I know that there's a rule about talking about working out, which basically goes that unless your working out involved you cartoonishly slipping and falling on a treadmill and getting shot into the wall, don't even mention it. No one wants to hear that shit, plus humility is the muscle that really needs to be getting the exercise, but this is the internet, so bragging is.. different? No?

I've been training for American Ninja Warrior, an over-the-top sports competition show comprising of numerous obstacles that one must traverse without falling, all the while trying to make the best time. Several things: first, I can't even watch my application video anymore, all I see is a hundred different ways it could be better. Second, I went to a gym where a diehard fan created dozens of exact replicas of obstacles that are on the show and the good news is that I can do almost every single one. Yay! Any experience where your expectations come clashing rudely with reality is always a sight, which is why the show is probably so popular in one regard: people fail horribly on the show. It's downright comedy in some instances, hence the wildly popular spin-offs like Wipeout, a show that's less technically difficult but makes up for it by suspending the obstacles over much more water.

ANYWAYS, if you had seen me try some of the obstacles for the first time, yea, I would've made some sort of fail-highlight reel that's between the contenders who made it further on the show. So I'm incredibly grateful for some tactile exposure to some of the obstacles, although each new season's course is slightly different than the last's. Speaking of previous seasons, have you heard the show is getting more and more popular? Which brings me to three: the show was picked up by NBC two seasons ago, granting it more public attention, which means that a record number of people applied to the show. Word 'round the campfire is that 40,000 submitted applications, which is a conservative estimate, for something like 500 spots. Which doesn't bode well for my Warrior Ninja-ing in America. But if I do hear back from the casting agency, it would be anytime between now and a week before my qualifying city's tournament taping, May 22nd and 23rd.

All of this is an update for you guys because of the support and interest I found from the hubsquad. I haven't heard much since my submission in January, but my interest in the show went from a somewhat resigned fulfillment of a promise to my AmeriCorps team, to a full-blooded desire. Which means I've been training! Which brings me to my point: I've been working out regularly since January and am really happy with where I am. This was a month ago (video). I'm now up to 20 pull-ups and am practicing my finger strength twice a week with a fingerboard. I'm working out five times a week. The worst case scenario, even if I don't get on the show, I've been cementing a really structured exercise habit.