Author: Brent

  • 5K PR Fueled by Fiesta

    5K PR Fueled by Fiesta

    Most people celebrate Cinco de Mayo with tacos and tequila. I celebrated mine with a free group run and a surprise PR.

    The 5K run was hosted by Run In Greenville and New Balance, held at the always lively Double Stamp Brewery. It was one of those perfect spring evenings where the vibes were light and the energy was high. The kind of night where you show up expecting a social jog, and somehow end up racing the clock.

    The real wildcard? New Balance brought some demos, and I couldn’t resist trying out the FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4s. The moment I laced them up, my legs said “¡Vámonos!”

    I wasn’t planning to push the pace, but the bounce in those carbon-plated super shoes said otherwise. Whether it was the shoe technology, the vibes from the crowd, or the Cinco magic—I found myself cruising faster than I’ve ever run a 5K.

    Previous 5K PR: 26:13

    Cinco de Mayo: Sub-26, baby.

    Yeah, yeah, my Apple Watch says 3.09 miles. Haters can take it up with the GPS gods. The real takeaway? My pace was 7 seconds per mile faster than my previous PR, and I felt smooth the entire way.

    Was it the shoes? The placebo? The CINCO magic?

    Don’t know. Don’t care.

    All I know is: FAST is FUN.

    Big thanks to Run In Greenville, New Balance, and Double Stamp Brewery for putting on a great event. I’ll definitely be back for more group runs—and maybe another PR or two. 🌮✨

    Photos by CITIZEN MEDIA CO. Full gallery here.


  • Moving For Mental Health

    Moving For Mental Health

    This Saturday, May 3rd, a small group of us will gather in downtown Greenville, SC, for a 5K meetup in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. I wanted to take a moment to share why this matters.

    The event is part of the Move For It 5K, a nationwide virtual campaign organized by To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), a nonprofit that exists to bring hope, help, and mental health resources to those who are struggling.

    We’ll meet at Run-In on E. Washington Street and move together along the Swamp Rabbit Trail — not racing, just showing up. The pace doesn’t matter. What matters is the intention behind the movement: to remind ourselves and others that people need other people.

    This campaign isn’t about miles or medals — it’s about mental health. It’s about creating space for hard conversations, showing solidarity with those in pain, and moving in the name of hope.

    I’m sharing this because I believe storytelling can spark connection. If you’re reading this and mental health is something you care about — or something you’ve personally struggled with — I invite YOU to follow along, reflect, share, or donate if you feel called.

    💚 You can learn more or support the cause at:
    👉 https://give.twloha.com/greenvillesc

    🤙 Follow along on social:
    📸 https://instagram.com/brentalexander

    This weekend, we move not just for ourselves, but for anyone who needs to know they’re not alone. If you’re struggling, please know that hope is real, help is real, and your story is important.

    And if you’re local and want to move with us — it’s not too late!

    We’ll start at 7:30 AM at Run-In in downtown Greenville. Just show up ready to run, walk, or simply be part of something meaningful. See you on the trail! 🏃‍♂️


  • Freedom In Motion

    Freedom In Motion

    “How many years can some people exist before they’re allowed to be free?”
    Dylan

    🏁⏱️ 55:08 | 10K | New PR

    12 minutes faster than December.

    I didn’t just run.
    I broke loose.
    From the weight I used to carry.
    From the me that thought this wasn’t possible.

    With every step, I remembered:
    I’m allowed to fly.
    The cage was never locked.

    Freedom in motion.
    Not just a mantra—
    a reckoning.

    I’m not finding myself.
    I’m freeing myself.

    I’m free to move
    without asking for permission.
    I’m free to chase what lights me up
    instead of what weighs me down.
    I’m free to live within my own cadence,
    not someone else’s expectation.
    I’m free to take up space.
    Fully. Unapologetically.
    I’m free to run toward myself,
    not away from doubt.
    I’m free to speak my truth.
    Stand in my fire. Never shrinking back.
    I’m free to become more me
    with every step forward.
    I’m free to define my own finish line
    and to crush it on my own terms.

    “How many roads must a man walk down?”
    “How many years must a mountain exist?”
    “How many deaths will it take till he knows?”
    The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind. 💨

    Existence can be fleeting.
    But it doesn’t have to be.

    Nothing changes if nothing changes.
    Change is the key to unlock destiny.

    A fork in the road.
    Rain on the mountain.
    Sudden and unexpected loss.

    Some bring bliss.
    Some bring heartache.
    All bring change.

    And it’s up to the traveler to decide the road.
    It’s up to the climber to choose the path.
    It’s up to the survivor to keep moving forward.

    It’s up to the soul to rise on the zephyr,
    embracing what was always within reach.

    This is my wind.
    And with it, I fly. 🪽


  • Rory McIlroy: A Masterpiece, At Last

    Rory McIlroy: A Masterpiece, At Last

    This is what it means to Rory McIlroy.

    For over a decade, the Masters was the one that got away—the final brushstroke missing from an otherwise legendary career. Four majors by the age of 25. Dominance, elegance, and charisma in equal measure. And yet, year after year, Augusta remained elusive. A heartbreak in 2011. A dozen tries since. Whispers of what could have been, what should have been.

    The career Grand Slam.

    One of the rarest feats in golf—claimed by only five men in history. Rory had three legs of it for over a decade. He just needed one more walk up the 18th at Augusta in triumph.

    But this… this is what it feels like to chase a dream through storms and silence. To carry the weight of expectation, of near-misses, of a jacket that never quite fit—until today.

    And here’s the thing—this isn’t just Rory’s story. It’s ours, too.

    You can have all the pieces. All the promise. But some dreams take time. They demand more than talent. They ask for patience, heartbreak, growth, and relentless belief. You might wonder if your window has closed—but what if it’s just not yet?

    Rory didn’t just win the Masters. He joined the legends.
    He completed the career Grand Slam.
    He finished the story.

    And in doing so, he reminded us: unfinished doesn’t mean failure. It means there’s still more to come. He kept showing up. Kept believing. Kept working. And when the moment finally arrived, it meant more because of the wait.

    So if you’re chasing your own version of a Grand Slam—don’t stop.

    The timeline is different for everyone. But persistence is undefeated.

    Keep showing up. Keep doing the work. Let the dream take the time it needs.

    When he stood on the 18th green, jacket draped over his shoulders, the crowd rising in applause—not just for the win but for the journey—you could see it in his eyes: relief, redemption, glory.

    Well done, Rory.
    A decade in the making.
    A masterpiece, at last.


  • Alive On The Track

    Alive On The Track

    If you had shown me this photo a year ago and asked what it meant to me, I probably would’ve said, “It’s just a track.”

    Now?
    I see freedom.
    I see the birthplace of a champion.
    I see possibility.
    I see the grind, the sweat, the growth—and the liberty to chase it all.

    Purpose isn’t a destination. No one reaches the end of the road and says, “I’ve figured it all out.”

    Meaning is made in motion—in the quiet moments, in the breath between steps, in the ever-evolving conversation between your soul, the ground beneath you, and something greater than us all.

    The question isn’t “What’s my purpose?”
    The question is: “What brings me alive—right now?”

    And this picture, in this moment, means exactly that: Alive.

    I feel it when my feet strike the track, when the crisp air fills my lungs, when the sun kisses my skin.
    I feel it in the thunder of my heartbeat, in the silence of running alone.
    There’s no crowd. No medal. Just me. And I feel more alive than ever.

    Someone said to me today, “You don’t need to run. You’re skinny.”
    I laughed and said, “Funny… my mom used to say the same thing.”
    And I appreciate the sentiment—sort of.
    But I don’t run to lose weight.
    I run to feel alive.

    A year ago, I was in the darkest mental space I’ve ever known. Disconnected. Numb. Drowning in the noise of my own mind.
    I wasn’t in conversation with my soul—I wasn’t even listening.
    And I sure as hell wasn’t free.

    Since I started running, the conversations have returned.
    Some of them are too raw to repeat.
    But whether it’s the track or the trail, I’ve found something sacred in the discipline.

    I’ve traded my chains of fear for the work.
    And it’s the work that sets me free.

    That’s the difference between a prisoner… and a champion.


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