The D10 Decathlon is back for a second year in Houston. Former Division I colleg​e athlete​ Dave Maloney founded D10 in New York City in 2009, combining 10 events drawn from the NFL scouting combine, the Olympics and the playground to test for speed, strength and endurance. 

Who wouldn't want to conquer a to-do list like that? The D10 decathlon is made up of a 400-meter run, a football throw, pull-ups, a 40-yard dash, dips, a 500-meter row, vertical jump, a 20-yard shuttle sprint, bench press, and an 800-meter run. If it sounds intimidating, don't let that scare you away. Although participants can choose to compete as individuals, they can also assemble a team of two to four, or sign up as a free agent and be placed on a team where you can pick which events to focus on. Who knows, you could be the McKayla Maroney of the 500-meter row. 

Funds raised by D10’s community in Houston benefit pediatric cancer research at MD Anderson Cancer Center. (And this is a major part of the competition—a quarter of a team's points come from fundraising.) The Houston D10 will be held on Nov. 4 at Rice University, but anyone interested can start training now thanks to a new partnership with Equinox. D10 training classes will begin at Equinox at River Oaks District on July 11 on Tuesdays (5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m.), Wednesdays (7:30 p.m.) and Saturdays (7 a.m.). These classes will help prepare participants for the big day with speed drills, strength and agility circuits.

After a week of training, you'll be ready to treat yourself to a performance massage at Equinox’s spa.