Check Out Alex Harvey’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Harvey.

Hi Alex, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My story started back in January of 2013 when I tore my ACL as a senior in high school before my final season of varsity lacrosse. After 8 months of rehab, I was cleared to go back to sports starting the first week of my freshman year of college at Virginia Tech. While trying to get to know people on campus, I played a game of sand volleyball where it tore again. In December of 2013, I had my second ACL surgery of the year and restarted my entire rehabilitation process.

Throughout my second rehabilitation journey, I was taking 2 buses to get to physical therapy and keep from failing out of school as I was a floundering engineering student at Tech. After taking a year to get fully rehabbed, I slowly worked back into working out and learning to trust my knee again. I fell in love with feeling strong and athletic again and enjoyed working towards something. I got my personal training certificate and began taking clients at our local rec center. Summer of 2017, my first summer living in Nashville, I decided I wanted to train for the Hokie half marathon in the fall. I was told after my surgeries, I would not be as athletic as I once was, and developing arthritis young was a high risk for me. I didn’t like that narrative.

I had a friend help with a very simple 3-day running plan and trained through the summer for the fall half marathon, while also maintaining a gym schedule for strength training. I finished my first half marathon and was hooked. I was hooked on the feeling of accomplishing something I never thought was possible. I was hooked on discovering all that I originally thought I couldn’t do. That’s where it started. I had always loved the gym throughout college and loved lifting, however finding the unexpected love for running surprised me.

From there, I ran a few more local half marathons, several Spartan and Tough Mudders, and then got the opportunity to be one of the 100 sponsored athletes to run the 2018 NYC Marathon with Michelob Ultra. This was where I learned what the pain cave was in running and how much I hated it. I vowed never to do a marathon distance again.

Summer of 2019, I started my traveling stint in my career in construction management. I was lonely and needed something that wasn’t construction related to focus on. So I signed up for my first 50k and hired a running coach. I started doing all my long runs on Saturday on the local trails and fell in love with trail running. I fell in love with escaping into nature, power hiking mountains, and bombing down hills. I had never felt a love for running as I found in the summer of 2019 in the mountains of North GA.

I’ve been trail running/ultra running and strength training ever since. There are fewer things that give me true joy and intense mental and physical pain like ultra running. It reminds me I can always grow, but it also reminds me I can do so much more than I realize. The feeling of crossing an ultra-finish line is what keeps me going. The mental training to complete an ultra is just as difficult as the physical training.

To date, I’ve completed several half marathons, two road marathons (2021 Chicago Marathon and 2018 NYC marathon), three 50ks (Quest for the Crest 50k, Georgia Jewel 37 miler, and a virtual 50k during the vid times), and numerous “fun runs” over the marathon distance. I attempted my first 50 miler last year and did not finish due to weather conditions, however, I am going back for that belt buckle in 2023!

The goal is always to be the best version of me out on the trail and also the most jacked.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road. Overcoming injury, overcoming a pretty rigorous work schedule, and overcoming a lot of personal adversities along the way.

The biggest obstacle has been me. I’ve had to work on mental resiliency every step of the way. I’ve had some personal hardships along this way as well, so learning how to heal those wounds has been a game changer for me, not only in my athletic career but my professional career.

I’ve learned how to push when I don’t want to and how to be kind to myself and give myself grace as well.

I’ve learned how my past has affected my views of myself but it doesn’t need to predict what future I can. I’ve spent a lot of my life trying to “prove” to everyone that I am worth something. That I am good enough to be considered an “athlete”, that I am strong enough to work in a male-dominated field, and that I am worth loving. Working through all those identity issues and deep-rooted beliefs of myself have been the biggest obstacle.

However, my job has not made any of these athletic dreams any easier. I work on a construction job site, so I am constantly fighting a crowd that lives a slightly different lifestyle than me and long hours at times.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work in construction management. I am a project manager for the construction of healthcare facilities across the country. I have been traveling for my job for the past two and half years. I am based out of Nashville, however, I have lived in Augusta, GA, Chicago, IL, and will be moving up to Madison, WI in a few weeks for one more project on the road.

I manage finances, schedule, procurement, people, and overall project management for multi-million dollar construction projects. I am known for being a female in a very male-dominated field and I’m known as the “fitness junkie” in the construction world. I am known to be the one who will run at lunch in the wintertime because that is the hottest time of the day and the one who will order a healthier option if I have a workout later. However, the guys know I love my margaritas and my chocolate stash in my office.

I’ve given a lot to my career in the last several years, and It has paid off. It’s been really cool to see the fruits of my labor start to flourish. I am very proud I have been able to accomplish a lot of the athletic achievements I have in the last two years, having moved every 12-15 months.

I can adapt to change well and can be happy alone. I am proud to be in the construction industry. There are not a lot of people like me and I am proud to be a female in construction who is doing a pretty good job at my job while having a life outside of work as well.

What makes you happy?
People make me happy. Good friends and family. I keep my circle’s closer these days with people who truly fill my cup. I love to laugh, but I like to make others laugh and laugh with others.

Because I do spend a lot of time alone on the road, I appreciate the time with my people more than ever.

However, on days people are pissing me off, my dog, Brandy brings me immense happiness and joy.

Pricing:

• I offer customized 5k, 10k, and half marathon training plans
• $100 – 8 week race plan
• $150 – 12 week race plan
• $250 – 8 week race plan with coaching/accountability
• $350 – 12 week race plan with coaching/accountability

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @a.fit.harvey