feeling excited because I wanted to see how fast I could finish the race. I had been training hard and trying my best to improve my running. I knew that getting a personal best would be amazing, but I did not know what time I would achieve.

I concentrated on maintaining my rhythm and staying focused throughout the race. Although I was determined to run quickly, I also knew I needed to manage my energy carefully so I could finish strongly.

Today I competed in the fourth fixture of the Under 11 District League at Mandeville School in St Albans. Having won the first three races of the season, I arrived determined to protect my 100% winning record.

Since returning from Dubai over Christmas, I have struggled with my running after being severely unwell. January included a few performances that were below my usual standard while I was still recovering. However, over the past few weeks I have trained hard and consistently, and today I was eager to see whether my form had truly returned.

Today I competed in the Herts Schools Cross Country Championships at St Margaret’s School in Bushey. It was a big event, with around 150 girls racing in the Year 5 category.

Going into the race, I wasn’t overly confident. Over the past few weeks I’ve raced at York House and Beechwood, and my performances haven’t been at my usual level because I’m still recovering from the severe illness I had over Christmas and early January while I was away in Dubai. I knew I wasn’t at peak fitness, but I still wanted to compete and give everything I had.

Today I ran at Beechwood School for their cross-country fixture. The race was supposed to be 1.8 km, but due to an organisational mistake it was shortened to 1.62 km. Unfortunately, that didn’t really work in my favour, which I’ll explain.

Since the York House race nearly two weeks ago, I’ve definitely been feeling stronger. However, my training times are still slower than they were before Christmas, so I know I’m not back to peak fitness yet. Even so, I felt stronger than last time and was excited to race again to see if I could improve on my fourth-place finish.