Choose the Hard Way

Can human movement be used to repair the damage technology has created? Jason McCarthy thinks it can do much more than that; it can be the glue that holds our communities together. Jason served as a Green Beret and is the founder and CEO of GoRuck. After running 1,000 events a year and managing 500 GORUCK Clubs all over the world, now he’s launched Sandlot Technology with the goal of democratizing and uniting fitness. Jason first joined us on Choose the Hard way to talk about his path from the Special Forces to entrepreneurship. In this episode, he shares what he learned from hosting the inaugural GoRuck Games with the Sandlot JAX festival in Jacksonville, Florida, and more broadly how those lessons connect to community building and social health. We talked about tactical patience, how an active lifestyle is the foundation for our future and the power of bringing people together. To learn more about Jason, visit  www.goruck.com and www.sandlot.fit. In This Episode: Jason McCarthy: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn GoRuck Sandlot Technology Sandlot Jax - Fitness Festival Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Whether river surfing on the Snake River or capturing base jumping off of Half Dome, Lyndsey Dyer is committed to her overall mission of inspiring people to get outside. Lynsey is a legendary big mountain skier, filmmaker, photographer, activist and mom. In this episode, Lynsey invites us to explore the power of fun and the alchemy of community when we’re in pursuit of going big. She’s the founder of Unicorn Picnic and the host of Showing Up, a podcast about people who seek to live beyond limits. Lynsey’s nonprofit, SheJumps, opens the door for more girls and women to unearth potential through outdoor play and as you’ll hear in this interview, she continues to expand the scope of her activism. We talked about pushing the limits, checking in with our instincts, and being who you are and not who the world wants you to be. To learn more about Lynsey, visit www.lynseydyer.com. In This Episode: Lynsey Dyer Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube Showing Up Podcast Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher The show is Produced and Edited by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

In 2022, the women’s Tour de France is back. What most people don’t know is that there was also a women’s Tour de France from 1984-1989. Uphill Climb is a documentary film that tells the story of that race and the legendary cyclists who competed in it.If you enjoy this episode, please give it a five-star rating on Spotify or Apple podcasts, subscribe and share it with a friend. My guests are the filmmakers behind Uphill Climb. Director Jill Yesko is a journalist, author and Fellow at the Center for Sports Communication & Media at The University of Texas. She represented the United States in cycling at the 1983 World University Games and competed in the Olympic trials. Jill’s previous films include Tainted Blood: The Untold Story of the 1984 Olympic Blood Doping Scandal and Broken Trust: Athlete Abuse Exposed. She is the host of the podcast The Bounce: Sports Talk With a Spin on WYPR and NPR. Uphill Climb’s executive producer, Ally Davis, is a life-long serious cyclist, an entrepreneur who has started up three companies and an award-winning veteran of television, sports production, global marketing and brand partnerships, athlete marketing and brand development. Ally has held senior leadership roles at Fox Sports, E!, NBC Universal Sports and Red Bull.  Go to www.uphillclimbfilm.com and @uphillclimb.film on Instagram to learn more and support the film.  This episode is part of Life Cycles, a new series I’ve launched within Choose the Hard Way. Conversations in this series cover the topics you’ve come to expect from Choose the Hard Way with guests whose lives and careers have been shaped by cycling or whose lives and careers have shaped the world of cycling. To suggest a guest or say hello, hit me at choosethehardway@gmail.com or @hardwaypod on Twitter or Instagram.  Choose the Hard Way is the podcast where guests share stories about how doing hard things build stronger, more resilient humans. Share it with a friend and subscribe to the newsletter at www.choosethehardway.com.

Casey Glass is a strength and conditioning coach who works with special operators in the United States military including special operators preparing to screen for Tier One units, the most elite military units in the world.  We talk about training and stress management techniques from the world of special operations that anyone can use to improve mental and physical performance in work, in life and in sport.  Normally I would steer you to a guest’s social media or website. While Casey graciously shares her knowledge in this interview, due to the nature of her work, you won’t find her on the internet. Casey got her start working in collegiate strength and conditioning for Olympic sports before shifting to work with tactical athletes.  This marks the 50th episode of Choose the Hard Way and I want to say thank you to everyone who listens to the show and shares it with their friends. When I started out three years ago, I had no idea there would be such an overwhelming response to the show or that it would get this big.  Thanks for listening, thanks for helping Choose the Hard Way grow, and I’m excited to keep growing it with your help.  If you enjoy this episode, please give it a five-star rating on Spotify or Apple podcasts, subscribe and forward it to a friend who likes doing hard things.  If you want to suggest a guest or be in touch, hit me at choosethehardway@gmail.com or @hardwaypod on Twitter or Instagram.  Links mentioned in this conversation:Casey’s appearance on the Building the Elite podcast.Pavel Tsatsouline’s 2004 essay outlining tactical periodization.

Danny Way, Rob Dyrdek, Paul Rodriguez, Laird Hamilton, Gabby Reece, Jeff Emig, Ai Sugiyama and Michellie Jones are some of the world-class pro athletes that human performance coach Alex Laws has worked with in her practice during the past 25 years. Her athletes have won World Championships, Olympic Medals, X-Games gold medals, Ironman Championships, victories at Wimbledon and the French Open and have set numerous World Records. A former pro triathlete who earned four World Championship medals, Alex now coaches executives and corporate teams to reach their full potential using the same high performance techniques and technologies she applied in her work with the world’s best athletes. You can learn more about Alex at https://performancelaws.com.au/ and reach her directly at alex@performancelaws.com.au. I met Alex in 2005 when she was revolutionizing the way action sports athletes trained and working with Danny Way as he prepared to jump the Great Wall of China and have been learning from her ever since. If you enjoy this episode, please give it a five-star rating on Spotify or Apple podcasts, subscribe and forward it to a friend. That helps the show surface higher in search so more people can find the inspiring stories of my guests, and I really appreciate the support. Go to www.choosethehardway.com to sign up for the newsletter and never miss an episode. To suggest a guest or be in touch, reach out to choosethehardway@gmail.com or DM @hardwaypod on social. 

Pro cycling World Champions, National Champions and World Record holders like Stephen Hyde, Ashton Lambie and past Hard Way guest Rebecca Rusch are among the legendary winners of the Unbound Gravel 100. Held annually in Emporia, Kansas it’s one of the most prestigious and competitive gravel bike races in the world In 2022, multi-time cycling road race World Champion Peter Sagan, who has won 17 stages in cycling Grand Tours and has also won the Green Jersey at the Tour de France seven times, will toe the line.  In 2015, I got second at the Unbound 100 for the second year in a row riding with my good friend, training partner, content marketing ace and now rising TikTok star @blakeoftoday. If you’re new to Choose the Hard Way, go back to episode 19 to hear about the first time I got second in the Unbound 100 in 2014. Severe food poisoning, the generous wisdom of Chris Carmichael, a magical tiny screwdriver purchased at Rite Aid wielded in a scene from Game of Thrones in the middle of the race, aerobars, the revelation of the actual physical location in the human body of the Spirit of Gravel--this experience had it all.  Losing isn’t fun, but it’s often funny. Sit back and listen to this tale of two humans who did everything to win and lost anyway.  This episode is part of Life Cycles, a new series I’ve launched within Choose the Hard Way. Conversations in this series cover the topics you’ve come to expect from Choose the Hard Way with guests whose lives and careers have been shaped by cycling or whose lives and careers have shaped the world of cycling.  If you have a great story about losing, I’d love to hear it. Hit me on Twitter or Instagram @hardwaypod. If you enjoy this episode, please give it a five-star rating on Spotify or Apple podcasts, subscribe and forward it to a friend. That helps the show surface higher in search so more people can find the inspiring stories of my guests, and I really appreciate the support.  Go to www.choosethehardway.com to sign up for the newsletter. To suggest a guest or be in touch, reach out to choosethehardway@gmail.com.

Saul Martinez is a former Army Infantryman, a Purple Heart recipient and the Chief Program Officer for Warriors & Quiet Waters, a nonprofit that empowers post-9/11 combat veterans to find peace, meaning and purpose through outdoor experiences and community. A George W. Bush Institute Veteran Leadership scholar and a subject of President George W. Bush in “Portraits of Courage,” Saul is a fine artist, a husband, a TEDx speaker, a philosopher, an actor and a father. We discuss Saul’s childhood, his service, the EFP IED that took the lives of two of his close friends and both of his legs and explore what he has learned on his journey. You can find Warriors & Quiets Waters at warrriorsandquietwaters.org. If you enjoy this episode, please give it a five-star rating on Spotify or Apple podcasts, subscribe and forward it to a friend. That helps the show surface higher in search so more people can find the inspiring stories of my guests, and I really appreciate the support.  Go to www.choosethehardway.com to sign up for the newsletter. To suggest a guest or be in touch, reach out to choosethehardway@gmail.com or @hardwaypod.

The relationship between humans, bikes, cars and streets is polarizing, but it shouldn’t be. Humans are the original autonomous vehicles. UK-based Adam Tranter is working to build a world where people can get around safely and efficiently without fear of a vehicle running them over.  Adam is the West Midlands' first Cycling & Walking Commissioner. Appointed by the Mayor of the West Midlands, Adam works with policymakers and the government to steer the region’s cycling and walking policies and plans.  A former national-level elite cyclist, Adam grew up training and racing with riders who have competed in (and won) the Tour de France. He is the founder of the communications agency Fusion Media and co-host of the Streets Ahead podcast on active travel.  Find him on Twitter @adamtranter.

Matt DeCoursey is a serial entrepreneur, podcaster, author and Forbes Next 1000 recipient. He’s the CEO and founder at Full Scale and the Startup Hustle podcast and the author of three books including Million Dollar Bedroom, Balance Me and The Realist’s Guide to a Successful Music Career which he wrote with Umphrey’s McGee member Joel Cummins.  Full Scale enables companies to quickly and affordably build their development teams. Find them at fullscale.io. Startup Hustle tells the real stories of startups and entrepreneurs and you can find it at startuphustle.xyz and everywhere you listen to podcasts. To learn more about Matt, his books and his other businesses go to mattdec.com. Matt and I went to high school together in Kansas City, Missouri and I hadn’t seen him in a few decades before I ran into him at an event while I was back home in Kansas City where the heart of rock and roll is still beating. The story of Matt’s rise from piano sales to tech kingpin blew me away, and when I heard it, I knew I had to have him on the show.  Please leave us an iTunes review (even one word is great) and subscribe and give the show a five-star rating on Spotify or iTunes. I love bringing you the stories of my guests and I really appreciate you taking a second to support the show which helps more people find it. Go to www.choosethehardway.com to sign up for the newsletter and if you have feedback or would like to suggest a guest DM @hardwaypod on Instagram or reach out at choosethehardway@gmail.com.

Dr. Gil Blander is the founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Inside Tracker. Inside Tracker brings together blood biometric data, DNA insights and fitness tracker data to create science-backed action plans for people to manage their health and performance. Dr. Blander has a PhD in biology from the Weizmann Institute of Science and completed his postdoctoral fellowship at MIT. He’s an expert in nutrition, performance, biochemistry and aging research. You can learn more at www.insidetracker.com and find Dr. Blander on Twitter @gblander1.This episode is part of Life Cycles, a new series I’ve launched within Choose the Hard Way. Conversations in this series cover the territory you’ve come to expect from Choose the Hard Way--lessons learned at the limits of human experience and the obstacles people overcome to do great things--with guests whose lives and careers have been shaped by cycling or whose lives and careers have shaped the world of cycling.  Since I launched this podcast in 2018, there have been many episodes that fit into this loose framework and I’ve gotten great feedback from you about them, so it felt like it was time to go deeper in this direction. Cycling has always been an important part of my life as a method of exploration, expression and connection and I’m excited to share these conversations with you. I’ll still have regular episodes that have nothing to do with cycling at all and whether you like bikes or not, I think you’ll find something to love in every episode. Please leave us an iTunes review (even one word is great) and subscribe and give the show a five-star rating on Spotify or iTunes. I love bringing you the stories of my guests and I really appreciate you taking a second to support the show which helps more people find it. Go to www.choosethehardway.com to sign up for the newsletter and if you have feedback or would like to suggest a guest DM @hardwaypod on Instagram or reach out at choosethehardway@gmail.com, all of those links are in the show notes.