Brent Alexander

serving up perspective //

smashing the doubt

Tag: Personal Record

Track progress, celebrate milestones, and dive into reflections on pushing limits and setting new benchmarks in running and beyond.

14 Minutes of Proof That Consistency Changes Everything

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 I’m also nowhere near my ceiling.

With my half-marathon coming up in December in Wilmington, NC, I’m already setting my sights on another PR. It’s another challenge to see what a year of commitment can turn into.

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.

Same holiday.

Same course.

Completely different runner.

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December 5, 2025
The Body Is Ready When The Mind Is Steady

Spinx Run Fest 10K – Greenville, SC

Finish Time: 52:42 (8:29/mi) — New PR ✅

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 🧘

Start a 30-day free trial of Waking Up and discover the mental clarity that makes every run, and every day, feel lighter — begin your free month here.

November 6, 2025
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
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

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