Historically, there have been many ways to test an individuals overall fitness level. Currently, it is generally accepted the VO2 max testing is the most accurate. It measures the maximum amount of oxygen the body can transport and utilize. It requires rigorous testing and only works if you have a lab set up in the spare bedroom. Lactate Clearance testing is another promising indicator of fitness. It measures the amount of work and athlete can do before lactate levels increase (lactate causes muscles to cramp up and shut down). Needless to say, not the most fun test out there. Lastly, the simple and widely panned Body Mass Index that does not take into account the "type" of person.

I have a more simple test that doesn't require a lab or blood work can be administered faster the takes for me to tell you how. I call it The Tanline Test. It's quite easy really. If you have a truly vicious tanline it generally means that you were exercising in unrelenting weather conditions for a long period of time. Chances are the worse the tanline, the more time you have spent training. Sure this isn't an exact science and there are doping techniques to skew the results (spray tans, solariums, passing out in a hammock, etc) but for the most part I think it works.

Just think about it for a moment. Olympic cross country skiers always have a brutal tanline between the sunglasses and the toque. Professional rock climbers have awful ones too between shades and a bandana. Those crazy guys that paddle across the ocean have them all over. Tour De France champions, Everest explorers, ultra-marathon runners...they all have embarrassing tanlines.

While I'm not nearly in any of those categories, I can definitely say that I'm training hard. Oh, and yes, it stings like a mutha.