It’s fitting that my last marathon was the Athens Authentic Marathon. The word authentic has been on my radar for the past 18 months. This word resonates with me on so many levels from business, to family, and even to running.

Glass statue of a runner in downtown Athens approximately 1 mile before the finish at the Coliseum. (photo credit: Mike James, HUG)

So what does authentic mean? Webster defines it as:

1. made or done the same way as an original
2. not false or imitation
3. true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character

In the case of the Athens Authentic Marathon the first definition applies. We ran the original route from the town of Marathon to Athens that Phidippides, the Athenian messenger, had run in 490 BC to carry the stunning news that the citizen-soldiers of Athens had defeated the invading Persian Army.

However, it’s the third definition of authentic that keeps coming back to me. During my last bout of bronchitis in the spring of 2013, I was working with my friend and business mentor, Debi who would repeatedly tell me, “Beverly, don’t worry about being perfect, just be your authentic self.” That really struck a chord with me. She was telling me to be true to my personality, my character, my very own spirit! If your belief and desire are not there, you will never be successful! 

I’m sure that Debi never intended for me to jump ship and leave our business, but when the opportunity presented itself to help others achieve both their running goals and better health, I was all over it. It had been something I had dreamed of doing more than 30 years ago. Every time it nagged inside of me I would shove it back down and accept the reality of my current situation while telling it all the reasons I could never do that! I had been denying myself what my very spirit longed to do: help others achieve health and wellness through running, exercise and eating well. The amazing thing is that once I made the decision, the stress and anxiety faded. Even though I had a long way to go to achieve my new goals, it just felt right; like that perfect pair of running shoes that feels like an old friend right outside of the box! Because I was now being true to my authentic self, I knew that no matter what, I would figure it out!

View of Athens from the Parthenon.

2014 has definitely been a year of figuring it out, but at the core has been my desire to be true to my authentic self. At every roadblock or crossroads I find myself asking, “Is this really what I want to do? ” “Will it take me closer to my goals or further away from them?”  I’ve learned that its okay to take time off whether it’s from running, working or learning, and just be present and enjoy my family, friends and even downtime alone.

A big “aha” came when I realized I didn’t want to train for marathons anymore. While I liked the idea of running them, I realized I wasn’t running them for the right reasons and I wasn’t being true to myself. I felt like I was trying to make myself fit into someone else’s mold. I don’t really care if other runners think I’m not really a runner because I don’t run marathons or aspire to run ultras, my authentic self wants to run fast and compete in shorter races. I even wrote about it in a previous blog, 3 Things to do when you find yourself in a slump. In that post I talk about emailing the race director of the 3 Bridges Marathon, Jacob Wells, to return my entry as the field is very limited and I knew there was a wait list. Even Jacob, in his response to my email encouraged me to trust myself, and he also gave me the opportunity to still participate in the marathon by working as a volunteer! 

Unfortunately the running community lost Jacob Wells a few days before my friend Melanie and I were scheduled to run the Athens Authentic Marathon.  As I ran the marathon, I thought a lot about Jacob’s encouraging words in his last email to me. I thought about how he had inspired me and so many others to give it their best, whatever that was. Having taken the pressure off myself I felt free to run and to enjoy the moment of actually being there. I felt authentic. Authentically true to myself, my character and my spirit.

Less than a mile to go! I’m so excited because I know I’m about to have a big PR! John 15:5 “…apart from me you can do nothing.” (photo credit: Mike James – HUG)

While I may never know what it feels like to run a sub 4 hour marathon or qualify for Boston, it felt amazing to cross the finish line with a huge 16 minute PR of 4:24! I no longer have to worry about chasing a goal that doesn’t inspire me or that makes me anxious. I can be genuinely happy for those who have accomplished those marathon goals. That sits well with me because it feels authentic and frees me to be the person I really am!

Before the Athens Authentic Marathon. Our group was comprised of friends, faculty, and students of Harding University in Greece. Front row: Payton Williams, Laura Brown, me, Melanie Baden, Karen Bryan. Back row: Regan Burt, Rich Brown, & Daniel Nelms (photo credit: Mike James, HUG)

Karen Bryan, Melanie Baden, Rich Brown, me, Laura Brown, Payton Williams, Daniel Nelms, & Regan Burt We all finished, including 3 first timers: Payton, Daniel, & Regan! (photo credit: Mike James, HUG)

Have you stopped to re-evaluate your running goals? Does your training inspire you or are you just checking it off your to-do list? Leave a comment below and share what you are doing or what you will be doing to run authentically!