Today I went to Loughborough University to run in the Charnwood AC open meeting. I was taking part in the 1500 metre race. I was very excited to be back at this track because I really like it. The track is modern and looks amazing, and it feels special to run on. A few weeks ago, I had managed to get a personal best in the 800 metres at this very track, so it is a place that already has good memories for me. I was hoping to make more good memories in this race too.
The track at Loughborough is also very easy to run on because there are timers every 100 metres around it. This makes it simple to know how fast you are going and to keep track of your pace. When the race began, I started strongly and pushed as hard as I could. Sadly, I soon found myself at the back of the group. I kept trying my best, but I began to feel really sick. After finishing the first lap and about 200 metres into the second lap, I was sick on the track, which forced me to stop completely for a short while. I think it might have been the banana I ate too quickly before the race.
Even though I felt ill, I refused to give up. I knew I probably wouldn’t get a personal best this time, but I didn’t want to stop running altogether. I told myself to keep going no matter what. I had planned times in my head for every 400 metres, so I knew I was already behind my usual pace at both the 700 metre and 1100 metre marks. Still, I carried on pushing myself as much as I could because I believe it is important to finish what you start.
My personal best for the 1500 metres is five minutes and thirty-eight seconds. Even though I had stopped at around 600 metres and lost a lot of time, I still finished with a time of five minutes and forty-one seconds. That was only three seconds slower than my best ever time. I felt really proud that I had managed this, especially after being sick in the middle of the race. My dad has always taught me about perseverance and to never give up, even when things are tough. On this day, I felt I had really proved that lesson true.
During the final lap of the race, I began to get a little bit of energy back. I started to overtake some of the other runners, and that gave me more confidence. I pushed as hard as I could towards the finish line, and I was so happy to cross it with a strong sprint. Even though the race hadn’t gone to plan, I was proud that I had finished and shown determination.
At the end, Charnwood AC were giving out trophies for the first three boys and girls in each age group. To my surprise, I was the first girl in the under-11 category, and I won a gold medal. I hadn’t known there was a trophy, so it made me even more glad that I didn’t give up. If I had stopped after being sick, I would never have won it. This experience has shown me the importance of never quitting. Next time, I’ll remember to eat my banana much earlier and more slowly. Even though I didn’t get a new personal best, I still achieved something even better — I proved to myself that I can keep going when things are hard, and I became the under-11 gold medal winner.
