Every year for the last four years I have run the Gusher Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K as my birthday race. This year along with Gusher, I was able to run the Safelite 5K that fell on the day of my birthday, March 11th.
I found out about the race the weekend of Gusher and registered. Several from the GTS group were running it so I figured why not. It was the first race that Safelite has done in the Beaumont area. The course was set to start and finish inside the Country Club in Beaumont, a place I was unfamiliar with and have never run.
The course started in a cul-de-sac on Willow Creek making a 3.1 mile loop around back to the finish in along side of the country club. I set out to run it as a recovery run but that never happens when you’re running with the elites in your run group lol. I started out way faster then I should have and kinda paid for it 2 miles in when my legs started feeling like cement blocks. Apparently I needed a bit more recovery time from my Triple Threat at Gusher the following weekend.
As I rounded the last corner around 2.5 miles or so, I caught a glimpse of Jeremy, founder of the GTStrutters about a quarter of a mile behind me. He was my motivation to get to the finish as there was no way I was going to let him pass me up lol. With less then a quarter mile to the finish I kicked it in hard and he must have done the same because he was gaining on me. As we neared the finish line, Buddy and Becky were there cheering us on and taking pictures. Buddy screaming, “Jeremy’s right behind you, push it!” Push it is exactly what we both did!
Awards
First overall male was Sean O’Connell setting a course record of 19:02 and first overall female was Bree Fontenot with a finish time of 19:11. Javier was third overall male and Virginia was 2nd overall female. My official finish time 27:59, 1st Place age group, 6th overall female and 21st overall. Not bad for a birthday run!
GTStrutters represented great at the Safelite 5K with everyone placing in their age group! A race is not complete for us as a group without taking post race pictures and selfies.
Post Race Birthday Celebration
After awards, Virginia and Javier had reserved part of the Boudain Hut for us to eat and celebrate my birthday! The pancakes were AMAZING!!! OMG!!! Best pancakes I’ve ever had! I had a great time celebrating my turning 34 with my some of my closest friends!!! Thanks Strutters!!! Love my GTStrutters run family!!!
And they all sang happy birthday to me!!! All in a great race and a great day to turn 34! Looking forward to running Safelite in 2018!
Next race up, Tyler Run for Autism Half Marathon on April 1st! Go Team Xander!!!
AprilontheRun 
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