Am I Running My Race—Or Someone Else’s?

Have you ever caught yourself sprinting through life, ticking off every box, yet wondering deep down, “Is this even my race?” This week, I share how supporting my son’s Ironman journey stirred up that very question for me—and why it might be time for you to ask it, too.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

It’s been a while since I sat down for a regular episode, but I felt compelled to unpack the powerful lessons from watching my son finish his first half Ironman and prepare for a full Ironman. Beyond physical endurance, it showed me truths about resilience, momentum, and the sacredness of choosing your own path.

I talk about:

• How most of us inherit our race and stop asking if it fits the life we really want 00:17
• Vivid moments from the edge of the starting line, the lonely miles, and the finish that brings transformation 02:39, 06:10
• The eight big lessons I took from Ironman—including why momentum matters more than motivation, why rest is essential, and why running alone sometimes shapes us most 03:30, 04:13
• The sobering reality that not everyone finishes—and why respecting the journey and acting now matters 06:30
• What it means to build forward instead of starting over, and the decision my son made to keep training rather than lose momentum 09:03
• That the point of it all isn’t the medal, but the person you become through perseverance 07:16, 10:04

Key Takeaways

• I don’t have to be ready—just willing. My growth comes when I step forward, even if I’m scared 03:20.
• Momentum carries me further than motivation. I keep showing up, trusting the process 03:30.
• Some miles, I have to run alone—but no one finishes alone. My family, friends, and community hold me up 04:13, 05:31.
• Rest and refueling aren’t rewards—they’re necessities. I need to plan for rest, not just push through 05:16.
• The finish line reveals transformation—not perfection. It’s never about how I look crossing it, but that I kept going 06:10, 07:16.
• Life won’t always give me another chance. If something’s stirring in me, I have to go for it 06:50.
• I don’t have to start over. I can build forward. The momentum, discipline, and growth I’ve earned are mine to keep 09:11.
• It matters that I choose my race, and decide to finish it. 10:31

Your Challenge

Here’s your chance—what race am I running right now? Is it one I chose for myself? I’m writing it down, and then I’m naming the very next step I need to take.

If you’re ready for your own new race or dream, I created Jenny, your Dream Concierge, to walk you through every step. Find her at epiclivingwithjean.com and reach out if you want support.

Invitation

Share your own “mile 40” moments using #EpicLivingPodcast. Connect with me on Facebook and let’s support each other. Download my free guide, 7 Ways to Start Living Epic, and set up a call if you’re ready to explore what “epic” looks like for you.

Thank you for listening, for reflecting, and for running your own race alongside me. Keep dreaming, keep going, and keep living your epic life—because it’s all about the story we create.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Have you ever felt like you've been running hard, checking all the boxes, doing all the right things, but deep down you're wondering, is this even my race? The truth is, most of us didn't choose our race. We inherited it. We drifted into it. Or we just started running because everyone else was. Somewhere along the way, we stopped asking if this actually fits the life that we want. So today I want to talk about that. The race that you're running, and whether it's actually your race. My name is Jean Tillery, and this is epic stories where it's all about the story.

So grab a drink, get comfy, and let's dive in. Been a while since I've recorded a regular episode, but today I'm coming to you with something that's been sitting on my heart for months. Last October, I traveled to Waco, Texas, to support my son as he completed his very first half Ironman. And now here we are. He's currently training for a full Ironman that he's competing in on April 18, less than two weeks away. So that honestly feels crazy to me, even saying it out loud. Because if a half Ironman wasn't enough, a Full Ironman is 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a full 26.2 mile marathon, all one day. Revisiting this experience, watching what it takes to even attempt this challenge, it reminds me of something deeper.

This wasn't just about a race. It was about life. It was about becoming. And it was about what it really means to go the distance before we dive in. Here's something that I learned in October that really stuck with me. A little more than 90% of the athletes who start a half Ironman actually go on to finish. Think about that. Hours of swimming, biking, and running in brutal conditions, and still most of them cross the finish line again.

This isn't just a race. It's a masterclass in resilience, commitment, and identity. As I stood there watching the race, I started seeing lessons. Not just for the athletes, but for all of us. So lesson one. The start of the line is scary, but it's also sacred. In Waco, I watched over 1700 athletes standing at the water's end, focused, anticipating. And underneath all of that, you could feel it.

This moment wasn't just about the race. It was about every early morning, every sacrifice and every decision to keep going when it would have been easier not to. And then I realized that our own starting line feels the same way. Terrifying, exciting, uncertain, but yet sacred. Because we showed up so here's what you need to remember. If you're standing at the edge of something new, you don't need to be ready. You just need to be willing. Lesson two.

Momentum beats motivation. As the athletes transitioned into the bike portion, something hit me. No one looked motivated. They looked committed. Because motivation fades, especially around mile 40. What carries you through is your momentum, the decision to keep going even when you don't feel like it. And the same is true in life and in business. You don't wait to feel inspired, to post on social media, to reach out to your potential clients, to build something meaningful.

You keep pedaling, and eventually momentum shows up and carries you further than motivation ever could. Lesson 3. Some miles are meant to be run alone. When the race shifted to the run portion, everything got quiet. The crowds thinned, and it became very clear no one could do this part for them. And isn't that true for us, too? Support matters. Community matters. But your dream, that's your race.

There will be moments when it's just you. Your thoughts, your faith, and the next step. Those are the moments that shape you the most. Lesson 4. Refuel or burnout? Every aid station mattered. Water, electrolytes, fuel. No one skipped them because they knew if you don't refuel, you don't finish. And yet, in life, we skip our own aid stations all the time.

We call exhaustion, commitment. We call burnout, success. But rest isn't something that you earn at the end of the race. It's part of the plan. No one gets there alone. One of the most powerful parts of the day wasn't the athletes themselves. It was the people around them. Families, kids, spouses, friends.

Signs that said, we believe in you. Behind every big dream, there's a team. Always a team. Even when you are the one doing the work, you're never doing it alone. Lesson number six. The finish line tells the truth. I stood at the finish line waiting for my son, and I found myself cheering for everyone. Some athletes sprinted across the finish line.

Some walked, and some even limped across. But every single one of them crossed that line changed. Because finishing isn't about how it looks or how you look finishing. It's about the fact that you didn't quit. Lesson number seven. This is serious. And here's the part that is not always talked about. Not everyone finishes.

Some ended up in a medical tent. Some were taken to the hospital. And tragically, during Waco's half marathon, one athlete lost his life that day. That hit me hard. Because this, this kind of dream is serious. You have to prepare you have to respect it. But you also can't wait for forever, because life doesn't guarantee another chance. So if something is stirring in you, this might be your moment to start.

Lesson number eight. The point is who you become. When my son crossed that finish line, it wasn't about his time. It was about his transformation. He was not the same person who started the race that morning. And that's what dreaming does. It changes you. Not by what you achieve, but who you become along the way.

Here's the part that's been sitting heavy with me even more lately, now that we're not just talking about that day in Waco, we're talking about what came after. When my son finished his half marathon, he just had a decision to make. He could celebrate it, check off that box, and go back to normal life, or he could keep going. And that's what he decided to do. He didn't want to start over. He had already built the discipline. He had already pushed through the hard parts. He had already proven to himself that he could do something most people never even attempt.

So instead of stopping, he kept training. Not because it was easy, not because he had to, but because he knew that if he stopped completely, he'd be back at square one if he ever decided to do it again. So now he's preparing for a full Ironman. And I'll be honest, I have a mixed bag of emotions with that. Excitement, of course. Pride, definitely. But if I'm being real, just a little bit of fear, this isn't just the more of the same. This is double the distance, double the demand, a whole new level of commitment.

And here's what I keep coming back to. He's not starting from zero. He's building from who he's already become. That's the part that so many of us miss. We do something hard, we grow, we stretch, and then we stop. We lose momentum, we disconnect from the discipline that we've built. And when we're ready to start again, it feels like starting over. But what if we didn't? What if instead of stopping, we just kept going? You don't have to go from zero to Ironman, but you do have to decide, are you going to start over, or will you keep building forward? I have to admit, watching Zach prepare for this next level has been a bit overwhelming.

But his dedication, the early mornings, the consistency, the choice day after day to keep showing up. And as his mom. I can't wait. I can't wait to stand at that finish line and watch him come down that final stretch and hear the announcer say, zach Tillery, you are an ironman. Maybe that's what we're all chasing. Not just finishing something, but becoming someone. Becoming the person who finishes the race. I already know that moment won't be just about the day.

It will be about every decision that he has made to keep going long before anyone else could see it. And I've been thinking about all of this. The race, the training, the decision to keep going. It occurred to me that this isn't just his story, it's ours. Whether we realize it or not, we are all running a race. The question is, if you're running one, are you running it on purpose? Life is the ultimate endurance event. Some days you fly, some days you limp, and some days you crawl across the line. But you keep going.

Because the goal isn't perfection. The goal is becoming. So instead of just thinking about this, I want you to do something with it. So here's your chance. Your challenge this week. What race are you running right now? Write it down. I'm not talking about a finish line with a medal. I'm talking about the race you're running in your life.

It could be your health, your business, your relationship, your faith, the areas of your life that matter most. What is your race? Did you choose it? And have you made the decision to finish it? Not try to finish or I'll think about finishing. I'll see how it goes. Finish it. After you write it down and write down the race that you're in, write down your next step. What's the next thing that has to happen for you to finish that race? If you're ready to start your new race, your next dream, I wanted to invite you to something new that I've created. It's called Jenny, your dream concierge. She'll walk you through step by step on starting your dream list in a way that's simple, personal, and actually doable.

You can find her on my website@epiclivingwithjean.com or reach out to me directly. I'd love to hear what you're dreaming about. Because this isn't just about finishing races. It's about building a life that you would actually call epic. Thank you for spending some time with me today. If this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who might be in their own mile 40 moment. And until next time, keep dreaming, keep going, and keep living your epic life. Thanks for hanging out with me.

If today's episode struck a chord with you and you want to spread the love, please share using the hashtag Epic Living Podcast and leave a comment on my Facebook page. Head over to my website, epiclivingwithjean.com to learn more about what it means to live epic. And while you're there, download a free guide, 7 Ways to Start Living Epic, and it will help you take your first step. If you want to learn more about my Dream Manager program or just want to chat about what EPIC might look like in your life, reach out to me and let's set up a call. See you next time. I hope you go out and live EPIC today and every day. And remember, it's all about the story.