Good morning. One of the newsletters to which I subscribe makes a point of introducing himself and reminding people of who he is and what the newsletter is about. We tend to subscribe to a lot of things and some of you may not remember subscribing, or may not know much about Everthirst.

We are mixed terrain enthusiasts (most things on dirt — trail running, gravel riding, mountain biking, and hiking) trying to live essential lives by developing vitality, building grit, and making room for joy.

Both Susan and I have written about our issues with mental health, depression, food, and a few of our biking, running, and travel adventures.

Numerous studies of late show that exercise can prevent and treat symptoms of depression, just as copious studies over decades have shown the benefits of physical activity to increase longevity and improve resilience to disease. We all get that exercise is good for us. We all know we're meant to move. However, moving isn't easy. A body in motion doesn't always tend to stay in motion, not without mental and physical effort. Exercise alone can help many, but coupling exercise with additional mental wellness modalities can give one the best opportunity for a more vital life.

Here's another thing we've heard: cut back on sugar. Doing so will improve our health and energy levels. Easier said than done when you're starving and you walk into the grocery store that displays baked goods with names like "ocean roll" and "sunshine cinnamon" in a trophy case. Sugar also speeds up the aging process. While I still want to get faster on my feet and on the bike, I'd also like to slow down the aging bit.

“Sugar turns on the aging programs in your body,” Dr. Lustig says. “The more sugar you eat, the faster you age.”

How do we build vitality and live the adventurous lives we seek? How do we stick to, or begin, the exercise program and not become a sugar statistic? We need to develop grit and self-discipline. Start by defining what you want, and who you are. Then develop a plan, adopt supportive habits, and mix in a little accountability. I write more about this in a future article I'll share once published.

5 WORTHY READS

Running to Uncover Your Core Beliefs → / The Public Run Club
Having run for the past 20 years, I’ve come to believe that we can understand our core beliefs about being alive by using running as our lens.

Your Lifestyle Has Already Been Designed → / Raptitude.com
Here in the West, a lifestyle of unnecessary spending has been deliberately cultivated and nurtured in the public by big business... They will seek to encourage the public’s habit of casual or non-essential spending whenever they can.

We’ve been led into a culture that has been engineered to leave us tired, hungry for indulgence, willing to pay a lot for convenience and entertainment, and most importantly, vaguely dissatisfied with our lives so that we continue wanting things we don’t have. We buy so much because it always seems like something is still missing.

6 Decades of Sub-3 Hour Marathons → / PodiumRunner
How a few tough men—and one woman—have run a marathon under 3 hours in every decade since the '70s, and counting.

9 Ways to Stop Using So Much Plastic → / Outside
Going zero waste is hard, but these easy changes to how you eat, drink, and store food will make a big difference

Faster, higher, longer: how female ultra-athletes started to beat men → / The Guardian
From swimming the Channel four times to outrunning every man, we meet the women at the top of their game.