Brent Alexander

serving up perspective //

smashing the doubt

Category: Running

Find training insights, personal experiences, and motivation to push your limits, whether you’re a beginner or chasing new milestones.

Donut Know How I Ran This Fast 🍩

This past Saturday’s BIG Nike Takeover was such a vibe.

The run was hosted by Run In Greenville and fueled by some of the best caffeine in town from Due South Coffee Roasters. But the real heart behind the event? Supporting the next generation of creatives by collecting art supplies for local schools.

I laced up the new Nike Vomero 18s for the first time, and they did not disappoint. Super cushioned and responsive—the perfect combo of comfort and speed. They felt so good, I couldn’t help but lean in and let it rip:

24:45 for a new 5K PR. 🔥

Not mad about walking away with a free hat from the Greenville Uptempo Sports raffle and a limited-edition tee featuring custom art by the one and only @tjeisenhart (seriously—such a cool collab). Every detail of the event felt thoughtful, from the gear to the coffee to the art. And the vibes? Immaculate.

It was one of those runs that reminds me why I do this—fast miles, good people, and purpose behind the pace. The end result is pure joy.

Let’s run it back soon, fam. 🤙

PHOTOS BY CITIZEN MEDIA CO

June 3, 2025
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.

May 8, 2025
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! 🏃‍♂️

May 1, 2025
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.

April 23, 2025
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.

April 10, 2025

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