The Forging Iron Podcast with Griffin Jaworski

Griffin Jaworski
  • 5.0 (4)
  • FITNESS

We dive into the science and stories of endurance athletes, authors, physicians, nutritionists, and psychologists to see what comes to the surface.  "As iron sharpens iron, people sharpen people." - Proverbs 27:17. As an endurance coach, athlete and current Master's in Applied Sport Psychology student, my aim is to help you make the most out of life through sport.Happy training!- Coach Griffin 

  1. 2D AGO

    A Year's Worth Of Performance Experts: The Three Things I Learned

    Forging Iron Podcast — Year One Reflections: The 3 Themes That Shape Performance In this special anniversary episode, we're celebrating year one of the podcast! We've had some amazing guests, from: sports nutritionistmediation expertdoctors of all types:a pediatricianPhDs in sport psychologyand an orthopedic surgeonmental performance coachesand current and former collegiate and professional athletes, ranging from runners, basketball players and rock climbersincluding two world champions!These guests have shared a little science and a lot of stories in sport, helping us take key things we can apply to our own performance journey. Today, I’m going to reflect on three major themes that have surfaced from year one. Let’s dive in: Drawing from stories and science across endurance sport, this episode explores three powerful ideas that challenge common performance myths and offer a more sustainable path to growth. 🔑 Key Themes 1️⃣ What do we misunderstand about confidence? Confidence isn’t a prerequisite for performance. It’s often a byproduct of consistent action. Many elite athletes achieve incredible results while still questioning themselves — proving that belief isn’t required to show up and perform. 2️⃣ Do sports build mental strength? If so, what are the elements required? Sport doesn’t automatically build character or resilience. Environment matters. Coaches, parents, and leaders shape psychological safety, motivation, and long-term development more than the sport itself. 3️⃣ Reframing performance as playing a dynamic puzzle Training and competition don’t exist in isolation. Life seasons shift priorities, capacity, and identity. Sustainable performance comes from aligning goals with values, curiosity, and personal growth. 🧠 What You’ll Learn Why confidence often follows behavior — not the other way aroundHow coaching environments shape mindset and performanceThe role of psychological safety in long-term successWhy playfulness improves consistency and focusHow to adapt performance goals across life seasonsA framework for aligning sport with values and identity👟 Who This Episode Is For Athletes, coaches, parents, and high performers who want a healthier, more durable approach to performance and growth. Huge shoutout to our amazing guests and those of you who have followed along. I'd love to know what you got out of the episodes. Looking forward to year two! Happy training!

    25 min
  2. Built to Move: Rethinking Training, Aging, and Health-span with Dr. Howard Luks M.D.

    FEB 11

    Built to Move: Rethinking Training, Aging, and Health-span with Dr. Howard Luks M.D.

    I’m really excited to share this episode with Dr. Howard Luks. Dr. Luks is an orthopedic surgeon by trade, but his writing, whether it’s his book Longevity Simplified or Substack called Built to Move: Born to Heal, encompasses so much more than fixing broken bones. This episode takes special meaning for me now, as just this week I lost a grandparent. He’s undoubtedly in a better place now, but a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to go help him and spent some time in a memory care facility. Between my grandpa and the other people in the memory care unit, it was striking just how much physical and cognitive capacity we lose at these end stages. Of course, that comes for us all at some point, but as Dr. Luks and I talk about today, there are ways to make those final 5 to 10 years of our life vastly more engaging and enjoyable. Through his writing and this conversation, Dr. Luks shares how to take care of our health in a way that allows us to continue doing the things we love doing for as long as we can. Find out more about Dr. Luks: Built to Move, Born to Heal - Dr. Luks' SubstackLongevity Simplified BookThis episode goes hand in hand with part of my conversation with Justin Daerr. If you haven’t listened to it, I highly suggest it, as Justin talks about a study done on collegiate athletes and how they were no more likely to exercise later in life than someone who had never exercised. I’m increasingly finding this balance between chasing performance versus moving to be healthy a fascinating topic. Clearly, training and movement can take many shapes and forms, and if you’re interested in doing a marathon, Ironman, or ultra but want to blend it with this idea of staying healthy for the long haul, I’d love to chat. One of my athletes recently completed a 100 miler, which was a big goal of his, but our main priority is helping him be healthy for life. Like Dr. Luks mentions, those finish line feelings are fleeting, and while I love them as much as the next person, I also want to make sure that my athletes are enjoying the process and doing things in a way that sets them up for health in the long haul. Find out more at forgingirontraining.fit. Until next time, happy training! Coach Griffin

    1h 1m
  3. Jacob Hunter: Running Strong Through The Highs and Lows

    FEB 5

    Jacob Hunter: Running Strong Through The Highs and Lows

    My guest today is Jacob Hunter. As a high school athlete, Jacob won multiple state championships in Virginia and was on the 2x Nike Cross Country National Championship winning team for Loudoun Valley. Jacob went on to compete for the University of Virginia, notching PR’s of 4:03 in the mile and 14:05 in the 5k. All of this is extremely impressive in it’s own right, but what makes it even greater is that Jacob has been managing Type 1 Diabetes since he was 11 years old. In this episode, we reflect on the challenges he faced while navigating sport and performance in high school and college, and some key takeaways that will help any athlete, regardless of the circumstances they face.  Some of my favorites: learning what how your body responds to training and nutrition and building around thatrepeating basic habitsembracing our limitations and constraints without letting them define usfinding joy in the big pressure momentsI’m excited to share this one with you, let me know what sticks out to you! Learn more and connect: Jacob’s Hammer and Axe CoachingJacob’s instagramCoach Griffin and Forging Iron Training: Coaching: https://forgingirontraining.fit/coaching-consult Forging Iron Training Principles Substack: https://griffinjaworski.substack.com/ More ways to connect: Instagram:  https://instagram.com/coach_grifjaws Twitter: https://x.com/coach_grifjaws LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/griffin-jaworski

    56 min

  4. JAN 29

    A meditation for coaches and athletes & why it works

    Today we’re exploring the power of loving-kindness meditation. I know, I know… some people hear “loving-kindness meditation” and immediately tune out; it’s too woo-woo or mushy-gushy. For those unfamiliar, loving-kindness meditation is a lot like having “thoughts and prayers” for others and for self. It’s also called Metta, which translates to positive energy and kindness. People say things like that all the time: “I’m thinking about you” or “you guys are in our prayers” or “hope you’re doing well!”. With that in mind, a loving-kindness meditation isn’t probably too far off from ways we already think - it’s just a little more specific and aimed at helping the person practicing, not just who they’re thinking about. For coaches, athletes, or people a part of a team or group, I think this type of meditation can be extremely beneficial. I've included some research and more details on this, with a standalone guided meditation on our substack as well. Until next time, happy training! Coach Griffin May you, the listener, be safe, well, joyful and loved. References: Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Free Press. Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218 Cho, H., Kim, S., & Lee, Y. H. (2021). Sport coaches’ positive emotions, task performance, and well-being: The mediating role of work satisfaction. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 16(6), 1247-1258. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541211026246 Cotterill, S. T., Clarkson, B. G., & Fransen, K. (2020). Gender differences in the perceived impact that athlete leaders have on team member emotional states. Journal of Sports Sciences, 38(10), 1181–1185. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2020.1745460 van Kleef, G. A., Cheshin, A., Koning, L. F., & Wolf, S. A. (2019). Emotional games: How coaches’ emotional expressions shape players’ emotions, inferences, and team performance. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 41, 1–11. https://doi-org.adams.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.11.004 Sheehy, T., Zizzi, S., Dieffenbach, K., & Sharp, L.-A. (2019). “... Didn’t only change my coaching, changed my life”: Coaches’ use of sport psychology for their own development and performance. The Sport Psychologist, 33(2), 137–147. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2018-0061 Zeng, X., Chiu, C. P. K., Wang, R., Oei, T. P. S., & Leung, F. Y. K. (2015). The effect of loving-kindness meditation on positive emotions: A meta-analytic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01693

    19 min
  5. Justin Daerr: Keys To Performance Improvement

    JAN 21

    Justin Daerr: Keys To Performance Improvement

    Today’s episode is jam packed with insights into the mindset of elite performance, both from an athlete’s and coach’s perspective. My guest is Justin Daerr, a former professional triathlete and current coach and mental performance consultant. As an athlete, Justin has an extremely impressive resume, but one of the things that I love that he highlights on his website all-ofit.com is that he completed his first Ironman in 12 hours and 55 minutes, coming in 1034th place. Then, over a decade later, he won the professional field at Ironman Boulder while notching a ton of podium finishes in between. Justin has also had incredible success in coaching, with athletes winning their age group or overall amateur fields at triathlons of multiple levels. Recently, Justin has completed a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology, and this episode really highlights key ways the mental game can help shape our performances and experiences, both from the lens of an athlete and coaches. I’m excited to see what you all take away from this episode! One thing I really resonated with was the difference between being the best athlete in the field versus making the best out of your own performance. While training is partly geared towards improving our physical capacity, it should also be geared towards improving our execution. Unless you’re performing at 100% of your physical capacity 100% of the time, then great news, you can get better by simply working on your mental game and trying to raise that execution level up. If that interests you, head over to forgingirontraining.fit and let’s chat, I’d love to learn more. Connect with Justin and learn more: all-ofit.comJustin’s Goal series on SubstackAll-ofit instagramCoach Griffin and Forging Iron Training: Coaching: https://forgingirontraining.fit/coaching-consultForging Iron Training Principles Substack: https://griffinjaworski.substack.com/More ways to connect: Instagram:  https://instagram.com/coach_grifjaws Twitter: https://x.com/coach_grifjaws LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/griffin-jaworski

    1h 14m
  6. Coaching with Purpose: Values, Connections, Leading by Example with Suzu Cornella

    JAN 15

    Coaching with Purpose: Values, Connections, Leading by Example with Suzu Cornella

    I’m super excited to share this episode with Suzu Cornella. Like many of us, she has multiple different dimensions and experiences, including being an elite and professional rock climber, representing Team USA on the Sport Climbing National Team in three world championships all over the world. Suzu was the first female route setter in the history of Movement Climbing and Fitness, coaches climbers and other athletes and coaches in mental training through her company, Summits of the Mind. Plus, she’s a mom of one, soon to be two! At the time of this conversation, Suzu was the manager for coaching education at the USOPC, which we cover in great depth. As we’ve talked about on the episode with Dr. Zuleger, who was also a teacher and mentor for Suzu, is this idea that coaches don’t coach sports, they coach the people doing those sports. Suzu and I talk about how many coaches know the technical side of their sport, but ironically, the it’s the “soft-skills” like building connections and self-awareness that are hardest to develop and arguably more impactful on performance. Whether you’re a parent, coach, organizational leader, or athlete, I think this episode will offer some great perspective shifts on what it means to create sustainable excellence.  Enjoy! Learn more about Suzu and USOPC Couching resources: Connection Based Coaching CourseHow Coaches Shape The Sport Experience - USOPC ArticleCoach Well Being - USOPC ResourcesUSPOC Coach ResourcesSummits Of The Mind : https://www.summitsofthemind.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/summits_of_the_mind_/Coach Griffin and Forging Iron Training: Explore our endurance and mental performance coaching at forgingiontraining.fitForging Iron Training Principles Substack: https://griffinjaworski.substack.com/Meditating on an airplane

    56 min
  7. The Pain Cave Gets Bigger: Jonathan Levitt

    JAN 8

    The Pain Cave Gets Bigger: Jonathan Levitt

    Powered by Forgingirontraining.fit: explore endurance coaching and mental performance coaching  I’m pumped to kick of 2026 with today’s guest, Jonathan Levitt.  He’s the host of the podcast For The Long Run, a show I’ve listened to for a long time, and recently the creator of Long Run Labs, a collective working to empower other awesome running and endurance podcasts. He’s also someone who likes to play in the start-up and entrepreneurial space in running and health tech. We cover a lot of fun topics in this episode, including: actionable items on building mental toughness by expanding the pain cave and how curiosity has shaped his running and entrepreneurial goalsBut one of the things that truly resonated with me is just how much Jonathan embodies the phrase “a rising tide floats all boats” and throughout this conversation you’ll notice the multitude of ways Jonathan has helped elevate the running community. Connect with Jonathan and learn more: The New Blood EraLong Run LabsForthelong.runInstagram - @jwlevitt // @forthelrpodX - @jwlevittOne thing we talk about is curiosity, and how it can be powerful to do things without knowing the end zone looks like simply because you enjoy the process of doing them. That's a bit how I view the podcast, but as I start year two, I've put a few more carrots for myself that I'd love your help in achieving. Two ways you can support the podcast is simply by sharing episodes you enjoy or subscribing to our substack to stay up to date. The more support, the more we can keep connecting with inspiring guests and helping them share the science and stories of sport. Connect with us and learn more: Endurance and Mental Performance CoachingThe Cheat Codes To Mental Toughness (mentioned in episode)Instagram - @coach_grifjawsX - @coach_grifjawsUntil next time, happy training! PS. Original image for episode artwork credit to Roo Smith!

    1h 3m
  8. Building Fortitude with Brian Sullivan

    10/22/2025

    Building Fortitude with Brian Sullivan

    Question of the episode: What did or do you admire about your favorite coach that you’ve ever worked with? (comment with your answer here on substack!) My guest today is Brian Sullivan, a coach and consultant for Fortitude Mental Performance, who helps individuals, teams, and coaches improve their mindset, leadership, and culture. Part of what I enjoyed about this conversation was the multiple perspectives Brian has on sport. He has: played and coached basketball at the Division I level for Davidson Universityplayed basketball on the professional level in Australia and Europeand received a Master’s degree in Sport and Performance Psychology from Denver UniversityThroughout this episode, you can tell how Brian has blended these experiences and areas of expertise to help the athletes and groups he works with make the most out of their performance. Some of the topics we go into are: the importance of enjoyment in sportwhat percent of sport performance is mental?how teams and coaches can better bring their values to lifethe importance and challenge of coaches taking feedback, not just giving itand the power of focusing on the quality and types of experiences an athlete has in unique and creative waysIf you’re a coach or parent, this one will be especially impactful, but even as an athlete it can be incredibly beneficial think of coaches as performers and if and how they are helping facilitate an environment that allows you to flourish. As I’ve stepped into a Mental Performance Consulting role for a few athletes and teams myself, it was really fascinating to hear his approach and the lessons learned from all angles of the court. Connect with Brian and Fortitude: https://fortitude.coach https://instagram.com/fortitude.coach https://x.com/BrianSullivanSP Coach Griffin and Forging Iron Training: Coaching: https://forgingirontraining.fit/coaching-consult Sponsor the Podcast, Newsletter, and/or Training Squad: https://forgingirontraining.fit/becomeasponsor Forging Iron Training Principles Substack: https://griffinjaworski.substack.com/ YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/griffinjaworski More ways to connect: Instagram:  https://instagram.com/coach_grifjaws Twitter: https://x.com/coach_grifjaws LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/griffin-jaworski

    1h 3m
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About

We dive into the science and stories of endurance athletes, authors, physicians, nutritionists, and psychologists to see what comes to the surface.  "As iron sharpens iron, people sharpen people." - Proverbs 27:17. As an endurance coach, athlete and current Master's in Applied Sport Psychology student, my aim is to help you make the most out of life through sport.Happy training!- Coach Griffin 

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