Not because I didn’t want it—but because it felt so far out of reach.
Now? It’s just what happens when I show up.
Day after day. Quietly. Consistently. Huge thanks to my guy Chris Henry for jumping in last minute and setting the pace. Having someone beside you who believes in the effort makes all the difference. Couldn’t have asked for a better way to close out the year.
And for the first time in over a year… I’m not registered for a single race. We’ll see how long that lasts. 😅
For now, I’m just letting the work speak for itself.
Running the Thanksgiving Turkey Day Run in Downtown Greenville has quickly become one of my favorite holiday rituals. While most people ease into the morning with warm coffee and the Macy’s parade, more than 8,000 runners gather for the annual Trees Upstate Turkey Day Run, lining up shoulder to shoulder, shaking off the cold, and buzzing with that “let’s do this” race-day energy.
For years, this race was something I did purely for fun, with no real training or expectations. I’d show up and run/walk the 5K course (not the longer 8K route) and call it a morning.
But this year was different.
This year, I came with a goal.
It’s officially been one year since I decided to train as a competitive runner—one year since I stopped winging it and started building real consistency. And on Thanksgiving morning, those steady miles and discipline all showed up in one massive way:
A new PR—14 minutes faster than last year. 🏁 40:15 8K
Running in Gratitude
If Thanksgiving has a theme, it’s gratitude. And this year, that theme felt especially real for me.
As I crossed the finish line and caught my breath, I felt gratitude move through me in a way I wasn’t expecting.
I’m grateful for strong legs that have carried me through every mile of training.
I’m grateful for a calm, grounded mind that now works with me instead of against me.
I’m grateful for the clarity and peace that running continues to create in my life—mile by mile, week by week.
This sport has become more than exercise. It’s become a space where I build the version of me I want to bring into the rest of my life.
This PR Isn’t the Finish Line
A personal record feels amazing—but it’s not the end of anything. If anything, it’s just another check-in point along the journey.
I’m stronger than I was last year. More confident and more capable. And I have more belief than I ever had before.
But before all that, I’m letting myself pause for a moment to acknowledge the progress and honor the work I’ve put in. And to remind myself that the path I’m on is the right one.
This fall, mine was about rhythm. The kind that comes from showing up each week and never quite knowing who you’ll be standing beside. I played in both sessions of the City of Greenville Parks & Recreation 3.5 Men’s Doubles Ladder Pickleball League, each one lasting four weeks. With no set partners, every match was a fresh opportunity, presenting numerous micro-decisions to be made right on the court.
The first session came together easily. I started to recognize familiar faces and patterns, finding my footing with whoever I happened to be paired with. I found that if I just locked in on my serve and return placement, the rest of the rally fell right into place. Each point instilled more and more confidence. By the end of those four weeks, I had worked my way into a silver medal finish.
The second session felt a little different. The competition got tighter. The points got longer. And I had to learn how to adapt faster, reading new partners and finding ways to connect on the fly. Some days everything clicked, and others it didn’t. But even when the results didn’t go my way, I left feeling sharper and more grounded. I had a rhythm that I had never felt before. That session ended with a bronze medal and a reminder that progress doesn’t always look like winning on the scoreboard.
That’s what I love about pickleball. It teaches patience and awareness. It forces you to adjust, to reset, to keep learning. You can’t fake chemistry, and you can’t control every point. And you certainly can’t control your doubles partner! What you can do is focus on what you can control, play your game with calm confidence, communicate effectively, and trust that something good will come from the effort.
Two sessions. Two medals. A season of growth.
Here’s to showing up again. See you next season, City of GVL Pickleball!
They say training is everything, but I’m learning that the real foundation of endurance starts with a calm mind.
To be completely honest, I didn’t have the most consistent training block leading up to this race. I don’t think I had one week where I hit my mileage goal. And I definitely slacked in the interval training/speed-work sessions.
But during the final week leading up to race day, I shifted my focus inward. I meditated every evening, practicing mindfulness and breathwork. That mental reset changed everything about how I showed up on race morning.
The practice of mindfulness is not new to me. I’ve meditated consistently for the past year using the guided meditation programming offered by Apple Fitness+. But then I saw an Ad on my IG feed for the Waking Up app, which intrigued me. Like Apple Fitness, it has guided meditation sessions, but Waking Up goes deeper, teaching you how to actually understand your mind, not just quiet it. It’s less about relaxation and more about transformation–the kind that can only come from equanimity.
When the mind is calm, endurance becomes effortless.
Crossing the start line, I found rhythm early. My breathing felt smooth. Around mile four, a side stitch tried to throw me off, but instead of fighting it, I went back to focusing on my breath. By mile 5, it had passed. Most surprisingly, my splits were as consistent as they ever have been. In my past longer runs, I would limit my warm-up to a quick half mile and light stretching immediately before the race, and I had to “ease in” to the first few miles. But this time, I ran a full 1-mile warm-up about 30 minutes before the start, which I think helped tremendously and made all the difference in my consistency.
For once, I wasn’t chasing the PR. I knew it was coming.
At the last water station, I even took a few seconds to hydrate without that nagging voice in the back of my head shouting, “You’re losing time.” That’s when it hit me: calm confidence is faster than frantic effort.
The final stretch into the stadium felt surreal. The red dirt of the warning track under my shoes—it’s one of the best finish line experiences you can get. And seeing my biggest fan cheering as I entered the stadium? That sealed it.
52:42. A 10K PR. Not because I pushed harder, but because I stayed grounded through every mile.
This race reminded me that consistency follows clarity. When the mind is steady, the body knows what to do.
See you next year, Spinx. 🤙
The Real Race Starts Within 🧘
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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.
