Commonly resented for its leg-bending requirements, the staircase can lead to paradise, mountaintop kung-fu gurus and, in the case of the Penrose stairs, delightful, finger-gnawing madness. Take a step up to insanity with today's Groupon: for $25, you get entry to the American Lung Association's Fight for Air Climb: Bellevue Towers stairclimb (a $50 value) on October 23. Your registration fee includes an event T-shirt and a timing chip.

A record-breaking ascent to the top of luxury condominium Bellevue Towers, the Fight for Air stairclimb raises funds to benefit the American Lung Association. Participants will each need to raise at least $100 in donations by October 20 before they max out glutes while completing a 45-, 90-, or 182-story climb, the latter of which encompasses a whopping 3,242 stairs. To keep you climbing at a steady pace, leave the weighty Super Soaker with straw attachment at home and take advantage of designated water stops every ten floors. Though it may be tough, the grasp for the top burns massive calories, earns you bragging rights, and can induce a hallucinogenic euphoria known to the French as l'esprit de' l'escalier. It's all in the name of a good cause, of course, as more than one million children and adults in Washington struggle to breathe each day because of lung disease. Participants that raise $250 or more are automatically entered to win two round-trip tickets anywhere Alaska Airlines flies but do not earn permission to slide the banister back down to ground level. Check out the event FAQs for more information.