Choose the Hard Way

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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. 
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Please hit subscribe & give this show a 5-star rating wherever you listen or watch.
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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.
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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.
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When you're ready to be great, DM https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to [email protected].
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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.
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To support Choose the Hard Way, please become a paid subscriber of https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/.
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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.
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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.
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Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/
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One Real Voice - narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts and high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com
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Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/
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Jonathan Kaplan's Riding With newsletter: https://ridingwithkaplan.substack.com/
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Jonathan Kaplan Instagram: http://instagram.com/jonny99kaplan
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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.
 
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Andrew explains how he set up the Wahoo Kickr Core with Click & Cog so his kids could ride on Zwift + product feedback
 
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And we discuss the forthcoming Boulder vs. Hope junior cycling rivalry when Spencer gets his Kickr Core set up for the fam.


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


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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. 
 
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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.
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JOIN US:
Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/
 
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Spencer Martin's Beyond the Peloton newsletter: https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/
 
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Beyond the Peloton pod https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-peloton-podcast/id1524689002
https://open.spotify.com/show/38KNvwfP4y7ALpBBu1izsI?si=7492eed55a3a4026
 
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One Real Voice - narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts & high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com
 
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Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod
 
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 
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Art famously completed the Abandon Your Family 500 challenge and joined us for the AYF hot wash, find that episode in the archives. 
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Find Art on Instagram @wukarfit and his training programs are available there and at wukarfit.com through the train heroic app.
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To support Choose the Hard Way, please become a paid subscriber of https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/.
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Scripted and robotic is out, real is in. The communication landscape has changed and yesterday's media training just doesn't work.
 
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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. 
 
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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].
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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
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Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod
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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. 
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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.

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

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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. 
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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

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