Today I ran in the North West London League race at Trent Park in Cockfosters. The race was meant to be 2 kilometres, but I knew it would be longer because I ran the same course last year and it ended up being about 2.4 km. Going into the race, I prepared myself for a tough run, knowing the distance and terrain would make it challenging.
When the race started, I tried to get into a good position early on. The course was quite unpleasant, with a mix of muddy sections and very hard ground. It was difficult to find a smooth rhythm, and I had to be careful not to slip in the mud while still pushing myself forward.
I settled into sixth place, a little way behind the leaders. Even though I wasn’t right at the front, I stayed positive and told myself to keep working through the pack. I was determined not to stay where I was and focused on slowly closing the gap to the runners ahead.
Partway through the race, I managed to overtake one of the girls, which moved me up into fifth place. That gave me a small confidence boost, and I tried to chase down the leading group. I kept pushing as hard as I could, even though my legs were starting to feel tired.
I finished the race in fifth place, which was disappointing by my own standards. My watch recorded the distance as 2.39 km, with a pace of 4 minutes and 3 seconds per kilometre and an age rating of 85.39%. As a runner who prides myself on long distances, I felt I should have done better over this course.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad performance, but there was definitely plenty of room for improvement. I really want to start finishing in the top three, and I know that is possible for me. I also take some confidence from the fact that I am only in Year 5, while most of the girls who beat me were in Year 6. That gives me motivation to keep working hard and aim higher in the next races.
