Welcome back to United States of Sweat presented by Choose the Hard Way where politicians and policymakers join us to share stories about fitness, health and the sports they love playing. 

In 2008 Tom Perriello won the election to represent Virginia’s 5th Congressional district by fewer than 1,000 votes. He later ran for governor of Virginia and he also served as Special Envoy for Sudan and Special Envoy for the Democratic Republic of the Congo & Great Lakes among many other acts of service. 

Marathons, 10-day silent retreats, Spartan Races & what happens when you’re forced to operate on four hours of sleep a night for a year while making 62 country visits to end a humanitarian crisis--this episode goes deep. 

Tom was also the executive director of Open Society Foundations where he met my co-host Jonathan Kaplan. 

Jonathan runs Essington Road Strategies, helping organizations navigate Washington, shape policy and manage reputational risk. He also writes Riding With, a newsletter and podcast exploring the intersection of pro cycling, media, business and politics. Find that at ridingwithkaplan.substack.com.

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Now, let’s get started with United States of Sweat. Remember, this is the beginning of this project. DM me @hardwaypod on instagram and let me know what you think.