Today I took part in the Enfield Junior Parkrun, and it was my first time ever running at this course. I was really excited because trying a new course always feels like a fresh challenge. It was also my first junior Parkrun since I got back from my summer holiday at the beginning of August, so I was extra keen to run again. I wasn’t sure how fast I would be because I hadn’t done much running during the holiday, but I was determined to give it everything I had. The atmosphere at the start was friendly and cheerful, and it made me feel more confident. Even though I was a bit nervous, I knew that all I could do was try my best and see what happened.
As soon as the race started, I sprinted off, hoping to get a good position straight away. I quickly found myself in around sixth place and tried to settle into a strong, steady pace. The course at Enfield was quite flat, which was really helpful, especially as I was still getting back into my rhythm after the break. I kept telling myself to stay focused and not to slow down. I could see the runners ahead of me, and I felt motivated to catch them. After about halfway through the first lap, I managed to overtake two runners who were just in front of me. That moved me into fourth place, and I was feeling good about how I was doing.
Once I was in fourth place, I set my sights on the boy in third. He was just a few steps ahead, so I pushed harder to close the gap. We ended up having a really fun and tough battle. Every time I caught up and tried to overtake him, he would block my path or suddenly speed up so I couldn’t get past. It happened more than once, and it turned into a proper race between the two of us. Even though it was frustrating at times, I actually enjoyed the challenge. It pushed me to run even harder, and I didn’t let it stop me from giving everything I had. The competition made the race more exciting and helped me stay focused right until the end.
When I reached the finish line, I was out of breath but happy. I finished the race in 7 minutes and 47 seconds, which was a big surprise for me. It was only one second faster than my previous personal best of 7 minutes and 48 seconds, but it still counted as a new PB. I also got an age grading of 81.63%, which made me feel proud. Considering I had only just come back from holiday and probably wasn’t in top shape, I was really pleased with how it went. Beating my best time, even by just a second, showed me that I’m improving, and it gave me a boost of confidence for the next few runs.
Even though I’m proud of what I achieved, I know I can still do better. Next time, I want to be more confident when overtaking and not let anyone hold me back, even if they try to block me. I want to keep working on my speed, especially in the second half of the race, and push harder right until the finish. My main goal now is to run under 7 minutes and 45 seconds in one of the next few Parkruns. I believe that if I keep training, stay determined, and keep learning from each run, I’ll definitely get there. I’m already excited for the next race, and I’m looking forward to chasing a new personal best very soon.
