I'm going to England in 2009. Wolverhampton, to be exact, to partake in the 2009 Tough Guy race. I haven't competed in a competitive sport since 2nd grade, and my prior fitness regimen has been piece together from random tidbits, but it seems like a good excuse to go to England--in January.

This is timed with the New Year, but it is anything but a New Year's resolution. The idea was borne a almost a year ago when a man named "Stu" gave a link to ESPN's coverage of the race from 2007. A few months later, my brother would introduce the idea of free fitness regimen called "Crossfit". I'm terrible at maintaining a fitness regimen without a goal--I can't see working out for working out's sake--so a couple of months ago I tentatively mention this plan to my wife. However, I was weary of telling anyone else 'cuz...you know...it sounds like the kind of thing that people don't follow through with.

Anyway, I was lifting weights the other day. A paltry sum by the standards of fitness gurus, but just enough to make me feel good. I was doing this in an unheated room--probably cold enough to store beef. The room reeks of cat shit and garbage because--well--it's where we keep the cat shit and garbage before pickup. As I gasped another lungful of ammonia and banana peels, I thought "maybe I'm kinda serious about this".

I have a lot of philosophical and logical reasons for doing this. My health has been an incredibly squandered gift for the bulk of my adult life. Once my first child arrives, I'm fairly certain that I'll barely have time to maintain what strength I have, much less "get fit". Most importantly, I think I need to do something physical.

The Tough Guy race looks very interesting. 8 miles of fiery pits of hay amidst freezing trenches of mud; climbing up walls and swimming through near-freezing water. The philosophy surrounding the race and the corresponding crossfit fitness regimen is more in line with my view of sports than anything I've seen yet. The race seems unnecessarily difficult, but isn't that how we became an obese culture? Constantly obsessed with ensuring that everything is convenient. I dunno.

The core theme of the race, however, is comraderie and teamwork. Right now my dedication is only theoretical--I'm saving the money for the entry fee and plane ticket--but I invite anyone who is interested to join me. Even the most unfit can have a full year to turn their lives around, and even the most broke have a year to save the cash. For anyone not interested in joining me, I hope to take pledges for the race for a yet-to-be-named non-profit organization so...keep that in mind.

Watch out, England.