Travis Macy has graced podiums at some of the world's most grueling trail runs, adventure races and mountain biking competitions. As a speaker, podcast host, and author, he shares stories of what endurance sports have taught him about human resilience both on and off the trail. His forthcoming memoir A Mile at a Time is about his relationship with his father, Mark Macy, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2018. The two often host a podcast, The Travis Macy Show, together. Travis shares the value of rest and optimism when balancing family, mental health, and training, and the importance of having a beginner’s mindset when you’re new to something. To learn more about Travis, find his website and podcast in the show notes. Watch on YouTube. Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter. In This Episode: Travis Macy Instagram | Website Mace Macy on Instagram A Mile at A Time: A Father and Son’s Inspiring Alzheimer’s Journey of Love, Adventure, and Hope Travis Macy Show Apple Podcast | Spotify - - - - - - - - - -  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.

Andrew Vontz of Choose the Hard Way and Spencer Martin of Beyond the Peloton talk with Patrick Broe about high performance, team dynamics and race strategy inside the professional peloton. This episode is part of the Choose the Hard Way Life Cycles series that explores how bikes shape people and the world. To learn more about Lanterne Rouge, check out the show notes at ChoosetheHardWay.com. Beyond the Peloton is a podcast with in-depth pro cycling race previews, analysis, and rankings, hosted by Spencer Martin. You can find the podcast and subscribe to Spencer’s newsletter at www.beyondthepelotonblog.com. Watch on YouTube. Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter. In This Episode: Lantern Rouge Website | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | Podcast Patrick Broe LinkedIn Beyond The Peloton  - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way produced and edited by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

After navigating depression and bipolar 2, Alex Palmer sought more purpose and meaning in life. He founded a mental health awareness project in the cycling world called Blackdog, and now hosts Blackdogcast, a cycling-powered mental health awareness podcast. He shares his insights into environmental stress in the pro cycling world, searching for a job that works with you, and how too much of anything - including riding a bike - can become an unhealthy way to hide from your problems. Now, Alex works with Heading Health, an Austin-based start-up offering integrated mental health care and psychedelic therapy. You can read more about him in the show notes. Watch on YouTube. Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter. In This Episode: Alex Palmer Instagram | LinkedIn  Blackdog Cast Website | Podcast  - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production 

Whether innovating healthcare systems, challenging personal habits, or competing in an uphill cycling race in freezing weather, Chris Waugh often returns to the core principle of a “beginner’s mind.” How would we approach this if it was our first experience? Chris is a powerhouse in the world of health care innovation. Human-centered design informed years at IDEO, One Medical Group, and now at Sutter Health, as first Chief Innovation Officer. In this interview, we talk about how curiosity and creativity can reframe our approach to human health. He shares anecdotes about marginal gains, cellular health, systems thinking, and the many ways cycling has been a vector for personal and professional exploration and growth. This episode is part of the Choose the Hard Way Life Cycles series that explores how bikes shape people and the world. You can find out more about this series and Chris in the show notes. Watch on YouTube. Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter. In This Episode: Chris Waugh LinkedIn - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production 

How do exercise, conversation, and memory change our brains? Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Scott Frey has spent over 30 years researching the way our brain’s adaptability impacts human performance. He is an award-winning scientist, endurance athlete, lecturer and entrepreneur - and not long before he began his research, he was a high school dropout financially supporting his single mother, who had multiple sclerosis. Within 10 years, he graduated from Harvard and went on to receive a PhD from Cornell. Now, in addition to running his company, Neurocognitive Consultants, he is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at Missouri University, where he also directs the Rehabilitation Neuroscience Laboratory. In this episode, we talk about the brain’s ability to adapt to challenges like limb loss and degenerative disease, how focus and attention determine memory function, and the way exercise impacts our neuroplasticity. Read show notes and more on our website. Watch on YouTube. Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter. In This Episode: Dr. Scott Frey Website | LinkedIn | Facebook Neurocognitive Consultants - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production 

Chris Cowart has applied the expertise in user-centered design he developed during 14 years at IDEO to innovate across the disciplines of product, partnerships, venture capital and business. His career spans Venture Capital with Montage Ventures, revolutionizing food systems with Treasure8, and designing many “first of their categories” including TiVo and Handspring at IDEO. Now as the Managing Director of the Nomura-SRI Innovation Center (NSIC), he is working to accelerate the adoption of Silicon Valley’s disruptive technology innovation processes into corporate Japan. We talk about the socialization of ideas and seeing the future through design fiction, plus a Google X moonshot project that didn’t quite make it past the stratosphere. To learn more about Chris, follow him on Instagram or LinkedIn and check out the show notes. In This Episode: Chris Cowart Instagram | LinkedIn - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production 

For Mary Lemmer, improv was initially a means to recalibrate and reconnect to her life. Now, the fundamental response of “yes and” has become a guiding principle that changes the way she moves through the world. As the founder of Improve, she has led workshops for tens of thousands of people around the world - to individuals, companies, Fortune 500s, universities, and nonprofits - and she even gave a TED talk about the impact of improv on leadership. We talk about what she learned on her professional path from the gelato cart, to tech and investing, and even to an Airbnb for vegetable gardens - and how she ended up studying at The Second City and The Annoyance in Chicago, Upright Citizen’s Brigade in NYC and The Groundlings in LA. Go to www.chooseimprove.com and @chooseimprove on Instagram to learn more.   In This Episode: Improve Website | Instagram | LinkedIn  Mary Lemmer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn  - - - - - - - - - -  Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production 

American professional cyclist Scott McGill seemingly came out of nowhere to win not only two stages, but also the points jersey at the Volta a Portugal this summer. On this special collaboration episode with Andrew Vontz and Beyond the Peloton host Spencer Martin, Scott talks about the framework that has enabled him to produce breakthrough performances around the world. Currently riding for Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling, Scott’s uniquely adaptive approach to racing won him a spot on the American World Championship squad and a leadership role of the USA Cycling Team at the Maryland Cycling Classic. As he announced on this episode for the first time, he will join the Human Powered Health team in 2022 and race a full schedule in Europe. Scott is a paradigm on the road and in training. He shares insight into his nutrition protocol and how he is more likely to rely on whatever he can find in his parents' pantry for fuel before a race. Plus, other insights into his experiences on tour, and why he chose road cycling over gravel. To learn more about Scott, go to @scottmcgilljr on Instagram. Beyond the Peloton is a podcast with in-depth pro cycling race previews, analysis, and rankings, hosted by Spencer Martin. You can find the podcast and subscribe to Spencer’s newsletter at www.beyondthepelotonblog.com. In This Episode: Scott McGill Instagram Beyond The Peloton  Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Ian Dille has always been someone who questioned the status quo. He’s a freelance journalist and former pro cyclist who thinks social media can actually broaden our worldview - if used correctly. His long-form writing appears in outlets like Outside magazine and Texas Monthly, and his stories have been reproduced by This American Life and featured on Longreads. Perhaps even more impressive, he went viral on TikTok at age 40. Previously, Ian was a senior producer for the streaming service FloSports where he helped launch a cycling content platform, FloBikes, which broadcast most of the world’s biggest bike races, including the Tour de France. We talked about his formative years in the cycling world and the types of stories that exist within the sport. In this episode, Ian shares insight into how his writing process has evolved, and how he’s become invested in stories about social justice, racial justice, and gender equity. You can find Ian’s writing at http://iandille.com/ and on Twitter and Instagram. In This Episode: Ian Dille Instagram | Website | Twitter  Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Dr. Kevin Sprouse keeps high-performance athletes at the top of the podium with training and recovery - but often, it’s on the bus rides, in the hotel, and on the road where he learns the most about how people thrive in life. Trained and certified in both Sports and Emergency Medicine, Dr. Sprouse now serves as the Head of Medicine for EF Education-EasyPost Cycling. In his private practice, Podium Sports Medicine, he works with elite and professional athletes across numerous sports and disciplines, including professional cycling, triathlon, PGA golfers, NFL and MLB players, Olympic track and field athletes, and many more. He shares insights into recovery, training, and the future of performance, as well as how exercise, diet, and recovery affect the health and well-being of all active individuals at any level. Dr. Sprouse is also the host of The Podium Podcast where he dissects the principles of performance. You can visit www.podiumsportsmed.com to learn more about his practice. In This Episode: Kevin Sprouse Instagram  The Podium Instagram | Website | Podcast  Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher