Zombie Running - Good, Bad, or just "What it is"?

New spokesperson for barefoot running?

When you go out for a run, you can either get truly engaged with the workout or mentally "zone out" and just get it done.  Today, let's cover the positives and negatives of what I call "zombie running" and come to some conclusions.

Zombie Running:

The Good - When you "zone out", you think you might actually be "in the zone" and a perfect state to be exercising, similar to meditation.  Things don't seem to bother you and you can just go and go... as long as you keep hydrating and fueling correctly.  Also, you simply don't notice things that would bother most people, allowing you to get the job done.  It does work to get in plenty of volume.

The Bad - Being brain dead doesn't make running all that fun, does it?  And if you aren't really paying attention, you tend to do things that hurt you in the long run.  You'll ignore pain, forget to hydrate and fuel, and even go too far and overreach your potential.

The "What it is" - Mentally checking out and running like a zombie to get through a workout is more of a symptom of other issues than anything else.  In comparison, running "in the zone" is more of a heightened sense of awareness and slowing down the sense of time because it's so good, not because you would rather not even think about it.  

If you find that you are actually performing like a zombie and less like a Zen apprentice, it would be wise to review your nutrition, sleep, and fatigue to see if your zombie-like state is indicating that you need some fixing of your foundation.

Do you have any experience with "zombie running" or opinions about what it means?  Leave your thoughts in the comments!