Fitness Goals: The Mudder

I have one fitness goal for 2013. 6-pack? Fitness competition? Catalog shoot? Look awesome at the beach? Nope...it's to run the Mudder in 2014. Everything else is superficial. This is life-changing. You want abs? Pick a challenge that will make you better, and the abs will be a side effect.

Be. More. Awesome.

I posted this status update on my Facebook earlier this week. The last part ties in with the motto and theme for The Man Sphere in 2013. And coming up on December 3rd, it's a "New You Issue," with advice on goals and personal development designed to give readers a kickstart on the whole New Year's resolution thing.

Plus there's a course coming out. But more on that later.

The important thing is that this little status update, aside from being a face-slapping motivational message, serves as my subtle way of announcing to the universe that I am, in fact, planning on running in the 2014 Tough Mudder in Toronto. I'll be 39 in 2014, and this is my bid to do something big before I turn 40.

It also means I have to work my butt off. I'm not totally out of shape, of course. But I've never run a 12 mile obstacle course (I'm looking for a team, by the way...).

One of the things I'm doing to keep myself motivated and looking forward is really concentrating on learning from the people I interview for TMS. Like Plex, the Toronto-based recording artist who worked his way up from addiction and poverty to become an influential player in his own right. In fact, there's a lot of credence in the idea that to achieve something you should look at others who have done that much or more, and learn from their example.

Again, for me it's about focusing on my one goal (not the Mudder...something else), and understanding that all these little objectives, like launching a successful online magazine and running a brutal military-style obstacle course, are part of the process of becoming something more than just a guy making it by in the world. It's about potential and pushing through obstacles. Like I shared on The Man Sphere's Facebook page:

Pick a challenge that will make you far greater for having failed than you could ever become by not trying and you will train yourself to take as much pride in your efforts as your successes.

Be. More. Awesome.

Being more awesome is both the goal and the process. You coming?