01) and 3200m during track (HS PR 11:00) in 2007. I also ran for Clemson University from 2008-2012. My major accomplishments there were a 4:40 full mile and 9:52 3000m steeplechase. I also ran a 20:34 6K during Cross Country and was All-Region. I was a 2-time All-American in the Steeplechase (All-American is top 8 in the NCAA, aka all collegiate teams in the country) and ran at the Olympic Trials. I also got to compete for Team USA for the NACAC U23 meet in Irapuato, Mexico and won gold in the 3000m Steeplechase.
Photos provided
Now that I have graduated from college, I am no longer connected to any team, and run on my own. I am in graduate school at the University of South Carolina, so I have to work running in when my schedule permits, but usually run about 8 miles a day, plus a long run on weekends.
For the rUNdead Charleston, I ran the race with Stephanie Buffo, one of my old teammates from Clemson. Stephanie and I go way back, because we were major competitors in high school. She ran for Dorman, and I ran for Mauldin, so we were each athletes on the best AAAA teams in the state, and also 2 of the fastest runners in the state. We both ended up on the Clemson team, and after that, it almost seems like we were never competitors, but always teammates. We both ran the steeplechase together, and she has become one of my closest friends. Over the past couple of years, we have formed some amazing memories together, so we signed up for the rUNdead knowing that it would be a good time.
The race started out by numbering everyone by last name, so Stephanie, being a “B,” was bib number 70, while I was number 270 with the “K’s.” There were around 500 people in this race (it was sold out), so there were start corrals with about 50 people in each. This was disappointing, because Stephanie’s start time was at 5:01 pm, and mine was at 5:06 pm, and we had planned to run together. So Stephanie decided to sacrifice her chances at winning a prize and started 5 minutes later with me, thus adding 5 minutes to her time. Even thought that was a little bit of a setback, we were glad to be together, because it was much more fun having a friend to run from zombies with.
Each runner was given a belt with three velcro flags, and the goal was to make it through the entire 5k race with at least one flag, thus deeming you a survivor. We decided to dress up as zombies, not only because there was a costume contest for the best zombie costume, but also because we thought it might increase our chances of blending in with the actual zombies (which, by the way, were extremely authentic looking). However, the bib numbers and neon flags still gave us away. The zombies were spread out along the course at different “stations.” Some of these stations included a zombie or two along the path, others were clearings with 4 or 5 zombies running around chasing people, and others were 2 or 3 zombies waiting near obstacles. Each station was extremely difficult to get by without a “zombie attack!” The zombies on the path were difficult because they were at narrow areas where you had to try and sprint through them. The clearings (including a dilapidated house with a bridezilla and her bridal 
party, as well as a forest with zombies roaming around for their dinner) were also tough because it was pretty much a free-for-all, whereas the other station types didn’t have the zombies come chasing after you. The third type of station was the obstacle station, which included jumping over hay bales and running through tires. These required strategy, because we were told before the race that the obstacles were “safe zones” for the runners, meaning if you did them you would increase your chances of surviving. However, the zombies were waiting at the end of the obstacle, making it even more likely that your flag would get pulled. For these, I ran around the obstacles and avoided the preoccupied zombies.
The course itself was actually rather nice; we kept commenting that it would make a good regular 5K course (sans zombies). It was at the Old Towne Park in West Ashley, and the entire course was either on paths through the woods, or in open fields. The footing was great; either pine straw or grass, and it was relatively smooth and flat. The way we ran it was certainly nothing like a normal 5k race, though. We basically ran/jogged in between the zombie areas, and then sprinted for our lives when we saw a zombie, making it more of an extreme fartlek-style run. We also ended up waiting for each other when the other got caught up on an obstacle or zombie attack, so that added a little time. There were also pauses in the race when strategizing took place. For example, we would either slow down or speed up so that we could be with a cluster of other runners for the next zombie encounter. During one encounter, the entire group stopped in the middle of the course face-to-face with a zombie, everyone simply contemplating on how to get past. We all eventually made a dash, some getting lucky and some not so much.
By the end of the race, we crossed the line around 23:52 (I’m not sure of our official time, but that’s what Stephanie’s watch said). I had 1 flag, while Stephanie, unfortunately had none left. She would have been eligible for a prize in the 0 flags category if her start time had been correct, but unfortunately, her time was actually entered as something around 28:52. I was able to win first place for females with 1 flag remaining (the times got slower the more flags people had left.) Out of 500, only 2 people finished with all 3 flags, around the 35-minute range. About 2/3 of the participants finished with 0 flags, because like I said, it was tough getting past those zombies! The prize was a disgusting zombie foot nailed to a plaque, but it was certainly theme-appropriate. Afterwards there was free food and beer (for those of us over 21), live music, and other vendors, which was fun. There was an after party at a restaurant for the costume prizes, but there was a miscommunication about where it was at, so we missed it.
Overall, it was a very fun experience. I would definitely do it again. I’ll admit, I was pretty scared at times (especially when a hidden zombie charged at me from a bush), but having a friend to do it with and to protect each other makes it 100-percent better. I might even sign up to be a zombie next year! If you are looking for an actual race, this might not be the one to sign up for. It’s hard to get a solid pace going because you are constantly catching up to and passing the slower runners that were in an earlier start corral, dodging zombies, strategizing, and going through obstacles. We are both in much better shape than near 24 minutes for a 5k, but it was the experience, and not the time that counted.
Right now I’m in a stage where I have been doing intense competition for the past 8 years, and it’s really nice to take a chill-pill and enjoy running again, instead of stress over it. This was the perfect way to do just that. My future plans with running are simply to continue. I thought about a professional career, but right now is not an appropriate time. Being in a very busy graduate program makes it pretty much impossible to travel for meets. I am working on a 2-year plus 3 summers master’s program for speech-language pathology, and on top of my coursework, I also have clients at the USC Speech and Hearing Center. I would not be able to continually cancel my Friday clients every time I needed to travel. The other issue with joining a team is that I am stuck in Columbia for the next 2 years, and would not be able to move to train with whichever team I joined. Therefore, it’s going to be running and training on my own for a while. The bright side of this is that I enjoy what I am studying, and I enjoy being able to run for fun. My next races will include the Charlotte Color Run 5K and the Disney Princess Half-Marathon, which I will be doing as a 2-person team with another teammate from Clemson, Kimberly Ruck, and we will wear FCA Elite uniforms. I’m sure that I will pick up some others along the way. I think it’s extremely important to have fun with running, so I am making the most of the next big step in my life!