Choose the Hard Way

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 ridingwithkaplan.substack.com. 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 Blockchain.com. They're your trusted platform for buying, selling and holding crypto, no matter your experience level. When you crypto, crypto with Blockchain.com. 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 www.laufcycles.com.  Palm Tree Pod Co. is our trusted strategic production partner. Why? Because we work with the best. Find Anthony and his crackerjack team at www.palmtreepodco.com. 

Subscribe to the Choose the Hard Way substack at www.alwaysthehardway.substack.com 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 https://www.linkedin.com/in/wshannonjones/ and subscribe to his Substack: transcendceo.substack.com. 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 hello@onerealvoice.com. This episode is brought to you by Blockchain.com. Over $1 trillion in crypto transactions have been trusted to Blockchain.com. They're your trusted platform for buying, selling and holding crypto, no matter your experience level. When you crypto, crypto with Blockchain.com. 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 www.laufcycles.com.  Palm Tree Pod Co. is our trusted strategic production partner. Why? Because we work with the best. Find Anthony and his crackerjack team at www.palmtreepodco.com. 

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 https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/. 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 www.laufcycles.com.   Crypto curious? With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, 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.  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 www.palmtreepodco.com Follow @hardwaypod on Instagram to get a look behind the scenes at what goes into the Choose the Hard Way podcast and substack and more. 

The #1 thing you can do to support this podcast is to subscribe to the Choose the Hard Way substack. Just go to substack and search for ‘Choose the Hard Way' or go to  https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ and hit subscribe today.  That's where Andrew Vontz writes about bikes, zen and life + shares his reflections on conversations with guests on the Choose the Hard Way podcast and more.  ‪@Harry-Sweeny‬ rides for the EF Education-Easy Post World Tour team in the biggest races in pro cycling and his YouTube channel tells the story of his life as a pro cyclist, semi-pro chef and adventurer. ‪Harry also shares about his journey with level 1 autism and how it led him to discover the importance of taking 10 minutes a day to do nothing in order to unlock higher levels of performance during critical moments in races.  Find Harry on YouTube and Instagram: https://www.youtube.com/@Harry-Sweeny www.instagram.com/harry.sweeny Over $1 trillion in crypto transactions have been trusted to Blockchain.com and I'm excited to welcome them as the new title sponsor of Choose the Hard Way. Blockchain.com is your trusted platform for buying, selling and holding crypto, no matter your experience level. Create your free wallet and get up to 10% in annual rewards by putting your crypto to work. When you crypto, crypto with Blockchain.com. Palm Tree Pod Co is my production and marketing partner of choice because they do exceptional work that lets me focus on the part of podcasting I love the most, interviewing amazing guests. When you're ready to start a pod or take your pod to the next level, work with Palm Tree Pod Co. Find them at www.palmtreepodco.com. Follow @hardwaypod on Instagram to get a look behind the scenes at what goes into the Choose the Hard Way podcast and substack and more. 

Christopher Blevins is a mindfulness practitioner who builds community and a more inclusive and healthy world through bikes. He's one of the best professional mountain bikers America has ever produced and one of the best in the world. He has won the Cape Epic and taken gold in the mountain bike world championships in the short track and cross-country mixed relay disciplines. He has also won UCI World Cups in the short track and cross country disciplines. Outside of bike racing, Christopher has a wide range of interests. He started his own production company, produces and performs music and is an active member in a sangha, a Buddhist community. You can find him on social @christpoherblevs. Choose the Hard Way is brought to you by Palm Tree Pod Co. If you're ready to start a podcast or want to take your existing podcast to the next level, the team at Palm Tree Pod Co. is your ace. They're the team behind some of the best podcasts on the planet and they're ready to help you make your podcast all that it can be. Find them today at www.palmtreepodco.com and on social @palmtreepodco. I helped start The Better Lab because I found that there are many people out there like me who know a lot about sleep and track their sleep and recovery but still struggle to do the things that actually improve sleep. Get the Better Lab app now in the Apple App Store and be more rested, happy and present for the moments that matter most to you in life. Learn more at www.thebetterlab.io and DM @thebetterlabhq and let me know what you think. Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter- - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn

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 Beyond the Peloton, 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 The Better Lab. 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 www.thebetterlab.io. 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 Instagram, Twitter - - - - - - - - - -  Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter Choose The Hard Way is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production 

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. The Color of Everything 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 www.thebetterlab.io and the app is live in the Apple App Store. 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 @coryrichards on Instagram and pre-order The Color of Everything here. Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter- - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn

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 Better Lab app is free in the Apple App store. You can find the link in the show notes. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/better-lab/id6479452885 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 www.thebetterlab.io.

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 www.thebetterlab.io.  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 choosethehardway@gmail.com. Find Joe at https://petrow.ski/.  Thanks to our sponsor The Better Lab Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter- - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn

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 here.    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 @coryrichards and at www.coryrichards.com. Thanks to our sponsor The Better Lab Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter- - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn

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 @hjacksonracing, 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 @hardwaypod 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 www.movemint.cc to learn more. Thanks to our sponsors:  The Better Lab Movemint  

Michael Marckx is the founder and CEO of the Belgian Waffle Ride, one of the biggest and most influential multi-surface, gravelish series in the world. He's a prime mover behind what has become today's booming gravel scene and wow, this guy has lived what would be 20 lives the average human.  We talk everything that went into the birth of the BWR including Michael's time as CEO of a publicly traded company, his other career as a professional musician, his other other career as a professional triathlete during the golden age of the sport when Kenny Souza had unrivaled hair and Mark Allen and Dave Scott were battling it out for the Ironman and Michael's childhood in an environment where running marathons when you were 12 was normal.  Most importantly, we talk about why you should pick something hard to do with friends and go do it. That's what I did last fall when I did the BWR Kansas Wafer with the No Pressure No Diamonds crew and got a taste of the Belgian Waffle magic then swore I would never go back and am now going back.  Choose the Hard Way is the show about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun. Please help more people find this podcast. 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.  We are in year six of Choose the Hard Way and it's going to be a big one with some amazing guests and the chance for us to spend some time together as a community at a few gatherings and live events.  To make it all happen I'm open to mission-aligned sponsors I'd be proud to share with my audience directly supporting the show this season. If you or someone you know have a company that wants to reach the high-achieving, high-influence, highly networked people who listen to this show and do amazing things, then send a DM to @hardwaypod or email us at choosethehardway@gmail.com. I'm also ready to retire the Giant TCX cyclocross bike I've been using to race gravel since 2015 and I'm ready for a new ride. If you're in the industry and work for a company that makes an amazing bike you'd like me to race and talk about this year, holler at me and let's make it happen.  Finally, I'm going to have big news to share some time in the next few episodes about the business I started that I've quietly been working on for the past 18 months. We are getting ready to publicly release our product and I want to give you all the opportunity to be among the first to get to try it. Go to choosethehardway.com to sign up for the newsletter and if there's someone you think would make a great guest, DM @hardwaypod or send an email to choosethehardway@gmail.com. To learn more about BWR go to @belgianwaffleride and you can find Michael gram'ing @ibemmx.   

Joe Goettl grew up working on a farm, almost made it as a pro snowboarder and went deep into competitive running--until he hit an endless string of injuries that doctors said would end his athletic career. Here we are in 2023 and Joe is a rising YouTuber & pro cyclist knocking on the door of gravel greatness.  During the week, Joe trains, coaches athletes and works a heavy schedule in retail to fund the costs of his gravel program that his sponsors don't cover. On the weekends, Joe travels the nation to race and has come within spitting distance of podiums at gravel majors like the Belgian Waffle Ride Utah.  Hailing from the land of sky blue waters, Joe is a true privateer pursuing the American gravel dream, cool as a mountain stream. This is the story of gravel minus sprinter vans, $400,000 motor homes, World Tour pedigrees and a marketing team manufacturing a grassroots and raw approach to the sport. This is the gritty and raw approach to the sport. You can find Joe  @jgoettl2.0 on Instagram. Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn

One day you wake up and a thing called the Life Time Grand Prix exists and two years later it's all anyone who follows pro cycling in America can talk about. How did we get here? And what's next?  Today, we find out.  Kimo Seymour is  the Senior Vice President of Media and Events at Life Time and the creator of the Life Time Grand Prix. He's also an endurance sports overachieve with 11 IRONMAN finishes and nine smoking fast times at the Leadville 100 mountain bike race to his credit. Life Time has transformed the level of competition in offroad racing, birthed an entirely new hybrid pro racing series that mixes disciplines in a way we've never seen before in pro cycling and has created a content and coverage flywheel that is turning heads.  The Grand Prix brings together an exclusive group of professional cyclists who compete in a series of legendary and soon to be legendary mountain bike and gravel races.  In the process, they've attracted top talent from across all cycling disciplines and created a vibe you won't find anywhere else in pro cycling. Kimo and his team have been instrumental in making it happen and Alex Howes plays an unexpected and crucial role. We go deep. We go kiting. We talk sepsis, kiting and epic feats of endurance. It's everything we've dreamed of and more.  Kimo has been one of my most requested guests and I'm excited to share this interview with you.  We're getting close to 200 5-star ratings and whether you're a long-time listener or a new one, please take a moment and help me bring you more awesome guests you want to hear. When you hit 5 stars, you help make it happen. Thank you.  Choose the Hard Way is the podcast about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun. I love hearing from you so if you want to let me know what you think of this episode or who you'd like to hear from next, DM me @hardwaypod.  To learn more about the Life Time Grand Prix, go to @lifetimegrandprix.    Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn

Alexis Skarda is a professional cyclist who rides for the Santa Cruz HtSqd and is the US Marathon National Cross-Country Mountain Bike Champion, a Lifetime Grand Prix racer, an emerging electronic music artist and she's a formidable force on the 1s and 2s as a DJ as well as a podium threat at any gravel race she enters.  I love to produce electronic music, I love to DJ and I love to ride bikes, so I'm really excited to share today's episode with you.  As a journalist, I've had the privilege of interviewing and writing about artists like The Crystal Method, Daft Punk and Chris Cornell. And from time to time I got to write about and ride with world class musicians who loved to ride bikes like Tim Commerford, the bass player for Audioslave and Rage Against the Machine.  But I've never written about a high-level pro cyclist who also puts out incredible music. I'm excited to get to do that in this interview.  If you'd like to learn more about Alexis and hear some of her music go to @alexisskarda on Instagram.  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn

Dylan Johnson and Drew Dillman join @vontz to talk about pro gravel racing 90210 and the fun they had battling for 17th place at the final race of the Lifetime Grand Prix series, Big Sugar down in Bentonville, Arkansas, home of Walmart and the global epicenter of competitive cycling.    We get into the past, present and future of pro gravel, why community matters, especially if you're going to travel somewhere to compete, and more. Dylan and Drew are ½ of the Bonk Bros podcast, superstar YouTubers and run Ignition Coaching together.    Choose the Hard Way is the podcast about how doing hard things is fun and builds stronger humans. On Episode 100 we talked about finding something hard to do with friends and letting it rip. That's the core of the storied friendship and rivalry between Dylan and Drew. And so can you. What are you getting after next and who are you doing it with?     Thanks for listening and please take a moment to rate this show 5 stars on apple podcasts, spotify or wherever you listen. Find Drew @raddadizzle and Dylan @dylanjawnson on social. Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Joe De Sena is the founder and CEO of Spartan and creator of the Spartan Race and the infamous Death Race. After he created a hugely successful Wall Street trading firm, Joe left finance behind in 2001 to build a new life and a new business from a farm in rural Vermont. His goal was to change 100 million lives through experiences like those he had competing in Ironmans, 300-mile runs and adventure races around the world. Joe has created a lot of success, a lot of wealth and a lot of transformation. And there's more to the story. In this interview, for the first time he shares about the financial catastrophe the Spartan Race faced during the pandemic, the brushes with death he has had in his sporting endeavors, why he continually seeks new challenges and how he deals with one of the most difficult challenges in the human experience--getting someone to use the off button on a phone. Thank you to my friend Randy Hetrick, the founder and chairman of the human performance company TRX and now founder and CEO of OutFit for connecting me to Joe to make this interview happen. You can learn more about Joe and Spartan Race at www.jodesena.com and @spartan on social.   Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Tristan Cardew, aka @tristantakephoto, sold everything and moved from Sydney, Australia to Girona, Spain to build a life that revolved around cycling and visual storytelling. Five years later, he's racing gravel and road at a high level and has built the creative career he dreamed about making happen. His YouTube channel, TristanTakeVideo, has more than three million views and is built around training with Tour de France stage winners, interviewing the world's best riders and going behind the scenes with teams at the top level of the sport. Tristan is also a standout documentary filmmaker and when I saw his self-shot doc about racing the Atlas Mountain Race, one of the toughest bikepacking tests on the planet, I knew I had to have him on Choose the Hard Way. The race is more than 800 miles long with 65,000 feet of climbing across remote and absolutely brutal terrain. Completing it is a feat. Making a compelling self-shot documentary while racing it is a next-level achievement.  I was excited to have this chance to talk to Tristan about his path as a creative, the story behind his Atlas Race doc, explore the question of how much is enough, and to get a preview of his upcoming documentary about racing the 466-mile Badlands gravel race in Spain. Find Tristan on Instagram @tristantakephoto and check out his YouTube channel, TristanTakeVideo.  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. Go to choosethehardway.com to sign up for the newsletter and shoot me a DM @hardwaypod or send an email to choosethehardway@gmail.com to let me know what you dig in this conversation with Tristan. I love hearing from you and appreciate everyone who has reached out, keep it coming! Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Six years ago, I launched Choose the Hard Way to inspire more people to embrace the idea that doing hard things builds stronger humans who have more fun. My guests are among the very best in the world at what they do and I've been lucky that they've graciously shared their stories here. To celebrate 100 episodes, I'm doing something different and sharing more of my story--a story about a friendship that has pushed me to do hard things for 15 years and counting. This podcast isn't about hacks, tricks and shortcuts. It's about the powerful things that happen when you choose the hard way--and I hope my guest's stories inspire you to go do hard things with people you love and have some fun. That's the best part of life and it's available to everyone willing to answer the call to adventure. I have a request: please pick something challenging to do, invite a friend to do it with you and leave a comment or shoot a DM to @hardwaypod on social and tell me how it went. Joining me today is @blakeoftoday. In the past year, Blake has become one of the most popular storytellers on Instagram because of his distinctive storytelling style focused on family, fatherhood and jiu-jitsu. He's the host of the Grappling with Fatherhood podcast, the author of the Blakeoftoday substack and one of the only humans I know who organically grew his Instagram following from less than a thousand followers to nearly 200k followers in a year. Blake has joined me on this podcast in the past to deconstruct our path to podium finishes at the gravel race now known as the Unbound 100 in 2014 and 2015. Today, we're talking about how our chance meeting while volunteering at a shelter for unhoused people in downtown Los Angeles led us to start doing workouts at a park in Silverlake that were brutal and would have been total nonsense if they hadn't been so much fun--and how that led to friendship, rivalry and both of us pushing each other to go bigger and bigger. And so can you. Choose the Hard Way is the podcast about how doing hard things builds stronger humans who have more fun. Please help more people find this podcast. To do that, just hit subscribe and rate the show five stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this episode with a friend. We are 100 episodes deep and I really appreciate all of your support. Go to choosethehardway.com to sign up for the newsletter and if there's someone you think would make a great guest, DM @hardwaypod. Choose The Hard Way is a Big Truck Production. Anthony Palmer at Palm Tree Pod Co is the producer and editor and Emily Miles is head of digital and marketing. Hekla Projects founder Jeffrey Nebolini is the world-renowned designer behind our brand identity and the Choose the Hard Way logo. The content for this show is created by @vontz.

Pete Stetina grew up in a famous cycling family and became a highly accomplished pro road racer who raced the Giro D'Italia four times, the Tour de France twice and the Vuelta Espana twice. When he started dabbling in gravel racing, in 2019, he was still doing 80 race days a year in the World Tour while winning iconic events like the original recipe Belgian Waffle Ride. That's when he pulled the ripcord on what most cyclists would consider a dream career to pursue new frontiers on the dirt full time. Pete is a big character in the grand story of gravel racing and has animated the many conversations about the present and future of the sport while nabbing top results. Pete has been interviewed and written about ad infinitum and there's a lot more to his story than what you've heard so far and have seen on social media. I caught up with Pete a few days after the first ever Gravel National Championship, which he crashed out of early on. I'm excited to bring this conversation to you. It covers a lot of new ground and I hope it gives you a more dimensionalized look at Pete as a human being, parent and competitor. You can find Pete on Instagram @pstetina. Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Vince Murdock is a professional mixed martial arts fighter who came up from difficult circumstances and worked his entire life to get into the UFC. When he finally got the call, a pre-fight brain scan showed he had Moyamoya disease and a life-threatening arterial blockage. Following brain surgery that involved removing a quarter of his skull, Vince's perspective on life radically shifted. He became a father, got into cycling to rehab from surgery and formed an inclusive community, the Enjoy Cycling Club, to counter the elitism and exclusion that's commonplace in competitive cycling. Vince trains at Team Alpha Male under the supervision of multiple former UFC title belt holders and champions including Cody No Love Gabrandt and team founder and owner The California Kid, Urijah Faber. Vince has a unique perspective on life and deep wisdom from the hardships he has persevered through both before and after his surgery. He is a remarkable human and I am deeply grateful for what he shares in this interview. It really moved me. I'm dedicating this episode to my good friend Aaron Burby and his friends and family. Aaron suddenly died from complications related to undiagnosed Moyamoya disease in 2020. He has been with me every day since then and he always will be. Like Vince, Aaron made the people around him feel loved and special, he was a gifted community builder, went full gas after his goals in life and expected the people he loved to give everything to what they valued. Special thanks to past Choose the Hard Way guest Derek Teel from Dialed Health for connecting me to Vince.  This is a special conversation and I'm grateful to be able to share it with you all.    Vince Murdock Instagram  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Drew Dillman is a pro cyclist who, until now, has focused on cyclocross and criterium racing. In recent months, Drew has aimed for the fences like Babe Ruth and hyped his plans to catapult into the LifeTime Grand Prix series and become a gravel icon. He co-hosts the Matchbox and Bonk Bros podcasts and is co-founder of Ignition Coach Co, a coaching company for endurance athletes. Drew races for the Texas Roadhouse team and is a long-time YouTube creator focused on taking viewers inside the nuances of pro crit and cyclocross racing. Learn more about Ignition Coaching and Drew on Instagram @raddaddizzle. Drew Dillman YouTube | Instagram  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Iz King left Wall Street to pedal for gold on gravel roads and trails across America as a pro cyclist in the LifeTime Grand Prix. She played D1 soccer for Columbia University where she was the team captain, traded equities for UBS then got into racing triathlons while completing her MBA at UCLA. So what leads someone to step off the fintech yellow brick road to take 165-mile weekday rides from Santa Monica to Ojai and back? Let's find out. Iz's story is complex and we get into the unexpected bumps and broken backs she has encountered along the way. To learn more about Iz go to @king_iz on Instagram or kingiz.com. Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Michelle Curran, call sign MACE, spent three years flying in the United States Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team and was the lead soloist for two of those years flying on the outer left wing of the delta formation. Michelle was the fifth woman ever to be a member of the Thunderbirds and while deployed as a fighter pilot in Afghanistan in 2016, she acquired 163 combat hours. When Michelle left the Thunderbirds in 2021 she continued to pursue her passion for inspiring and motivating people in a slightly different format. Today she's a keynote speaker and the author of the children's book "Upside Down Dreams" and a forthcoming biography. Michelle has done many fantastic podcast appearances about leadership and lessons learned from her time in combat and with the Thunderbirds. In this interview, we go deep on new topics including risk management, vulnerability, the power of extraordinary effort, why you must become an expert learner to become the very best at anything, and the role mountaineering, running and strength training played in helping Michelle prepare for and heal from the physical demands of pulling 9 G's while on the road 240 days a year with the Thunderbirds and more. My uncles used to take me to the airshow at Richards Gebauer air base outside Kansas City every summer when I was a kid and watching the United States Air Force Thunderbirds was one of the most truly awe inspiring things I have ever experienced. This one is extra special for me and I'm really excited to share it with you. Special thank you to former Choose the Hard Way guest Ben Davis, the author, former Navy SEAL and VOAG executive director for connecting me to Michelle, very much appreciated. You can catch my interview with Ben in the archives. You can learn more about Michelle at macecurran.com or on Instagram @mace_curran. Michelle Curran Website | Instagram  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

With years of cycling and endurance experience under his belt, Derek Teel now dedicates his life to providing strength training programs and coaching through his app and platform dialedhealth.com, helping cyclists around the world become healthier and perform better. In this episode, we'll dive into Derek's journey from building bike ramps and working out in his parents' garage with p90x, to becoming a successful entrepreneur running his business, Dialed Health. We'll discuss the highs and lows of his racing career and learn how he transitioned from being a pro downhill & enduro mountain bike racer to a sought-after strength coach who is blowing up on Instagram. Hear about Derek's experience tackling an Everest challenge on his mountain bike, a double Everest ride on his road bike, why he is focusing exclusively on gravel racing and how he keeps pushing for more as a business owner, family man, and athlete.  You can learn more about Derek at dialedhealth.com. Derek Teel Instagram | YouTube | Podcast | Website Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher    

Kerry Werner was living the hardcore multi-discipline pro cyclist life long before it was cool and has been bringing viewers inside the races on YouTube for nearly a decade. During that time, he has gone from an ace mountain bike pro to one of the brightest American stars in cyclocross to taking the now inevitable leap into the Belgian Waffle Ride series and Lifetime Grand Prix. As pro cycling and creator life on YouTube have evolved, so has Kerry and his breakfast habits which have seen him transform from a pancake evangelist into just another cold cereal muncher. I loved getting to hear his point of view on those topics and his controversial course tape clotheslining during the 2019 cyclocross National Championships. You can find Kerry on YouTube and on Instagram @kerryw24. Choose the Hard Way is a podcast about how doing hard things is fun. Please help more people find this podcast. 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. Go to choosethehardway.com to sign up for the newsletter and if there's someone you think would make a great guest, please send a note to choosethehardway@gmail.com or @hardwaypod on social.   In This Episode:  Kerry Werner Instagram | YouTube Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Unbound XL winner Kristen Legan & Gravel legend Nick Legan on racing, adventure, bikepacking and teamwork in sport, life and marriage as lived at Unbound Gravel, Ride the Divide, TransIowa and more. The inside line on the months of prep, recon and planning that went into Unbound XL, why Kristen and Nick like to go deep, why they choose the hard way and recommend that you do, too. Kristen Legan won the 350-mile, 2023 Unbound XL gravel race in 26 hours and six minutes, beating her closest competitor by nearly two full hours. She modestly describes herself as a sometimes-pro racer who competes in gravel and endurance mountain bike races with a healthy heaping of bikepacking in the mix. She also leads communications for Shimano North America and Mosaic cycles and works with endurance athletes of all kidneys through her coaching company, Rambleur. Nick Legan has worked as WorldTour and Olympic mechanic, a tech editor and now leads gravel marketing for Shimano. He's completed the Tour Divide, Trans Iowa, Unbound XL and Unbound 200 five times. He's also the author of “Gravel Cycling: The Complete Guide to Gravel Racing and Adventure Bikepacking.” If memory serves me correctly, the first time I did the Unbound 100 back in 2013, Nick and Kristen were there. You can watch a chunk of Kristen's Unbound XL victory in the Vegan Cyclist's video about the event, he closely trailed her for much of the race before he tapped out and she went on to win. Nick has graciously helped me with a decade's-worth of tech questions about my gear for which I'm deeply grateful and I'm excited to bring this conversation to you today where we cover everything about Kristen and Nick's meticulous preparation, planning and teamwork to put Kristen in the best possible position to execute to the best of her ability on race day at Unbound XL and dive into many of their other adventures and how Kristen is working with athletes through her coaching company. Find Kristen on social @KPLegan and learn more about her coaching practice at rambleur.com and find Nick @nlegan and on bookshelves everywhere if bookshelves still exist, otherwise find him on Amazon and buy his awesome book.   In This Episode:  Kristen Legan Instagram Nick Legan Instagram  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Paris-Roubaix Femmes winner, Olympian and current Canadian national road race champion Alison Jackson is back for her second appearance on Choose the Hard Way to talk about Tour de France Femmes and more. Alison is a major favorite for a stage win and her EF Education Tibco-SVB team is expected to animate the race. Alison is well known for her work as a creator and storyteller and you can find her on Instagram @aliactionjackson. This episode is a collab with Spencer Martin, the sheriff of Valmont bike park, a co-host of several cycling podcasts on the WEDŪ network and the author of the best pro racing analysis newsletter, Beyond the Peloton, which you can find at https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/. Like Voltron coming together, Spencer and I co-host the Beyond the Peloton podcast where we analyze the latest races and happenings in pro cycling, coin strategic moves like the reverse Geraint Thomas and provide a perspective you won't get anywhere else. In my first interview with Alison we talked about her rise as a pro and storyteller and you can find that episode everywhere you listen at and at choosethehardway.com.  In this episode we got deep on how she forged a race-winning mindset on the bison farm where she grew up, how she's approaching the Tour Femmes, her thoughts on leadership and team building and more. Choose the Hard Way is a podcast about how doing hard things is fun. Please help more people find this podcast. 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. Go to choosethehardway.com to sign up for the newsletter and if there's someone you think would make a great guest, please send me a note to choosethehardway@gmail.com or @hardwaypod on social.    To learn more about Alison, follow her on Instagram.   In This Episode:  Alison Jackson Instagram  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Mitch Docker is the creator of the Life in the Peloton podcast and a former World Tour pro cyclist. Mitch raced the biggies including the Giro and Vuelta and rode for legendary squads including EF, Green Edge and Skil Shimano. He was best known as a leadout man, classics rider and road captain. He's equally well known for his highly entertaining storytelling, the highest-volume mullet the sport has seen since Laurent Brochard and a mustache a California Highway Patrolman would envy. I love Mitch's podcast and I'm grateful to Peacham, Vermont's proudest son, Ian Boswell for connecting us to make this interview happen. You may have heard Mitch talk about cycling style, culture and racing for hundreds of hours on his pod and others, but this chat has loads of new material and surprising revelations. Cape Epic, Mitch's insider experience as a leadout man, dad life, the allure of gravel, the importance of psychological training and preparation, leadership lessons and things Mitch learned in the World Tour that have helped him as an entrepreneur, areas where he has had to work hard in life after pro cycling and much more. It's all here in this unprecedented interview. Choose the Hard Way is the podcast about how doing hard things is fun and builds stronger humans. Sharing is caring, please rate this show 5 stars wherever you listen, hit subscribe and tell your mom about it.  You can suggest guests and send me your great ideas @hardwaypod on social and at choosethehardway@gmail.com. Find Life in the Peloton everywhere you listen and at lifeinthepeloton.com and find Mitch on Instagram @mitchbowen.   Mitch Docker Instagram Life in the Peloton Website | PodcastWatch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn | Instagram Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Brent Bookwalter is a Tour de France commentator for the NBC Peacock team. He spent 16 years as a pro cyclist and raced in the World Tour including on the BMC squad that helped Cadel Evans win the 2011 Tour de France. He shares about his experiences before, during and after his career as a pro cyclist, the path that led him to pursue a graduate degree in psychology, why he passed on the calling of the holy spirit of gravel and how he landed the coveted Tour analyst gig. Catch him on Peacock's coverage of the Tour and to learn more, go to www.brentbookwalter.com and @brentbookwalter on Twitter. Choose the Hard Way is the podcast about how doing hard things is fun and builds stronger humans. You're one of those strong humans so please hit subscribe and rate this show 5 stars wherever you listen. Sign up for the newsletter at choosethehardway.com and you can suggest guests and send me your great ideas @hardwaypod on social and at choosethehardway@gmail.com. Brent Bookwalter Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Website Bookwalter BingeWatch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn | Instagram Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Veloworthy founder Brian Co on building a sports media empire solo while working full time and raising a family. Brian has single-handedly built a dedicated following by profiling top cycling pros and providing an inside look at the world of gravel cycling that traditional media outlets have failed to capture. Now, Veloworthy is one of the most influential media properties in cycling. Brian talks with Andrew Vontz about his journey from filming local bike races to covering the biggest pro gravel races across the country like Belgian Waffle Ride, Unbound Gravel and more. Hear about the challenges he faces and the techniques he's fine-tuned for capturing a unique perspective, building relationships with top athletes and brands and the method he has developed for covering sprawling events on inaccessible terrain on social media, live, as it happens. Follow @veloworthy on Instagram and check out race recaps on YouTube. Veloworthy Website | Instagram | YouTube Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn | Instagram Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Keegan Swenson continues to dominate the gravel racing world, winning this year's Unbound Gravel in tough conditions after a runner-up finish in 2022. Swenson's prowess on the dirt is also backed by his affiliation with Santa Cruz Bicycles htSQD, an elite group of multi-surface racers. It's no wonder that Keegan is known as the top gravel racer on a global scale: he also has the 2022 Lifetime GrandPrix series, Leadville Trail 100, and Sea Otter Classic wins under his belt, among many others. In a conversation with Andrew Vontz, Swenson reflects on his latest muddy victory, breaks down how he experiments with race prep and gear choices, explains strategy for selecting races, and shares his priorities for the rest of the season. To learn more about Keegan, follow him on Instagram and check out the show notes. Keegan Swenson on Instagram Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn | Instagram Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

After being forced to retire from professional cycling due to a series of concussions, Ian Boswell reinvented himself as a dominant force in the new world of gravel racing - and he's not looking back. The 2021 Unbound Gravel 200 champion was formerly a member of Team Sky, the world's top pro cycling team at the time, where he competed in all three grand tours of Europe - the Giro, the Vuelta, and the Tour de France.  But it's not just about winning for Boswell. He's focused on balancing family life, homesteading, and a full-time job at the fitness tech company, Wahoo. He sat down with host Andrew Vontz, to discuss his path to success, the challenges he's overcome, and the future of gravel racing. To learn more about Ian or listen to his podcast, Breakfast with Boz, follow him on Instagram and check out the Choose the Hard Way website. Ian Boswell on Instagram | Strava Breakfast with Boz Podcast Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

After a decade as a United States Navy SEAL, Ben Davis is now conquering peaks, competing in races and coaching. He is also the executive director of the Veterans Outdoor Advocacy Group (VOAG) - a non-profit that promotes access to outdoor adjunct therapies for all veterans. In his last few years of service, he completed numerous mountaineering endeavors and has since competed in some of the most challenging mountain bike and ultra running races in the world, including the Leadville 100. He now lives in Colorado's front range and works as a cycling and endurance sports coach for Boundless Coaching. His specialty is long-distance mountain bike racing. Ben joins host Andrew Vontz to share how his experiences in the military and in endurance sports have shaped his understanding of personal achievement, and what he has (and has not) discovered about himself in the process. To learn more about Ben and VOAG, head to the Choose the Hard Way website. Ben Davis Instagram | Newsletter  VOAG Website | Instagram Boundless Endurance Coaching Instagram | Website Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher  

From growing up on a bison farm to winning the 2023 Paris-Roubaix Femmes, Alison Jackson is now known for more than just her world class wins. The pro cyclist with UCI Women's WorldTeam EF Education–Tibco–SVB has also gone viral on TikTok. Alison has come a long way thanks to her unique blend of humor and athletic intuition. When she was younger, she trained in triathlons and ran competitively, even attending the University World Championships in Uganda. After committing to cycling, she quickly made moves to the top and represented Canada in the 2020 Summer Olympics. In this episode, she joins host Andrew Vontz to talk about what it took to become the champion of the biggest one-day race in the sport and shares the powerful role storytelling, social media and dance play in her life as an athlete and in life. To learn more about Alison, follow her on Instagram.   In This Episode:  Alison Jackson Instagram  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Entrepreneur, scientist, and author Chris Case knows how to design a challenge. His company, Alter Exploration, curates intense, application-only custom cycling and trail running trips. Alter's experiences are built to test physical limits, foster emotional growth, and encourage mental evolution. As a former cycling journalist and lifelong endurance athlete, Chris has spent countless hours exploring the world by bike and on foot. He has degrees and research experience in neuroscience and clinical psychology, a master's degree in journalism and photography. His research led him to write The Haywire Heart, an insightful investigation into heart problems that affect endurance athletes. Chris was also the COO of The Paleo Diet, co-founder of Fast Talk Laboratories, and former editor of VeloNews. Chris joins host Andrew Vontz to speak about the genesis of Alter Exploration, what it takes to build a business like this from scratch, and why he believes that hard things can transform us and the people around us. In This Episode:  Chris Case Instagram | LinkedIn Alter Exploration Instagram | Website Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Pioneering sports data journalist and coach Zach Nehr has always been ahead of the curve. He is one of the first journalists to do deep quantitative analyses of power data from the world's top pro cyclists, and now he's transferred that knowledge to the growing scene of virtual racing. An elite level competitor in road, track and cycling esports, Zach has recently taken a slew of victories at the highest level of eracing on Zwift and MyWhoosh with the NeXT eSport presented by Enshored team. Zach joins host Andrew Vontz to talk about how he developed such a differentiated and effective approach as a writer, coach and top-level athlete, and how his study of human performance helped him rocket to the top of Zwift racing. Zach studied exercise science and raced bikes at Marian University and is the owner of ZNehr Coaching. His revolutionary writing approach - found on the likes of Cyclingnews, Velonews, TrainingPeaks, CyclingTips, and Bicycle Guider - has since been imitated by many writers in the field. To learn more about Zach, visit zachnehr.com and follow him on Instagram. In This Episode:  Zach Nehr Website | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Strava | YouTube Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher    

As a respected journalist, Ben Delaney has written and edited for top outlets like VeloNews, BikeRadar, and Cycling Weekly. He's also the director of content at FasCat Coaching. Last year, he decided it was time to take a crack at creating his own cycling content. Enter Ben's YouTube channel, The Ride. With a million views in just a year, it's clear that Ben has hit the mark. The Ride offers expert reviews on bikes, gear, and tires, as well as exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from some of the toughest gravel races around. Though he is humble about it, with wins at the SBT GRVL Blue Course and the BWR Utah 45+ field, he's a force to be reckoned with on the trails. In this episode, Ben joins host Andrew Vontz to share universal lessons that come from career changes, gravel races, and going out on your own. To learn more about Ben and The Ride, check out the show notes. In This Episode:  Ben Delaney YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Professional racing duo Syd Schulz and Macky Franklin are on a quest to race the best and most challenging mountain bike races in America, filming their adventures along the way to give viewers an unvarnished look at the reality of living on the road as professional cyclists. After traveling in a tiny orange car, then a series of (old, janky) white vans, they retired from life on the road and now live in Los Alamos, New Mexico where they train and prep for races around the world - like the recent Transandes Challenge, an epic expedition in Patagonia. They have also added cross country, stage racing and endurance events to their lineup. Syd and Macky join host Andrew Vontz to share how they went from amateur content creation to financial independence with YouTube, what it means to focus on "the 10% things not the 1% things," and why basic rest and recovery are both the most important and least executed part of every training regiment. You can check out all of their video content on YouTube, and follow them on Instagram. To learn more, check out the show notes: www.choosethehardway.com/episodes/syd-and-macky.   In This Episode: Syd & Macky Instagram | YouTube Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Dylan Johnson's skill on the bike, coupled with his popular YouTube videos about exercise physiology and racing tactics have put him at the forefront of cycling culture. He's a renowned professional cyclist racing in the Lifetime Grand Prix gravel and mountain bike national series and the co-founder of Ignition Coaching Co. In this episode, he talks to host Andrew Vontz about how he balances it all while remaining competitive in the ever-evolving cycling landscape. Dylan is also one of the hosts of the Bonk Bros podcast about the latest happenings in the world of bike racing. To learn more about Dylan, find him on Instagram, and learn more about him in the show notes.   In This Episode: Dylan Johnson Website | Instagram | YouTube  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Cycling has influenced Craig Dalton in business and life. He is the dynamic co-founder and CEO of DODOcase and DODOcase VR, and current VP of Portfolio a Founder in Residence at Collaborative Fund. He's also the host of The Gravel Ride, a podcast that recently hit the one-million download mark. His passion for the bike industry led him to Dean Titanium, and he then applied the lessons from the world of cycling to fuel his leap into the competitive tech domain, where he founded DODOcase. In this episode, he shares a story with host Andrew Vontz about shaking hands with President Obama in the White House, talking about American manufacturing. In addition to his years as a consultant, entrepreneur, development expert, and MBA graduate, Craig is a board member and acting executive director of the non-profit Bike Index. You can find The Gravel Ride anywhere you listen to podcasts, and learn more about Craig in the show notes.   In This Episode: Craig Dalton LinkedIn | Twitter  The Gravel Ride Podcast Instagram | Spotify  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Long before Cameron Mason made it to the podium, he was filming and creating content about racing. Cameron is a Scottish professional cyclist and filmmaker who has amassed over 2.5 million views on YouTube documenting his experiences in cyclocross, road racing and mountain bike racing. His distinctive style on the bike and behind the lens caught the attention of Tom Pidcock and he now competes for UCI team Trinity Racing. Last season, he was a British national cyclocross champion, scored top five finishes in Belgium and had a 9th place finish at the World Championships. Cameron joins host Andrew Vontz and Spencer Martin of Beyond the Peloton to talk about his rise as a filmmaker and cyclist, and how documenting races - and riding for fun - impacted his career. You can see more behind the scenes on Instagram, on Twitter and on YouTube. To hear about his pro cycling career and where he is heading next in the sport, check out part two of this interview on Beyond the Peloton, available wherever you get your podcasts. In This Episode: Cameron Mason Instagram | YouTube Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

When Kristen Faulkner gave cycling a try in 2017, she was already excelling in a venture capital career and had eyes on making partner. Three years later, she turned pro while working at Threshold Ventures and quickly started crushing European stages. Now she's a pro cyclist for the UCI  Women's Continental Team, Team Jayco–AlUla. The Harvard grad joins host Andrew Vontz and Spencer Martin of Beyond the Peloton for a conversation about the life experiences that have shaped her. Kristen talks about stress management, downregulation, becoming an expert learner and how growing up in the Alaskan wilderness with her four siblings prepared her to thrive as a tenacious human later in life. You can follow Kristen on Instagram and learn more in the show notes. To hear about her pro cycling career and where she is heading next in the sport, check out part two of this interview on Beyond the Peloton, available wherever you get your podcasts. In This Episode: Kristen Faulkner Instagram Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

As far as doing hard things goes, Clay Cooper has got it down. He's a dad with a full time job who spends his free time deadlifting in nature. He started @discoverydeadlift in 2020 when powerlifting proved to be more than just an outlet for him to change his mental and physical health. Since then, he's hiked and deadlifted in over 180 unique locations across 10 states with his wife and kids. Clay joined host Andrew Vontz to talk about stereotypes surrounding anxiety and depression and how embracing our passions and doing difficult things can transform us into stronger versions of ourselves. With international plans already in the works for 2023, it's clear that Clay's journey is far from over. To see more from Clay, check out @discoverydeadlift on Instagram and TikTok or this week's show notes.  In This Episode: Clay Cooper Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

American pro cycling is changing. As riders adjust to year round competitions in multiple disciplines, Tobin Ortenblad has done more than just keep up. He started crushing in cyclocross years ago and now races mountain bike and gravel, too. Tobin, who has raced for Santa Cruz Bicycles since 2016, is now a member of Santa Cruz's in-house endurance team, htSQD, with Keegan Swenson and Alexis Skarda. He has over a dozen professional UCI Cyclocross wins under his belt, along with a Cyclocross National Championship title. This year he joins the best cyclists in the country to compete in the Life Time Grand Prix, featuring seven iconic races on varying terrain. Andrew Vontz sits down with Tobin to talk about how cyclocross has changed, why strength training is important to cyclists, and the truth about mustache trends in the pro racing gravel field. Plus, Tobin shares his theories on why more cyclists are moving toward gravel racing. You can find Tobin on Instagram @mctubbbin and read more about him in the show notes. In This Episode: Tobin Ortenblad Instagram Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Chris Muniz, aka DJ Nightstalker, has been enchanting crowds with his signature sound since the late '90s, where he started alongside heavies like Photek and DJ Rap. From warehouse raves to massive festivals like EDC Vegas and Nocturnal Wonderland, his impact on the drum and bass scene is undeniable. For decades, he's been an influential electronic music journalist and essayist and his writings have been published in outlets like Bassrush, Insomniac, URB, XLR8R, ATM and Kmag. He's also a professor at University of Southern California, and holds a PhD in creative writing and literature. Join Chris as he sits down with host Andrew Vontz for a discussion on navigating the LA music scene, the challenges of striking harmony between his roles as a professor, husband, father, and music maker. In This Episode: Chris Muniz  Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Soundcloud | Mixcloud EDC Mexico INSOMNIAC: How to Talk to  Your Kids About Drum and Bass  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

As a black belt and entrepreneur, Ben Kovacs wanted to make Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu more accessible. He founded Guardian Gym, a nonprofit dedicated to providing jiu-jitsu scholarships and training to young people around the world. Ben joins our host Andrew Vontz to discuss the intersection of good intentions and reality, and what it takes to build a lasting and effective nonprofit. Guardian has a unique strategy of using adult memberships to fund free youth after-school programs, while also providing affordable martial arts classes to the entire community. Since opening in Oakland, Guardian has scaled into an international model that places and pays for kids to join their local jiu jitsu academies in LA, Baltimore, Mongolia, Peru and beyond. Ben received his black belt under Eduardo Fraga, previously worked at Twitter, and is an entrepreneur who has launched companies including Lifted View and the EA Mafia. To learn more about Guardian Gym, check out the show notes. Co-host Blake Kasemeier is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt and friend of Guardian. He has been a guest on previous Choose the Hard Way episodes and you can find his videos on TikTok @blakeoftoday. In This Episode: Ben Kovacs LinkedIn Guardian Gym Website | Instagram Blake Kasemeier Instagram |TikTok Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Benji Naesen is a Belgian YouTuber who makes videos about gaming, cycling and his personal fitness journey. He's also the co-host of the Lanterne Rouge cycling podcast, one of the most popular pro cycling podcasts in the world. Benji went from streaming and creating content about the video game Pro Cycling Manager to working as an analyst for Jumbo-Visma, the best cycling team in the world. Andrew and Benji talk about his experience living life in a public way as an online creator, the sacrifices he has had to make to do it, why he walked away from the Jumbo-Visma gig, and challenging parts of his journey that you may not have seen on his YouTube channels. Whether you love the Tour de France and Tom Boonen or have never heard the name Remco Evenepoel, Benji has an overflowing wisdom bank and this episode is full of gems. Plus, Spencer Martin of Beyond the Peloton podcast joins Andrew Vontz as co-host for the conversation. You can find Spencer on Twitter @btpcycling and Beyond the Peloton everywhere you listen. You can check out Benji's content on Twitter @benjinaesen, find the Lanterne Rouge cycling podcast everywhere you listen, and learn more in the show notes.   Benji Naesen on Twitter | Instagram | YouTube  Lanterne Rouge Podcast  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

On the day that “Suspect II: Vanished in the Snow” rose to top of the iTunes and Amazon podcast charts, co-creator Ashley Fantz was rolled into an operating room at Stanford for open-heart surgery. Ashley reported, hosted and co-wrote the show that explores the facts behind the case of a child who was abducted and murdered in 1984. Before her work with Campside Media, Ashley's award-winning investigative journalism was featured in the likes of CNN, the Oxford American, Salon, and Newsweek, garnered widespread accolades and created real change in the world. In this episode, Andrew Vontz and Ashley explore her journey to, through and beyond open-heart surgery and her experience creating the #1 rated podcast in the world. They talk about parenting, stress management, the creative process, the impact of operating in the true crime space and more. To learn more about Ashley, listen to a 2019 Choose the Hard Way episode where she shares the behind the scenes experience of being a CNN reporter, and check out the show notes.   Ashley Fantz Twitter | Website Suspect II: Vanished in the Snow Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

As one of the most important professional channels, LinkedIn is increasingly critical - and tricky - to navigate. Justin Nassiri founded Executive Presence, a company that helps executives find the right way to show up for an authentic audience through consistent and relevant messaging. In this episode, Justin talks with Andrew Vontz about why he chooses transparency and vulnerability as a leader. Justin spent the last decade as a serial entrepreneur. He started multiple tech companies focused on marketing services, and launched Beyond the Uniform, the #1 podcast on iTunes for military career transition advice. He's also a qualified nuclear engineer and studied electrical engineering at the Naval Academy, all before attending the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Learn more about Justin and Executive Presence in the show notes. Justin Nassiri on LinkedIn Executive Presence Website  Beyond The Uniform Podcast  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.  

Natalie Coughlin is one of the most successful swimmers in the history of the sport: a three-time Olympian, twelve-time Olympic medalist, and three-time Olympic gold medalist. She's also a mom, an entrepreneur and the co-founder of Gaderian Wines. In this episode, Natalie and Andrew Vontz discuss winemaking, competition, making music, rucking, lifting and jiu-jitsu. Plus how creativity and focus impact the way we navigate big transitions in sport, life and work - even after three Olympic gold medals. You can learn more about Natalie in the show notes.  Watch on YouTube. Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter. - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.