Choose the Hard Way

Conversations about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun. Guests from pro cycling, sports, politics, business, tech, journalism, the military and more. Resilience, grit, mental health, high performance, mindfulness. Host Andrew Vontz is an entrepreneur & founder of One Real Voice, the strategic & coaching consultancy for podcast guests & hosts. Previously, he was a Strava executive; a communications leader at the human performance company, TRX; and a journalist with hundreds of bylines in dozens of top outlets including The LA Times, Outside Magazine, Rolling Stone and more.

Jens Voigt on East Germany, Parenting Six Kids, Crashing at 70 km/h and Life after 17 Tours de France 01/15/2026

Jens Voigt on East Germany, Parenting Six Kids, Crashing at 70 km/h and Life after 17 Tours de France Jens Voigt raced the Tour de France 17 times, wore the yellow jersey, won stages in the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, and set the Hour Record on the track at age 43. He joins Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz how crashing at 70 km/h changes you in ways the world doesn’t see and the long arc of a life in sport. — This episode explores Jens’ childhood and upbringing in the former East Germany, his path through a state-run sports academy, and what it was like to build a career inside professional cycling without ever being the protected rider. — This is a conversation about parenting six kids, literally carrying teammates through hard times, aging and how he stays World Tour fast to feel good and have fun. — To support Choose the Hard Way, please become a paid subscriber of . — The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host and being able to operate in dynamic unscripted contexts isn’t optional. It’s now a mandatory skill for senior leaders and doing it well isn’t easy. — That’s why Andrew Vontz started to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels and the internal and external high-stakes open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. — When you’re ready to be great, DM or reach out to hello@onerealvoice.com. — With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, Blockchain.com is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today no experience required. — Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at . — Jens Voigt on Instagram: — Andrew Vontz’s Choose the Hard Way newsletter: — One Real Voice – narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts and high-stakes conversations: — Instagram: — LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/39737195

Patrick J. Murphy - 1st Iraq War Veteran Elected to Congress - Former Under Secretary of the Army 01/07/2026

Patrick J. Murphy - 1st Iraq War Veteran Elected to Congress - Former Under Secretary of the Army Patrick J Murphy, First Iraq War Veteran Elected to Congress and Former Under Secretary of the Army — Patrick J Murphy was the first Iraq War veteran elected to the United States Congress and later served as Under Secretary of the Army. He joins Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz for a wide-ranging conversation on service, leadership and responsibility. — This episode explores what it means to engage seriously with people who hold different points of view and why stepping outside an echo chamber is a necessary discipline, not a political stance. — This is a conversation about leadership without performance, curiosity without defensiveness and the work required to stay human in complex systems. — Follow along here for new episodes and reflections and to support this work please become a paid subscriber of . — The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host and being able to operate in dynamic unscripted contexts isn’t optional. It’s now a mandatory skill for senior leaders and doing it well isn’t easy. — That’s why Andrew Vontz started to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels and the internal and external high-stakes open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. — When you’re ready to be great, DM or reach out to hello@onerealvoice.com. — With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, Blockchain.com is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today no experience required. — Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at . — Patrick J. Murphy: — Patrick on Instagram: — More about Patrick: — Andrew Vontz’s Choose the Hard Way newsletter: — One Real Voice – narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts and high-stakes conversations: — Instagram: — Linkedin: — /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/39649480

The 10 Pack is Next - AYF500 Day 8 - Andrew Vontz, Jonathan Kaplan, Spencer Martin 12/24/2025

The 10 Pack is Next - AYF500 Day 8 - Andrew Vontz, Jonathan Kaplan, Spencer Martin On day 8 of the Abandon Your Family 500, Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz, Spencer Martin of Beyond the Peloton, and Jonathan Kaplan of Riding With share stories of deep fatigue, angry families, and the kind of indoor training glory you can earn but can’t buy. — They explore the strain this challenge has placed on their friendship, and why they can’t wait to do it again, slightly differently, in two weeks when they kick off the Abandon Your Family 30,000. — But first comes the second installment in the Choose the Hard Way Abandon Your Family Triple Crown, the 10 Pack. Follow for more info and DM Andrew or join the Strava Club to get in the action. . — After that we’ll be tackling the Abandon Your Family 30,000? It’s climbing 30,000 vertical feet in a week, and the annual step Andrew, Spencer, and Jonathan take to polish their form before the Choose the Hard Way x Beyond the Peloton x Riding with x Kip’s Corner training camp. — The 10 Pack starts December 25th and runs through January 1. The goal is to complete 10 Zwift races in that time frame and punch the ticket to get your 10 Pack. — Choose the Hard Way is the podcast about how hard things build stronger people who have more fun. The Abandon Your Family 500 is one of thousands of ways the Choose the Hard Way community around the world embodies this philosophy every day. — Follow along here for dailyish episodes here and to support this work, please become a paid subscriber of . — DM Andrew on Instagram and let him know how your #AFY500 is going and anything you’d like us to cover in our daily updates. — Heads up, we’ve got a full-length interview with Jens Voigt as you’ve never heard him before coming soon, stay tuned. — Follow along here for dailyish episodes here and to support this work, please become a paid subscriber of . — DM Andrew on Instagram and let him know how your #AFY500 is going and anything you’d like us to cover in our daily updates. — ----- The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host + being able to rock in dynamic, unscripted contexts isn’t optional. It’s now a mandatory skill for senior leaders, and doing it right isn’t easy. — That’s why Andrew Vontz started , to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels and in the internal & external high-stakes, open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. — When you’re ready to be great, DM or reach out to hello@onerealvoice.com. ----- — With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to to get started today, no experience required. ----- — Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at . ----- — JOIN US: — Andrew Vontz’s Choose the Hard Way newsletter: — One Real Voice - narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts & high-stakes conversations: — Instagram: — Linkedin: — Chase Wark: — WUKAR Fit / Art O’Connor: — Jonathan Kaplan’s Riding With newsletter: — Spencer Martin’s Beyond the Peloton newsletter: /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/39524855

Frosted Flakes & Point Break - Chase Wark x WUKAR Fit x Andrew Vontz x Jonathan Kaplan - #AYF500 Day 6 12/21/2025

Frosted Flakes & Point Break - Chase Wark x WUKAR Fit x Andrew Vontz x Jonathan Kaplan - #AYF500 Day 6 pounds Frosted Flakes & puts in 4.5 hours on a single bottle of water in his in-laws’ 15-degree garage to pass the 760 km mark -- and Kip Taylor -- on the Abandon Your Family 500 leaderboard on day 6. — Art O’Connor, aka , strength coach to pro cycling’s biggest names including Chase, World Champion Keegan Swenson and many more, reveals why Patrick Swayze is the secret to high performance on the trainer. — Jonathan Kaplan of reveals the indoor / outdoor hybrid approach that is taking D.C. and the Abandon Your Family 500 community by storm. — Spence logs off to continue to horde secret miles for a big reveal on day 10. — Andrew Vontz completes the Abandon Your Family 500, kisses Tempus Fugit goodbye, and just when you thought challenge season was over, drops details on the AYF Triple Crown series. — Heads up, we’ve got a full-length interview with Jens Voigt as you’ve never heard him before coming soon, stay tuned. — Follow along here for dailyish episodes here and to support this work, please become a paid subscriber of . — DM Andrew on Instagram and let him know how your #AFY500 is going and anything you’d like us to cover in our daily updates. — -----The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host + being able to rock in dynamic, unscripted contexts isn’t optional. It’s now a mandatory skill for senior leaders, and doing it right isn’t easy. — That’s why Andrew Vontz started , to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels and in the internal & external high-stakes, open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. — When you’re ready to be great, DM or reach out to . ----- — With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to to get started today, no experience required. ----- — Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at . ----- —JOIN US: — Andrew Vontz’s Choose the Hard Way newsletter: — One Real Voice - narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts & high-stakes conversations: — Instagram: — Linkedin: — Chase Wark: — WUKAR Fit / Art O’Connor: — Jonathan Kaplan’s Riding With newsletter: — Spencer Martin’s Beyond the Peloton newsletter: /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/39483510

#AYF500 Day 4 - Mad Watts: Carb Fury - Andrew Vontz x Jonathan Kaplan Reflect on the Event of the Year 12/19/2025

#AYF500 Day 4 - Mad Watts: Carb Fury - Andrew Vontz x Jonathan Kaplan Reflect on the Event of the Year Abandon Your Family 500 2025 Day 4 with Jonathan Kaplan and Andrew Vontz. Reflections on bad sleep, big carbs, and the skirmish between Front Range legends Andy Leach and Kip Taylor to top out first and complete #AYF500 in an FKT of under four days. — Day 4 sees the Kingpin, Big Spence, continue his secret training during the Boulder blackout. When will he switch his rides from “private” to “everyone” and deliver the big surprise sure to put him in the headlines? — Heads up. We have a full-length interview with Jens Voigt coming soon, and you will hear him in a way you never have before. — Follow along here for daily-ish episodes. To support this work, please become a paid subscriber: — DM Andrew on Instagram and let him know how your #AYF500 is going and what you would like us to cover in the daily updates. — The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host, and being able to operate in dynamic, unscripted contexts, isn’t optional. It is now a mandatory skill for senior leaders, and doing it well is hard. That’s why Andrew Vontz started One Real Voice, to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels, and in high-stakes, open-ended internal and external conversations where reputations are built and business is won. When you’re ready to be great, DM: or reach out to: — With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, Blockchain.com is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Get started today, no experience required. — Lauf is the Apple of bike design. They make elegant products that just work better than everything else. — JOIN US Andrew Vontz’s Choose the Hard Way newsletter One Real Voice. Narrative, strategy, and coaching for podcasts and high-stakes conversations Instagram LinkedIn Jonathan Kaplan’s Riding With newsletter Spencer Martin’s Beyond the Peloton newsletter /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/39464680

#AYF500 Day 3 - Boulder Storm - Andrew Vontz x Jonathan Kaplan - Abandon Your Family 500 2025 12/18/2025

#AYF500 Day 3 - Boulder Storm - Andrew Vontz x Jonathan Kaplan - Abandon Your Family 500 2025 Abandon Your Family 500 2025 Day 3 brings big drama when 100 mile-per-hour winds mean the power grid goes offline in Boulder and Big Spence has to skip the daily recording to keep banking secret miles to upload later at an undisclosed location. Meanwhile, Andy Leach powers over the top and dominates the leaderboard while Meg Volz enters the chat and shows her family what commitment looks like. Jonathan Kaplan of Riding With logs another signature indoor / outdoor Norwegian method dual threshold workout day and continues his love letter to High Fidelity with hopes of getting Nick Hornby into the challenge. Andrew Vontz shares the secrets that gets him through the moment that arrives every day when his brain says why are you doing this and his wife asks him if there’s a better week than this to ride a trainer for 20 hours. Choose the Hard Way is the podcast about how hard things build stronger people who have more fun. The Abandon Your Family 500 is one of thousands of ways the Choose the Hard Way community around the world embodies this philosophy every day. Follow along here for dailyish episodes here and to support this work, please become a paid subscriber of . DM Andrew on Instagram and let him know how your #AFY500 is going and anything you’d like us to cover in our daily updates. ----- The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host + being able to rock in dynamic, unscripted contexts isn’t optional. It’s now a mandatory skill for senior leaders, and doing it right isn’t easy. That’s why Andrew Vontz started , to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels and in the internal & external high-stakes, open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. When you’re ready to be great, DM or reach out to . ----- With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to to get started today, no experience required. ----- Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at . ----- JOIN US: Andrew Vontz’s Choose the Hard Way newsletter: One Real Voice - narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts & high-stakes conversations: Instagram: Linkedin: Jonathan Kaplan’s Riding With newsletter: Spencer Martin’s Beyond the Peloton newsletter: /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/39450530

#AYF500 Update 2 - Kip’s Stealth Century Knock Out - Andrew Vontz, Spencer Martin, Jonathan Kaplan, & Special Guest Kip Taylor - Abandon Your Family 500 2025 12/17/2025

#AYF500 Update 2 - Kip’s Stealth Century Knock Out - Andrew Vontz, Spencer Martin, Jonathan Kaplan, & Special Guest Kip Taylor - Abandon Your Family 500 2025 A deep dive on the big action and family fallout from day one of the Abandon Your Family 500 in a groundbreaking conversation with Andrew Vontz / Choose the Hard Way, Spencer Martin / Beyond the Peloton, Jonathan Kaplan / Riding With, and the front range legend Kip Taylor (of Kip’s Corner fame) making his highly anticipated Choose the Hard way debut. Andrew, Jonathan, & Spencer press Kip on his 11th-hour upload of a 105-mile ride on day one. Get a look inside the high-stakes world of #AYF500 strategy from one of the masters of the game in this discussion of the obstacles challenge participants are overcoming to get the challenge done. Country breakfasts, family feuds, entertainment recommendations, this episode has it all. Choose the Hard Way is the podcast about how hard things build stronger people who have more fun. The Abandon Your Family 500 is one of thousands of ways the Choose the Hard Way community around the world embodies this philosophy every day. Follow along here for dailyish episodes here and to support this work, please become a paid subscriber of . DM Andrew on Instagram and let him know how your #AFY500 is going and anything you’d like us to cover in our daily updates. ----- The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host + being able to rock in dynamic, unscripted contexts isn’t optional. It’s now a mandatory skill for senior leaders, and doing it right isn’t easy. That’s why Andrew Vontz started , to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels and in the internal & external high-stakes, open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. When you’re ready to be great, DM or reach out to . ----- With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to to get started today, no experience required. ----- Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at . ----- JOIN US: Andrew Vontz’s Choose the Hard Way newsletter: One Real Voice - narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts & high-stakes conversations: Instagram: Linkedin: Jonathan Kaplan’s Riding With newsletter: Spencer Martin’s Beyond the Peloton newsletter: /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/39435030

#AYF500 Special Update 1 - w Spencer Martin, Jonathan Kaplan, & Andrew Vontz - Abandon Your Family 500 2025 12/16/2025

The Abandon Your Family 500 Challenge w/ Spencer Martin, Jonathan Kaplan, Andrew Vontz - p/b Kip's Corner 12/13/2025

The Abandon Your Family 500 Challenge w/ Spencer Martin, Jonathan Kaplan, Andrew Vontz - p/b Kip's Corner Choose the Hard Way is the show about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun. This episode is about living that philosophy and how you can, too. Choose the Hard Way & One Real Voice founder Andrew Vontz, Spencer Martin of WeDu / Peacock / Beyond the Peloton, and Jonathan Kaplan of the Riding With newsletter / pod discuss the history and lore of the Abandon Your Family 500. The #AYF500 is a challenge to do what endurance athletes do best--focus on themselves, ignore their families and real life obligations and ride 500km between December 15 and 25. The second annual Abandon Your Family 500 kicks off soon. If you want to secure your mid-place finish at a Lifetime Grand Prix event or other gravel major in 2026, the time to get started is right now. DM Andrew on Instagram to join the challenge. ----- The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host isn’t optional. It’s now a mission-critical skill for senior leaders. That’s why I started my consultancy, , to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels and in the high-stakes, open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. When you’re ready to be great, DM or reach out to . ----- With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to to get started today, no experience required. ----- Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at . ----- JOIN US: Andrew Vontz’s Choose the Hard Way newsletter: One Real Voice - narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts & high-stakes conversations: Instagram: Linkedin: Jonathan Kaplan’s Riding With newsletter: Spencer Martin’s Beyond the Peloton newsletter: /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/39396810

Colin Allred - NFL, Congress, the Senate Race - United States of Sweat - with Andrew Vontz & Jonathan Kaplan 11/12/2025

Colin Allred - NFL, Congress, the Senate Race - United States of Sweat - with Andrew Vontz & Jonathan Kaplan Former NFL linebacker & Texas Congressman Colin Allred joins hosts Andrew Vontz & Jonathan Kaplan on United States of Sweat, presented by Choose the Hard Way. Allred played at Baylor and for the Tennessee Titans before a neck injury ended his NFL career. He went on to earn a law degree from Berkeley, work in the Obama administration, and win a U.S. House seat in 2018. After a close Senate race in 2024, he’s back on the campaign trail, running again to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate. Allred talks about the mindset it takes to survive the NFL—where, as he says, there’s a 100% injury rate—and how that toughness translates to politics, parenthood, and public service. Plus: his favorite way to train and the one piece of workout gear he can’t live without. --------- Jonathan Kaplan is the founder of WRITE CADENCE STRATEGIES, helping individuals and organizations navigate Washington, shape policy and manage reputational risk. He also writes RIDING WITH, a newsletter and podcast exploring the intersection of pro cycling, media, business and politics. Find that at .--------- For senior execs, pro athletes, and political leaders, podcasts aren’t optional anymore. They’re mission-critical. At One Real Voice, Andrew Vontz coaches leaders 1:1 to help them thrive as podcast guests & hosts and stand out in the long-form, open-ended conversations where real influence is built. When you’re ready to be great, DM him @hardwaypod or email . --------- The number one way to support Choose the Hard Way is to become a paid subscriber to . That’s where Andrew Vontz shares his reflections on these interviews and writes about engaged mindfulness, bikes and life. --------- Wherever you’re listening to this podcast, please subscribe and hit 5 stars. ------------- Crypto curious? With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, https://www.blockchain.com/ is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Create your free wallet and get up to 10% in annual rewards by putting your crypto to work. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today, no experience required. ------------- Choose the Hard Way Newsletter: ------------- One Real Voice podcast coaching & strategy: /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/38996475

Dylan Johnson - Always Finish the Race You Start - The Long Walk at Big Sugar 10/22/2025

Dylan Johnson - Always Finish the Race You Start - The Long Walk at Big Sugar Pro cyclist Dylan Johnson & Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz on why you should always finish the races you start. Choose the Hard Way is the show about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun. This conversation explores why Dylan Johnson walked two hours in road bike shoes on gravel to get to the finish line in the Big Sugar classic, the final race in the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix. Choose the Hard Way has big plans for 2026. We need your help to make it happen. Please help me double the Choose the Hard Way community in the next three months. Share this episode with a friend, subscribe and take a moment to hit five stars and like this wherever you listen or watch. I share my reflections on every episode on my Substack, and the number one thing you can do to help me bring you more of these conversations is to become a paid subscriber. Find my Substack at and you can always find the link in my bio on Instagram and in the show notes. The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host isn’t optional. It’s now a mission-critical skill for senior leaders. That’s why I started my consultancy, , to help you thrive on podcasts, panels and the high-stakes, open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. When you’re ready to be great, DM or reach out to . Crypto curious? With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today, no experience required. is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at laufcycles.com. LINKS Substack: One Real Voice – narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts & high-stakes conversations: Instagram: LinkedIn: Follow Dylan: /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/38746115

15 Minutes Is Enough to Train – Spencer Martin (Beyond the Peloton / WEDU) x Andrew Vontz (Choose the Hard Way / One Real Voice)) 10/17/2025

15 Minutes Is Enough to Train – Spencer Martin (Beyond the Peloton / WEDU) x Andrew Vontz (Choose the Hard Way / One Real Voice)) Spencer Martin of Beyond the Peloton / WEDU / Peacock’s Tour de France team & Andrew Vontz, co-host of the Beyond the Peloton podcast & creator of the Choose the Hard Way podcast & newsletter talk about why 15 minute training sessions count and how we get it done on the road, at the playground with the kids or at home. We’re both dads, bike racers and recovering perfectionists who have found 15 minutes is plenty of time to get in an impactful workout. Marketing might persuade you to think you need an hour, a $20,000 bike, and a $12 recovery shake to stay fit. You don’t. We talk about how to train when you’re traveling, at your kid’s soccer practice or living out of a GoRuck bag. Andrew shares why he always has a TRX and a GoRuck bag in his truck wherever he goes and brings it with him on the road. Spencer shares his Drago-style hill sprint workout secret and why carrying your child might be the ultimate force multiplier to build strength. This episode is part of an experimental series of short episodes exploring real-world functional training for real people with busy lives who are committed to staying fit. Whether you're racing Unbound, BWR, Mid South, Overland, Gravel Worlds, or just a busy parent who enjoys running, riding, lifting, hybrid training, Hyrox, or being able to get off the floor after a Netflix binge without injuring yourself, your fascia and breathwork will thank you for listening to this stunning episode. Leave a comment or DM @hardwaypod and let us know what you think of this new format. The number one way to support Choose the Hard Way is to become a paid subscriber at alwaysthehardway.substack.com. That’s where I write about mindfulness, bikes, and what it takes to stay human in an optimized world. At , Andrew Vontz coaches leaders to thrive as storytellers and stand out in the long-form podcast conversations where real influence is built. If you have a podcast — or are starting one — I can help you win from episode one and keep winning. When you’re ready to be great, DM me @hardwaypod. Wherever you’re listening, subscribe and do humanity a favor when you hit five stars. Crypto curious? With over $1 trillion in transactions, Blockchain.com is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Create your free wallet and earn up to 10% in annual rewards. Choose the Hard Way Newsletter: One Real Voice Coaching & Strategy: Beyond the Peloton Newsletter: /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/38621285

Josh Turek - 2x Paralympic Gold Medalist - U.S. Senate candidate from Iowa - ex Pro Wheelchair Basketball Player 10/03/2025

Josh Turek - 2x Paralympic Gold Medalist - U.S. Senate candidate from Iowa - ex Pro Wheelchair Basketball Player Josh Turek knows how to win. A U.S. Senate candidate, current Iowa State Legislator, and two-time Paralympic gold medalist for Team USA, Josh joins Andrew Vontz & Jonathan Kaplan on United States of Sweat presented by Choose the Hard Way. This is the show where politicians and policymakers share stories about fitness, health and the sports they love playing. Josh has faced adversity his entire life. Born with Spina Bifida after his dad was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam, he overcame 21 surgeries by the age of 12. Later he was cut from the Team USA wheelchair basketball squad six times. Relentless in his training and as a top professional wheelchair basketball player, Josh kept coming back. He finally made the team and went on to represent the U.S. at four Para-Olympics where he won two gold medals. After his basketball career ended with a gold medal in Tokyo in 2021, Josh campaigned to represent his hometown of Council Bluffs in the state legislature. Competing in a district that Donald Trump won twice, Josh pushed his chair up hills and crawled up stairs to talk to Iowans of all political stripes, eventually winning his first race by six votes. He was re-elected by a five-point margin at the same time Trump was winning the seat by eight points, not only because of his work ethic but because he's developed a reputation as a common-sense, bipartisan legislator. --------- Jonathan Kaplan is the founder of WRITE CADENCE STRATEGIES, helping individuals and organizations navigate Washington, shape policy and manage reputational risk. He also writes RIDING WITH, a newsletter and podcast exploring the intersection of pro cycling, media, business and politics. Find that at . --------- The number one way to support Choose the Hard Way is to become a paid subscriber to . That’s where Andrew Vontz shares his reflections on these interviews and writes about engaged mindfulness, bikes and life. --------- For senior execs, pro athletes, and political leaders, podcasts aren’t optional anymore. They’re mission-critical. At One Real Voice, Andrew Vontz coaches leaders 1:1 to help them thrive as storytellers and stand out in the long-form podcast conversations where real influence is built. When you’re ready to be great, DM him @hardwaypod or email . --------- Wherever you’re listening to this podcast, please subscribe and hit 5 stars. ------------- Crypto curious? With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, https://www.blockchain.com/ is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Create your free wallet and get up to 10% in annual rewards by putting your crypto to work. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today, no experience required. ------------- Choose the Hard Way Newsletter: ------------- One Real Voice podcast coaching & strategy: /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/38447765

Pro Cyclist Payson McElveen - The Hardest Ride Is the One You Don’t See - on Creativity, Pressure & What Comes Next 09/10/2025

Pro Cyclist Payson McElveen - The Hardest Ride Is the One You Don’t See - on Creativity, Pressure & What Comes Next Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz () in conversation with pro cyclist Payson McElveen (), Red Bull athlete and creator of the With Pace podcast & Riding with Pace YouTube channel. In a sport filled with mustaches, Payson McElveen has the most famous mustache. Payson’s palmares includes a pair of wins at The Mid South, two marathon mountain bike national championship titles (2017, 2018) and his films and podcast are among the biggest in offroad cycling. His With Pace podcast is a great listen and one of the biggest in endurance sports. His adventure films are hugely popular and cover his own go-fast exploits including a White Rim FKT and an FKT for crossing Iceland under human power, not the power of lightning-bolt throwing deities. But the hardest ride is the one you don’t see. There are hundreds of hours of Payson McElveen content out there and for an adventurer like Payson it seemed appropriate and more fun to go into new territory in this conversation. It was a fun one and I’m excited to share it with you. You can find his podcast With Pace everywhere you listen and get more Payson at and @paysonmcelveen on and . -------- Whether you’ve been listening since 2018 or are new here, the number one thing you can do to support this project is to become a paid subscriber to the Choose the Hard Way substack, or just search for Choose the Hard Way in the Substack app. -------- The media landscape has changed and long-form podcasts are a mission-critical channel for anyone who wants to connect with their target audience and build influence. Former Strava executive / journalist / startup founder / podcaster Andrew Vontz started to coach senior leaders to meet the moment and be great podcast guests or hosts. If you have a podcast or are starting one, I also provide strategic guidance to help you create a road map that works today and over time. Set yourself up to win from the beginning and keep on winning with every episode. -------- When you’re ready to be great, DM me @hardwaypod or email . Crypto curious? With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to to get started today, no experience required. -------- Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at . -------- This podcast is also brought to you by my best-in-class partners at Palm Tree Pod Co. They’re a full-service podcast studio with end-to-end services to help any brand, business or individual take a strategic approach and standout. Find them at . /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/38151480

Stephen Starring Grant - Author of MAILMAN: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home 08/20/2025

Stephen Starring Grant - Author of MAILMAN: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz in conversation with Steve Grant, author of the memoir MAILMAN: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home. With rave reviews in The New York Times, the Washington Post, The New Yorker and The Atlantic, the memoir MAILMAN: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home is one of the hottest literary debuts in recent memory. Steve is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and has been a marketing consultant and behavioral economist for more than 25 years. He’s also an Eagle Scout and led the rebranding effort to transform the Boy Scouts of America into Scouting America and is the only person I have personally met who has both been shot by a mass shooter and has also made a movie about a mass shooter. Find Steve at and on Instagram at . A message from Andrew: Choose the Hard Way is the podcast about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun. I am grateful to have a big audience that’s growing fast and I would really appreciate it if you would take a moment to hit five stars and subscribe wherever you listen or watch. Whether you’ve been listening since 2018 or are new here, the number one thing you can do to support this project is to become a paid subscriber to my substack. Find the link in bio, go to or just search for Choose the Hard Way in the Substack app. At , I coach leaders 1:1 to help them thrive as storytellers and stand out in the long-form podcast conversations where real influence is built. If you have a podcast or are starting one, I also provide strategic guidance to help you create a road map that works today and over time. Set yourself up to win from the beginning and keep on winning with every episode. When you’re ready to be great, DM me or email . Steve and I overlapped in the early 2000s in Los Angeles when I was a journalist and Steve was working at an ad agency with my friend Emily, and many other human beings. Like every story there’s more to Steve’s than what you’ll read in MAILMAN. Crypto curious? With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to to get started today, no experience required. Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at . This podcast is also brought to you by my best-in-class partners at Palm Tree Pod Co. They’re a full-service podcast studio with end-to-end services to help any brand, business or individual take a strategic approach and standout. Find them at Grab your envelopes and stamps and buckle into your right-hand drive vehicle, it’s time to Mailman. /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/37879380

Rahm Emanuel - United States of Sweat 08/07/2025

Rahm Emanuel - United States of Sweat Rahm Emanuel was the U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 2022 to 2025. Prior to that, he served as the White House Chief of Staff from 2009 to 2010 under President Barack Obama, and as the Mayor of Chicago from 2011 to 2019. He also represented Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2003 to 2009. Welcome back to United States of Sweat presented by Choose the Hard Way where politicians and policymakers join us to share stories about fitness, health and the sports they love playing. Jonathan Kaplan is my co-host and the founder of WRITE CADENCE STRATEGIES, helping organizations navigate Washington, shape policy and manage reputational risk. He also writes RIDING WITH, a newsletter and podcast exploring the intersection of pro cycling, media, business and politics. Find that at . The number one way to support Choose the Hard Way is to become a paid subscriber to my substack, . That’s where I share my reflections on these interviews and write about engaged mindfulness, bikes and life. For senior execs, pro athletes, and political leaders, podcasts aren’t optional anymore. They’re mission-critical. At One Real Voice, I coach leaders 1:1 to help them thrive as storytellers and stand out in the long-form podcast conversations where real influence is built. When you’re ready to be great, DM me @hardwaypod or email . Wherever you’re listening to this podcast, please subscribe and do humanity a favor when you hit 5 stars. Crypto curious? With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, https://www.blockchain.com/ is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Create your free wallet and get up to 10% in annual rewards by putting your crypto to work. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today, no experience required. Choose the Hard Way Newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ One Real Voice podcast coaching & strategy: Connect with /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/37714380

Cameron Jones - Unbound Gravel 2025 Champion 07/22/2025

Cameron Jones - Unbound Gravel 2025 Champion Cameron Jones won the 2025 edition of the 205-mile Unbound Gravel, the most competitive edition ever of the most prestigious gravel race on the planet. Three months earlier, he showed up in America, walked into a used car dealership in the Bay Area, walked off the lot with a used Honda Odyssey and a dream to make this his best season ever. But these aren’t the most interesting parts of his story. Cameron has done stints in the forestry industry and in his teens back in New Zealand was an elite mutli-sport athlete who knocked the arm warmers off the best athletes in New Zealand in the Coast to Coast, a race that combines running, cycling and kayaking to travel across New Zealand. Cameron is from a tight family and I wanted to know more about who he is and how he came from seemingly out of nowhere to pull off a win people will be talking about for years to come. I enjoyed getting to know him and I’d love to hear your thoughts about what he shares, DM me @hardwaypod on Instagram and let me know what you think. The number one way to support Choose the Hard Way is to become a paid subscriber to my substack, . That’s where I share my reflections on these interviews and write about engaged mindfulness, bikes and life. At One Real Voice, I coach leaders 1:1 to help them thrive as storytellers and stand out in the long-form podcast conversations where real influence is built. If you have a podcast or are starting one, I also provide strategic guidance to set yourself up to win from the beginning and keep on winning with every episode. When you’re ready to be great, DM me @hardwaypod or email . Wherever you’re listening to this podcast, please subscribe and do humanity a favor when you hit 5 stars. Crypto curious? With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Create your free wallet and get up to 10% in annual rewards by putting your crypto to work. Go to to get started today, no experience required. Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Follow my subtack and @hardwaypod on instagram to meet up with me at gravel events like Overland and to see what adventures I tackle on my Lauf bikes in 2025. Check them out at . This podcast is also brought to you by my best-in-class partners at Palm Tree Pod Co. They’re a full-service podcast studio with end-to-end services to help any brand, business or individual take a strategic approach and standout. Find them at /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/37487360

One Hour to Train - What do you do? w/ Spencer Martin of Beyond the Peloton / WEDU x Andrew Vontz of Choose the Hard Way 07/16/2025

One Hour to Train - What do you do? w/ Spencer Martin of Beyond the Peloton / WEDU x Andrew Vontz of Choose the Hard Way You've got an hour or less to train, what do you do? Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton newsletter & podcast + WEDU's Outcomes / The Move takes a break from the Tour de France to join Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz to talk about what they do when life and work are at max stress and you have little time to workout. Is Zone 2 really the right move if you have a few hours a week to train and you're a cyclist, runner or triathlete with a long training history and navigating highly stressful moments in work, family and life? Should you follow a rigid training program or freestyle? Vo2 max intervals every time the road goes uphill, Zwift racing, Zwift pace partners, bodyweight workouts, push-ups & pull-ups before the kids wake up at 5 a.m. are some of the methods Andrew and Spencer use to get fit when they can in the time they have. As we age, family, parenting, work, health, wellness and just staying alive start to become higher priorities. But we all still want to go fast when it's time to run, ride or get out there and tackle that gravel monument. Andrew Huberman and Peter Attia have many great ideas about how to make that happen, this conversation focuses more on the practical versus the perfect. What gets done is what works, and many people struggle to fit it all into the day. Whether you're racing Unbound, BWR, Mid South, Overland, Gravel Worlds or just a busy parent who enjoys running, riding, lifting, hybrid training, Hyrox or being able to get up off the floor after a Netflix binge without injuring yourself, your fascia and breathwork will thank you for listening to this stunning episode. Leave a comment or DM @hardwaypod and let us know what you think of this new experimental episode format. The number one way to support Choose the Hard Way is to become a paid subscriber to https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/. That’s where I share my reflections on these interviews and write about engaged mindfulness, bikes and life. At https://www.onerealvoice.com/, Andrew Vontz coaches leaders 1:1 to help them thrive as storytellers and stand out in the long-form podcast conversations where real influence is built. If you have a podcast or are starting one, I also provide strategic guidance to set yourself up to win from the beginning and keep on winning with every episode. When you’re ready to be great, DM me or send an email to Wherever you’re listening to this podcast, please subscribe and do humanity a favor when you hit 5 stars. Crypto curious? With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, https://www.blockchain.com/ is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Create your free wallet and get up to 10% in annual rewards by putting your crypto to work. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today, no experience required. Choose the Hard Way Newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ One Real Voice podcast coaching & strategy: https://www.onerealvoice.com/ Beyond the Peloton Newsletter: https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/ /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/37433250

Tom Perriello: Congressman, Special Envoy - United States of Sweat 06/26/2025

Tom Perriello: Congressman, Special Envoy - United States of Sweat Welcome back to United States of Sweat presented by Choose the Hard Way where politicians and policymakers join us to share stories about fitness, health and the sports they love playing. In 2008 Tom Perriello won the election to represent Virginia’s 5th Congressional district by fewer than 1,000 votes. He later ran for governor of Virginia and he also served as Special Envoy for Sudan and Special Envoy for the Democratic Republic of the Congo & Great Lakes among many other acts of service. Marathons, 10-day silent retreats, Spartan Races & what happens when you’re forced to operate on four hours of sleep a night for a year while making 62 country visits to end a humanitarian crisis--this episode goes deep. Tom was also the executive director of Open Society Foundations where he met my co-host Jonathan Kaplan. Jonathan runs Essington Road Strategies, helping organizations navigate Washington, shape policy and manage reputational risk. He also writes Riding With, a newsletter and podcast exploring the intersection of pro cycling, media, business and politics. Find that at . The number one way to support Choose the Hard Way is to become a paid subscriber to my substack, . That’s where I share my reflections on these interviews and write about engaged mindfulness, bikes and life. For senior execs, pro athletes, and political leaders, podcasts aren’t optional anymore. They’re mission-critical. At One Real Voice, I coach leaders 1:1 to help them thrive as storytellers and stand out in the long-form podcast conversations where real influence is built. When you’re ready to be great, DM me @hardwaypod or email . Wherever you’re listening to this podcast, please subscribe and do humanity a favor when you hit 5 stars. Now, let’s get started with United States of Sweat. Remember, this is the beginning of this project. DM me @hardwaypod on instagram and let me know what you think. /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/37157090

United States of Sweat with Ambassador Jeff Flake - Desert Island Survival, Long-Distance Swimming & More 05/29/2025

United States of Sweat with Ambassador Jeff Flake - Desert Island Survival, Long-Distance Swimming & More During a divided time in America, our love of sports and fitness cross party lines and can keep us healthy as individuals and bring us together as a nation. The United States of Sweat is a new series from Choose the Hard Way that features the world’s leading political leaders and policy makers sharing stories about what they do to stay healthy, fit and physically active. When we decided to launch the United States of Sweat, we knew the first guest we wanted to land was an endurance athlete of a different kind, Ambassador Jeff Flake. Ambassador Flake recently served as U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and previously represented Arizona in both the U.S. Senate and House. He’s taught at Harvard, Stanford, and Yale, and now leads the Institute of Politics at Arizona State. In 2025, he was knighted by Sweden for his role in securing their NATO accession. He’s also the author of the New York Times bestseller Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle. In his spare time, Ambassador Flake likes to maroon himself on deserted islands and survive with little more than a spear and a machete. Ambassador Flake and his wife, Cheryl, are the parents of five grown children. We first crossed paths in 2018 when then Senators Flake and Chris Coons sent a letter to Strava about our global heat map and data privacy when I was running global communications. That led to a trip to the hill and one of the most thrilling and fulfilling experiences of my professional career that I’ll save for another podcast. My co-host on the United States of Sweat is Jonathan Kaplan. You may know Jonathan as the author of the popular Riding With newsletter and for his legendary performance at the January 2025 Beyond the Peloton x Choose the Hard Way training camp. But wait, there’s more. Jonathan Kaplan is a former political journalist, congressional aide, State Department official, and most recently, comms strategist for the world’s largest human rights funder. He now runs Essington Road Strategies, helping organizations navigate Washington, shape policy, and manage reputational risk. He also writes Riding With, a newsletter and podcast exploring the intersection of pro cycling, media, business, and politics. Find that at . For senior execs, pro athletes, and political leaders, podcasts aren’t optional anymore—they’re mission-critical. At One Real Voice, I coach leaders 1:1 to help them show up as humans and stand out in the long-form podcast conversations where real influence is built. If you’re ready to be great, DM me @hardwaypod or email hello@onerealvoice.com. Now, let’s get started with the United States of Sweat. DM me @hardwaypod on instagram and let me know what you think. This episode is brought to you by Blockchain.com. Over $1 trillion in crypto transactions have been trusted to . They’re your trusted platform for buying, selling and holding crypto, no matter your experience level. When you crypto, crypto with . This episode is also brought to you by Lauf. We sought them out as a partner because they take an unconstrained and innovative approach to building that yields best-in-class results. Lauf bikes are elegant, fast and radically fun. When you ride, ride Lauf . Palm Tree Pod Co. is our trusted strategic production partner. Why? Because we work with the best. Find Anthony and his crackerjack team at . /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/36764960

From Start up to End up - From The Better Lab to One Real Voice & Beyond - Andrew Vontz x Shannon Jones 05/20/2025

From Start up to End up - From The Better Lab to One Real Voice & Beyond - Andrew Vontz x Shannon Jones Subscribe to the Choose the Hard Way substack at for a look behind the scenes of this episode and human-generated insights about bikes, zen and life. Walking away from an executive role at a high-growth unicorn to go all-in & start up your own company sounds cool. What happens when a highly promising start up with an awesome product becomes an end up and your funding and life savings are gone? This episode is an inside look at Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz’s journey as co-founder of the venture-backed sleep tech startup The Better Lab, how that experience spawned his new company One Real Voice & a glimpse of what’s on the horizon with his stealth consumer health startup. Vontz’s longtime friend & mentor Shannon Jones is the co-pilot for this unvarnished conversation about the realities of building, leading and moving forward in business in life. Jones is an investor, educator, and advisor with roots in private equity and entrepreneurship. He founded Halstatt Legacy Partners to acquire and grow family-owned businesses and has led ventures in fitness, media, and health. He coaches new CEOs through high-stakes transitions, often addressing identity and behavior. An adjunct professor at CU Boulder, he teaches acquisition and leadership, drawing on real-world experience--from co-founding a boxing reality TV startup to recruiting CEOs for investor-backed firms. Find Shannon on LinkedIn and subscribe to his Substack: . Being able to perform in high-stakes, long-form podcast conversations is now a mission-critical skill for senior leaders. Drawing on his 25 years of experience as a journalist, founder, executive & host of hundreds of podcast episodes, Andrew Vontz works 1:1 with senior executives, political leaders and pro athletes who are eager to build & practice the new skills it takes to thrive in the podcast landscape. Are you ready to be great? DM Andrew @hardwaypod or email . This episode is brought to you by Blockchain.com. Over $1 trillion in crypto transactions have been trusted to . They’re your trusted platform for buying, selling and holding crypto, no matter your experience level. When you crypto, crypto with . This episode is also brought to you by Lauf. We sought them out as a partner because they take an unconstrained and innovative approach to building that yields best-in-class results. Lauf bikes are elegant, fast and radically fun. When you ride, ride Lauf . Palm Tree Pod Co. is our trusted strategic production partner. Why? Because we work with the best. Find Anthony and his crackerjack team at . /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/36633880

Pro Cyclist Chase Wark pt. 1 - Mega Mid South FKT 03/28/2025

Pro Cyclist Chase Wark pt. 1 - Mega Mid South FKT Pro gravel cyclist Chase Wark joins me today to talk about setting the fastest known time on the 300-mile Mega Mid South gravel loop after wildfires devastated the Stillwater, Oklahoma area and cancelled the Mid South gravel race. Find Chase @chasethebiker on Instagram. I wrote a story with my thoughts and reflections on the interview you’ll hear today on my substack. Find that at . That link is in the show notes & you can also find it in my bio @hardwaypod on Instagram. The #1 thing you can do to support this show is to subscribe to my substack and if you’d like me to write and drop pods more frequently, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. It takes a lot of time to produce these and your support helps make it happen. I’ll be dropping part 2 of this interview soon where Chase and I do a deep dive on life, bikes and family. After an extensive search for the perfect bike partner, I’m excited to announce that Lauf has joined the Choose the Hard Way family. Lauf makes the coolest road and gravel bikes known to humankind and for 2025 I’m riding the Uthlad all road bike and Seigla gravel bike with the Grit suspension fork. Find them @laufcycles on Instagram. Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Follow my subtack and @hardwaypod on instagram to meet up with me at gravel events like Overland and to see what adventures I tackle on my Lauf bikes in 2025. Check them out at . Crypto curious? With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Create your free wallet and get up to 10% in annual rewards by putting your crypto to work. Go to to get started today, no experience required. This podcast is also brought to you by my best-in-class partners at Palm Tree Pod Co. They’re a full-service podcast studio with end-to-end services to help any brand, business or individual take a strategic approach and standout. Find them at Follow on Instagram to get a look behind the scenes at what goes into the Choose the Hard Way podcast and substack and more. /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/35903650

Harry Sweeny - Pro Cycling & High Performance Living 02/21/2025

Christopher Blevins - the World Champion & Olympian on Mindfulness + the Transformative Power of Community & Bikes 09/06/2024

Rewind: Olympic Gold Medalist Kristen Faulkner - The Power of Positive Risk Taking, Why She Walked Away from Her Dream Job & the Path to Pro Cycling Success 08/08/2024

Rewind: Olympic Gold Medalist Kristen Faulkner - The Power of Positive Risk Taking, Why She Walked Away from Her Dream Job & the Path to Pro Cycling Success Kristen Faulkner is an American pro cyclist who won the gold medal in the women’s cycling road race at the Paris Olympics in truly stunning fashion, surpassing two of the most dominant racers in the sport with a bold attack that left them looking at each other while she drilled it to victory. It’s one of my favorite bike races I’ve ever watched. If you want to know what it took for Kristen to get to her gold medal moment, this episode is for you. Remember in life and sport, everything changes. No risks, no champagne. This episode is a replay of my 2023 conversation with Kristen and Spencer Martin, my co-host on , America’s fastest growing independent pro cycling analysis podcast. My whole family loves watching Kristen race and my daughter is one of her biggest fans. After this episode originally aired, Kristen took time to send my daughter a video encouraging her to keep riding and to keep doing the art projects she loves. Trust me when I tell you that’s not something that many world-class athletes would take the time to do. Kristen did, because that’s the kind of human she is. When you reach out and lift people up, it makes a difference. This episode is brought to you by . I’ve found that when I get bad sleep, everything in my life is worse and when I get good sleep, everything in my life gets better--I’m a better parent, I’m a better partner to my wife, I’m more creative, I think more clearly, I’m more effective at work and I enjoy riding my bike more. The science to get great sleep is straightforward. But putting it into practice can be really hard. That’s why we built The Better Lab, the app that guides you to mindfully build science-backed practices to sleep better that stick. What works is what you get done consistently and The Better Lab helps you take simple steps every day to be more present, aware and conscious as you build one practice at a time to sleep better. Get the Better Lab app now for free in the Apple App Store and learn more at . Give it a try and DM me @hardwaypod and tell me what you think. I’d love to hear your feedback. Choose the Hard Way is the podcast about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun. Humans like you. Please take a moment to rate this show five stars wherever you listen to podcasts and share this episode with a pal. In This Episode: Kristen Faulkner , - - - - - - - - - - Andrew Vontz Subscribe: , , , Sign up for the Choose The Hard Way is a production /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/32492052

Cory Richards pt. 2 - the Legendary Alpinist & Nat Geo Photographer on his new book 'The Color of Everything' - Rising, Falling & Beginning Again 06/27/2024

Cory Richards pt. 2 - the Legendary Alpinist & Nat Geo Photographer on his new book 'The Color of Everything' - Rising, Falling & Beginning Again A student struggling with his practice once asked the zen master Shunryu Suzuki to boil down Buddhism into a single phrase. Suzuki thought for a moment, then he responded: everything changes. This is part two of my conversation with Cory Richards about his memoir, The Color of Everything. Cory is bipolar and at different moments in his life he has been famous, homeless, institutionalized and an addict. He has climbed Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, he won the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year award and he has traveled the planet adventuring and shooting for Nat Geo. Then he started over as a writer. Healthy, sick, good, bad, rich, poor, famous, homeless. Everything changes. A great book is one you can’t put down that you miss when it’s over. is such a book and I highly recommend reading it. This episode is brought to you by The Better Lab. Good sleep amplifies health, wellness and performance. Getting good sleep can be hard and many people struggle to consistently take the actions that support solid sleep. That’s why I co-founded The Better Lab, the app that helps active people like you to mindfully build conscious, science-backed practices to sleep better that stick. It’s just what works to help you get great sleep and you can get started today at and the app is live in the . Check it out and send a DM to @hardwaypod to let me know what you think. Choose the Hard Way is the podcast about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun. The purpose of this podcast is not for you to envy, admire or imitate the stories people like Cory share here. This podcast is here to hopefully inspire and empower you to fully embrace being the writer of your own story. It’s a great one, you’re the author and you bring it into being every moment. Find Cory on Instagram and pre-order The Color of Everything . Watch on Sign up for the - - - - - - - - - - Choose The Hard Way | Andrew Vontz /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/31901167

Rewind: 2nd at the Unbound 100 Gravel Race 2014 with @vontz x @blakeotoday - from the Archives 05/30/2024

Rewind: 2nd at the Unbound 100 Gravel Race 2014 with @vontz x @blakeotoday - from the Archives Doing hard things with friends is fun and even when you lose, you win. In 2014 I took second at Unbound 100 and superstar creator and now BJJ black belt @blakeoftoday took third. This episode originally dropped in 2019. I skipped the weddings of several close friends and trained 20+ hours many weeks for months to prepare for this event. When we did the race and when we originally recorded this episode it kind bummed me out that I didn’t win the race in 2014 or in 2015 when I went back and got second again with a side of food poisoning that left me unable to hold down food for a week after the race. Now I’m just grateful for the memories I have of training for and competing in this brutal event with Blake and for everything that happened along the way. With Unbound coming up this weekend, I wanted to drop this episode again for anyone who is new to the show and anyone has an interest in Unbound. This may be difficult to imagine, but 2014 was a time when there were zero tubeless gravel tires on the market and I ran 50 psi in tubed Clement MSOs and lived. A lot has changed since then and a lot has changed since I created Choose the Hard Way. When I started this project in 2017, I thought the point was to share lessons learned at the limits of human experience. Over time I’ve realized people, including me, forget most of the specific details that they hear on podcasts--but they almost always remember how podcasts make them feel. And at their best, the stories we hear on great podcasts motivate and inspire us to take action and be more present in other areas of our lives. This episode is brought to you by The Better Lab. Sleep is the greatest performance enhancer on the planet and the science to improve sleep is straightforward. Putting it into action on your own can be challenging. That’s why I co-founded The Better Lab to help guide active people like you to mindfully build conscious, science-backed practices to sleep better that stick. We’re an early stage startup and right now the . You can find the link in the show notes. Check it out and as an early user, we want to hear your feedback to help us continually improve the product. Shoutout to Hard Way listeners Chris Scott, Jeffrey Nebolini, Shannon Jones and many others who have been using the app to get better sleep and sharing their feedback with us. Thank you! You can learn more at . /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/31538622

Joe Petrowski: Quitting Rocket Science to Be a Pro Cyclist in France 04/24/2024

Joe Petrowski: Quitting Rocket Science to Be a Pro Cyclist in France Joe Petrowski landed a great job as an aerospace engineer right out of college. Then he got the bike racing bug. People told him to stick with his demonstrably awesome, impressive and very high paying gig. Instead, he quit to go live in at times dismal conditions to be a pro cyclist, first in the UK then in France. And if you’re not familiar with domestic pro cycling in France, teams there are known for their extremely old school, hardcore and at times totalitarian approaches. Joe had some great times and also often wondered if he had made a huge mistake and what the hell he was doing. He never stepped up to the World Tour, the highest level of the sport. And years later, he thinks going for it as a pro cyclist is one of the best and most important decisions he ever made. Eventually he left pro cycling and went into computer science, high frequency trading and to what he does now, working on the decentralized web at polkadot. People who stop doing the thing people who are not them tell them they should do to go do the thing they know they have to do intrigue me. That’s Joe. Don’t forget, you’re the hero in your story, you are writing it every day, and when you hear the call to adventure, listen. It is after all, your story. Choose the Hard Way is the podcast about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun. This episode is brought to you by The Better Lab. Sleep is the greatest performance enhancer on the planet and the science to improve sleep is straightforward. Putting it into action on your own can be challenging. That’s why I co-founded The Better Lab to help active people like you mindfully build conscious, science-backed practices to sleep better that stick. It’s just what works to help you get great sleep and you can get started today at . I make this podcast available for free and all I ask is that you go to the show page for Choose the Hard Way on iTunes and Spotify and hit 5 stars. To be in touch, DM me @hardwaypod on Instagram or email . Find Joe at . Thanks to our sponsor Watch on Sign up for the - - - - - - - - - - Choose The Hard Way | Andrew Vontz /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/30961428

Cory Richards - Presence is the Real Summit - Beyond Everest & Life as a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year & Photographer 03/27/2024

Cory Richards - Presence is the Real Summit - Beyond Everest & Life as a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year & Photographer Charisma, fame, good looks, superhuman physical and artistic achievement. Some people seem to have done everything and to be everything you dream of becoming. And as Cory Richards shares in this interview, everything can be nothing and anything can be the opportunity for presence, mindfulness and connection to who and what matters most. Cory climbed Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen in 2016 and was the first and only American to climb one of the world’s 8,000 meter peaks in winter, where he almost died in an avalanche and took one of the most famous photos of his career that became the cover of the 125th anniversary issue of National Geographic. Cory has been a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and National Geographic Photographer fellow. His memoir, The Color of Everything, out July 9th, tells the story of his journey with mental health and how it has shaped his life, his path as an adventurer and artist and his decision to walk away from climbing, photography and shed his former identities to move to LA and be a writer. Once I started reading The Color of Everything, I couldn’t put it down and since I finished it, I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s a profound, must-read book and I’m sure you’ll see it on many best of the year lists come December. (Pre-)order it now . I worked with Cory in support of his Everest expeditions in 2016 and 2017 and since I started this podcast in 2018, I’ve wanted to have him on the show. I’m glad it took six years of exchanging messages for this interview to happen, because now is the right time and I’m excited to share it with you. Find Cory on Instagram and at . Thanks to our sponsor Watch on Sign up for the - - - - - - - - - - Choose The Hard Way | Andrew Vontz /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/30541893

Heather Jackson: Gravel & Ultra Trail Running Pro - Positive Risks, Growth & the Power of Starting Something New 02/28/2024

Heather Jackson: Gravel & Ultra Trail Running Pro - Positive Risks, Growth & the Power of Starting Something New Heather Jackson has won six full Ironman triathlons, 16 Ironman 70.3 races, the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon and she also won the Wildflower triathlon four times. She played D1 hockey at Princeton where she was a two-time captain and was on the US National team for cycling track racing. In 2023, she left triathlon to be a pro gravel racer AND a pro ultra trail runner. In her first season she won the Belgian Waffle Ride San Diego and the Javelina 100 foot race. I mean, damn. Heather has an awesome YouTube channel and if you’re a fan, you know she has done a lot of media and podcast appearances. In this interview, we get into new material and talk about Heather’s mind game, why she continues to take positive risks and try new things and much more. Find Heather on YouTube and Instagram , find those links in the show notes. A big thank you to Michael Marckx and Heather’s husband Wattie for helping make this interview happen and to Heather for everything she graciously shares in this conversation. Choose the Hard Way is a podcast about how doing hard things is fun and builds stronger humans. If you haven’t done this already, now would be a great time to help me help you. To do that, just hit subscribe and rate the show five stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this episode with someone you care about. To be in touch, DM me on Instagram. This episode is brought to you by Movemint. If you’ve ever registered for a bike ride, run or charity event like a walk-a-thon, you know the experience usually sucks. Movemint is a new events registration platform that makes event discovery, registration and management a better, more cost effective and delightful experience for event promoters and customers. It’s making a broken and bad experience so much better that I knew I had to get involved and that’s why I’m an advisor to the company. If you’re an event promoter, go to to learn more. Thanks to our sponsors: /episode/index/show/choosethehardway/id/30116733

Choose the Hard Way

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