Forging Iron: Exploring the pursuit of performance. In this podcast, we dive into why we strive, how we execute, what shapes our experience, and who we become along the way.
Learn and connect with us here!
I am honored to share this episode with Alexa Efraimson, now Alexa Gusman. Alexa was one of the best runners in the world at just 17 years old and turned pro out of high school and competing on the world stage until she was 25. From there, she became a registered dietician and is on a mission to help athletes excel in their sport and improve how they think about food and body image.
We explore why underfueling can undermine the adaptations athletes are training so hard to create, how discipline can turn into unhealthy control, the danger of comparing yourself to a younger version of yourself, and why there is no single “perfect” way to fuel or perform.
Alexa shares what retiring from professional running taught her about identity, relationships, happiness, presence, and learning to recognize what improvement looks like beyond PR’s and podiums.
In this episode:
- Why harder training doesn't compensate for inadequate fueling
- Fueling and nutrition for high school athletes
- Perfectionism, body image, and the “good athlete” identity
- Breaking the comparison cycle
- Why your past self can become your toughest competitor
- The gut-brain connection and pre-race anxiety
- Experimenting with fueling instead of searching for the “perfect” strategy
- Athletic identity after elite sport
- Recognizing progress beyond PRs
- Redefining what it actually means to be successful
Learn more and connect with Alexa:
Coach Griffin and Forging Iron Training:
I’d love to learn more about you and your goals!
Mental Performance Coaching: https://forgingirontraining.fit/mpc
Forging Iron Training Principles Substack: https://griffinjaworski.substack.com/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/coach_grifjaws
The Mental Game of Coaching: Mini Course - https://grifjaws2041.clickmeeting.com/coaching-the-mental-game
