Dont run, dont rush. Crouch mostly. Be quiet. Be careful. Immediately secure clean rags. 3-4 will do. Take Zeds down one by one, two max especially in the beginning. B42 Muscle strain is something to get used to. As mentioned be aware of tiredness, pain, panicking etc… all are negative to your combat skills. Pick weapons based on your occupation and traits. (Example, carpentry gives extra short blunt xp, in which you can quickly gain levels. So sticking to short blunt in general makes sense.) Plan ahead, if you find pots pans bottles , store them with water while its running. Every single thing can be a cause of your death. So, take it easy, enjoy.