It’s Doug with Backcountry Pilgrim, and in this video I lay out what I’m giving up for Lent—and more importantly, why. It’s Ash Wednesday, and in the Catholic tradition I’m choosing to give up a few things to replace them with something better. But this isn’t just a religious checkbox for me. It’s a direct response to a problem I’ve seen in myself: addiction to comfort. I’ve been leaning too hard into what’s easy, and I’m realizing that comfort now is basically like putting life on a credit card—it feels good up front, but it comes back to bite you later. A big part of my “why” comes from Seth Capehart’s work on aging, strength, and the danger of coasting. Modern healthcare can keep you alive, but it won’t necessarily keep you healthy—and disability can show up long before death does. I’ve also had to face the fact that I still tend to think like I’m in my 20s, when exercise was optional. At my age, if I’m not actively going uphill, I’m going downhill. So for Lent 2026 I’m focusing on the body, the mind, and the heart: lift, learn, and live the hard stuff. I’m choosing controlled discomfort now—discipline—because the opposite isn’t freedom, it’s dependence. And I’d rather suffer on purpose today than become a burden, in pain, later.