Choose the Hard Way is the show about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun. —

One of my favorite comedians is Johnny Hilbrant Partridge, aka The PE Guy. His comedy operates at the intersection of private equity, hyper-conspicuous consumption, and radical insecurity. He is hilarious, and if you don't know his work, you soon will. —

If you want to laugh go to @johnnyhilbrant, if you want to know who Johnny is, you're in the right place. This conversation is about the decade-plus Johnny spent working to become a comedy pro that preceded him blowing up as The PE Guy. We talk about the way life events and the sudden death of his twin sister shaped who he is, what he makes, where he is headed, and more. —

A quick personal update. After three rounds of chemo, my cancer treatment took an unexpected turn last week. A PET scan showed we were successfully killing cancer. But my doctors told me it wasn't killing cancer fast enough to cure me. I'm going back to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute for another biopsy later this week and when we get those results back, they'll figure out what my new course of treatment will be. —

I'm confident we will cure it, and being in this limbo is scary, for me, and for my family. Whatever the road ahead is, we will get to cured, and I thank you for all of your love and support. —

Please hit five stars and subscribe to Choose the Hard Way everywhere you listen. —

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 __https://www.onerealvoice.com/__ 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 __https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod__ or reach out to [email protected]. —

To support this work, become a paid subscriber to the Choose the Hard Way Substack at __https://alwaysthehardway.substack.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 __https://www.laufcycles.com__. —

Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: __https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/__ —

One Real Voice: __https://www.onerealvoice.com/__ —

Instagram: __https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod__ —

LinkedIn: __https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/__ —

Follow Johnny Hilbrant Partridge: __https://www.instagram.com/johnnyhilbrant__ —

Johnny Hilbrant Partridge on TikTok: __https://www.tiktok.com/@johnnyhilbrant__ —

Due to My Role: __https://www.duetomyrole.com__ —

Dr. Stephen Seiler coined the term polarized training and systematized the 80/20 method used by Tadej Pogacar, Kristian Blummenfelt, and the world's top endurance athletes.

—

From the New York Times to the podcasts of Andrew Huberman, Peter Attia, and Rhonda Patrick, Dr. Seiler's polarized training method and zone 2 and vo2 max protocols have become an often misinterpreted cultural obsession. — I'm on the Fast Talk Labs advisory board with Stephen and I thought it would be fun to hear directly from Stephen how he thinks about polarized training, its application for masters athletes versus World Tour riders Pog, to hear more about Stephen's emergent research into the relationship between breathing, training zones, and its application in real life.

—

This episode was recorded before I learned I had cancer. I just completed round two of chemo for b-cell lymphoma. Thanks to everyone for your support and positivity as I move towards being cured. I'm sharing about my experience @hardwaypod and on the Choose the Hard Way substack, and I'll be doing an episode about it soon as well. — A heads up, part 2 of this interview coming soon. I often have people who haven't been racing bikes and running their entire life reach out to me who have heard something Huberman said or read Attia's book Outlive asking for advice about how to do zone 2 and vo2 max workouts, aka polarized training. — For part 2, I invite Seiler and one of these athletes on the show to do a live case study and analysis.

—

Please hit five stars and subscribe to Choose the Hard Way everywhere you listen. — To support this work, become a paid subscriber to the Choose the Hard Way substack, link @hardwaypod on Instagram, in the show notes, and you can go direct at __https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com__. — That's where I share my thoughts about these episodes, my cancer journey, family, bike racing, zen, and life. — 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 __https://www.laufcycles.com__. — The media landscape has changed and senior leaders must excel in unscripted forums like podcasts, fireside chats, and town halls. I started my consultancy One Real Voice at __https://www.onerealvoice.com__ to help industry leaders thrive in these open-ended and dynamic formats where reputations are built and business is won. When you're ready to be great, DM __https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod__ or reach out to [email protected]. — Stay tuned for part 2 coming soon. — Andrew Vontz on Instagram: __https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod__ — Andrew Vontz on Substack: __https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com__ — Andrew Vontz on LinkedIn: __https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/__ — One Real Voice: __https://www.onerealvoice.com__ — Dr. Stephen Seiler on X: __https://x.com/StephenSeiler__ — Dr. Stephen Seiler on LinkedIn: __https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-seiler-668202a/__

Graham Platner is a Marine Corps and Army infantry veteran with combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and a candidate for US Senate in Maine. He is also a lifelong student of fitness and strength whose training evolved from grunt-era running and calisthenics to CrossFit, Rob Shaul's Mountain Tactical programming, and Jim Wendler's 5-3-1.

—

He joins Andrew Vontz & Jonathan Kaplan on United States of Sweat p/b Choose the Hard Way to talk combat fitness, the multi-hour firefight his squad survived on zero water because everybody was fit, and what true strength actually looks like.

—

Graham has seen real strength under fire. What he sees in Hegseth, RFK Jr. and Elon Musk is masculine insecurity with access to power, and the difference between power OVER people and power WITH them.

—

Andrew joined live from the cancer floor at Maine Health Hospital in Portland, Maine, three days into a five-day chemo drip. Go to https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ or @hardwaypod on Instagram for a full health update. Thank you for all of the positivity and support. Please keep it coming.

—

United States of Sweat is the series where politicians and policymakers join us to share stories about fitness, health, and the sports they love. It's part of Choose the Hard Way, the show about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun.

—

Please hit subscribe & give this show a 5-star rating wherever you listen or watch.

—

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 https://www.onerealvoice.com/ 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 https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to [email protected].

—

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 ridingwithkaplan.substack.com.

—

To support Choose the Hard Way, please become a paid subscriber of https://alwaysthehardway.substack.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 www.laufcycles.com.

—

Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/

—

One Real Voice - narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts and high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com

—

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod

—

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/

—

Jonathan Kaplan's Riding With newsletter: https://ridingwithkaplan.substack.com/

—

Jonathan Kaplan Instagram: http://instagram.com/jonny99kaplan

—

Follow Graham Platner's path to the US Senate on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/grahamformaine

Spencer Martin of Beyond the Peloton / WEDU & Andrew Vontz breakdown Pog's big ride at the 2026 Tour of Flanders and share why their kids love riding the trainer.

—

Andrew explains how he set up the Wahoo Kickr Core with Click & Cog so his kids could ride on Zwift + product feedback

—

And we discuss the forthcoming Boulder vs. Hope junior cycling rivalry when Spencer gets his Kickr Core set up for the fam.

—

Choose the Hard Way is the podcast about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun.

—

Please hit 5 stars and subscribe wherever you listen + pass this episode along to a friend. And if you want to hear more of Spencer and Andrew discussing bike racing, subscribe to Beyond the Peloton.

—

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 www.laufcycles.com.

—

JOIN US:

Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/

—

Spencer Martin's Beyond the Peloton newsletter: https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/

—

Beyond the Peloton pod https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-peloton-podcast/id1524689002

https://open.spotify.com/show/38KNvwfP4y7ALpBBu1izsI?si=7492eed55a3a4026

—

One Real Voice - narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts & high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com

—

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod

—

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/

Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz in conversation with Wukar Fit founder Art O'Connor, a strength coach for pro cyclists including World Champion Keegan Swenson, Sofia Villafane, Chase Wark, and athletes of all ages & ability levels working to be strong for life. —

Art is a former pro mountain bike racer and now races cold weather ultra-endurance fat bike events like the Iditarod Trail Invitational 350 and the Fat Pursuit 200k where he placed second. His philosophy is lift heavy, ride fast. — As someone who primarily spends my winters in Maine trying to leave as often as possible to go somewhere warm to ride, Art's affinity for racing in below zero temps in the wilderness fascinates me. — Art and I share an appreciation of functional movement and the importance of being durable enough to function in life, not just perform on the bike.

—

Art famously completed the Abandon Your Family 500 challenge and joined us for the AYF hot wash, find that episode in the archives.

— Find Art on Instagram @wukarfit and his training programs are available there and at wukarfit.com through the train heroic app.

—

To support Choose the Hard Way, please become a paid subscriber of https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/.

—

Scripted and robotic is out, real is in. The communication landscape has changed and yesterday's media training just doesn't work.

—

That's why I started One Real Voice to provide the training and narrative development senior executives need to thrive in the unscripted, open-ended communication formats like town halls, fireside chats, and podcasts that are mission critical for their roles.

—

I limit the number of clients I work with to go deep, but if you're ready to be great, DM me @hardwaypod or email [email protected].

—

When you're ready to be great, DM https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to [email protected].

—

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 www.laufcycles.com.

—

Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/

—

One Real Voice – narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts and high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com

—

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod

—

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/

Sharice Davids is a congresswoman from Kansas, a former White House fellow, a lawyer, and MMA fighter with 7 fights including two professional bouts. She joins Andrew Vontz & Jonathan Kaplan on United States of Sweat p/b Choose the Hard Way to share stories about training, fighting, and her hardest workout ever.

—

United States of Sweat is the series where politicians and policymakers join us to share stories about fitness, health, and the sports they love.

—

Please hit subscribe & give this show a 5-star rating wherever you listen or watch.

—

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 https://www.onerealvoice.com/ 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.

—

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 ridingwithkaplan.substack.com.

—

To support Choose the Hard Way, please become a paid subscriber of https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/.

—

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 https://www.onerealvoice.com/ 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 https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to [email protected].

—

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 www.laufcycles.com.

—

Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/

—

One Real Voice – narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts and high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com

—

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod

—

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/

—

Jonathan Kaplan's Riding With newsletter: https://ridingwithkaplan.substack.com/

—

Jonathan Kaplan Instagram: http://instagram.com/jonny99kaplan

Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz in conversation with Jeff Troesch, one of the most experienced mental performance coaches in elite sport. For nearly four decades, Jeff has helped athletes and teams win at the highest level, including the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, Olympic Games, and Grand Slams.

— Special thanks to our title sponsor Blockchain.com, the most trusted name in crypto with over $1 trillion in transactions to date. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today.

— Jeff has worked with the Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, U.S. Soccer Federation, USA Track & Field, IMG Academy and David Leadbetter's Golf Academies, and has coached Olympic medalists in both summer and winter Games since 1988.

— Jeff is also the author of One Day Better, a practical guide to building mental strength drawn from decades inside professional and collegiate sport. You can learn more about him and the book on instagram at https://instagram.com/8020_books. — Applied high performance and behavioral science are two pillars of the method I use in www.onerealvoice.com, my strategic communications practice that helps senior leaders thrive in open-ended, long-form communication formats. I've found Jeff's book to be a great resource that has given me new and practical ideas that I've enjoyed exploring.

— To support Choose the Hard Way, please become a paid subscriber of https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/. — 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 https://www.onerealvoice.com/ 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 https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to [email protected]. — 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 www.laufcycles.com. — Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ — One Real Voice – narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts and high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com — Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/

The dramatic JK Normatec addiction intervention, detonating Mt. Lemmon records, the Dan Swenson World Tour 2026 bid, traveling with SciCon bike bags, and the applied high performance practices of aging parents going big in the desert.

— Spencer Martin of WeDu / Peacock / Beyond the Peloton + Jonathan Kaplan of Riding With join Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz to debrief on their Abandon Your Family LIVE! training camp in Tucson, AZ at Pace Ranch. — Special thanks to Pam Alexander and Tucson cycling community legends Paul and MaryAnn Wiederhold. — JOIN US: —

Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ —

One Real Voice - narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts & high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com — Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod — Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/ — Jonathan Kaplan's Riding With newsletter: https://ridingwithkaplan.substack.com/p/riding-with-friends?utm_source=publication-search — Spencer Martin's Beyond the Peloton newsletter: https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/ — ONE REAL VOICE - BE HEARD 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, https://www.onerealvoice.com/, 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 https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to [email protected]. |—

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 www.laufcycles.com. —

Tears, chamois cream, glory. Carb slurry was downed by the gallon and tears were shed in garages and at dinner tables around the world as the community collectively gave everything to secure midpack glory at select gravel major and minor races in mid 2026. — This episode is a conversation about the Abandon Your Family 30,000 experience with Choose the Hard Way & One Real Voice founder Andrew Vontz, Spencer Martin of WeDu / Peacock / Beyond the Peloton, Jonathan Kaplan of the Riding With newsletter / pod & special guest Paul Redmayne in the UAE, a 4x outdoor Everester who drops the shocking truth that he rides a 12-inch wide Brooks saddle on his indoor bike.— Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ — Paul Redmayne: https://www.instagram.com/paul.redmayne/?hl=en —Jonathan Kaplan's Riding With newsletter: https://ridingwithkaplan.substack.com/p/riding-with-friends?utm_source=publication-search

— Spencer Martin's Beyond the Peloton newsletter: https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/ — 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.— 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, https://www.onerealvoice.com/, 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 https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to [email protected]. — 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 www.laufcycles.com. — JOIN US: — One Real Voice - narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts & high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com— Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod — Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/

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 https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/. — 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 https://www.onerealvoice.com/ 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 https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to [email protected]. — 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 www.laufcycles.com. — Jens Voigt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejensie/ — Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ — One Real Voice – narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts and high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com— Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/