Choose the Hard Way

Entrepreneur, scientist, and author Chris Case shares his experiences as an endurance athlete, discussing the genesis of Alter Exploration. He explores the importance of challenging and transformative experiences in endurance sports. They also discuss the rewards of stepping out of one's comfort zone and the joy of guiding others to beloved places. Additionally, they delve into starting a business and the balance between personal growth and business success.

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