Today I went back to Pitshanger Junior Parkrun, and I was really excited. I hadn’t run there for a few weeks because I had been trying other parkruns instead. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been running at King George Parkrun and Bushey. Bushey has a really steep hill, so it was a bit tougher. But today I returned to Pitshanger Park, which I’ve always liked because it feels more familiar and a bit easier.

My best time ever at Pitshanger is 7 minutes and 48 seconds. This time, my goal was to try and finish under 7 minutes and 55 seconds. I know it usually takes me a couple of runs to get close to my best again, especially after some time off. Still, I was ready to give it my best shot and see how well I could do today.

Today I ran in the Moulton Summer Open in the 800 metre race on the athletics track. It was my second time running 800 metres this season, and I really wanted to beat my personal best. I had worked hard in training, and I felt ready. The day before had been boiling hot, with the temperature reaching 34°C, so I was hoping it would be cooler today for the race. That kind of heat makes running even harder!

After school, I quickly got changed at home, and then we left soon after. My dad drove us to Moulton, and we arrived there at around 7 o’clock in the evening. As soon as we got there, I started my warm-up to get my legs moving and ready for the race. I also put on my running spikes, which help me run faster on the track. I was feeling a bit nervous but also excited to race again.

Today I took part in an MYAL athletics event in Harrow, and it was a proud moment for me. I was chosen to run as the leading scorer for my running club, which made me feel really special. I was running the 600 metres, and I knew it would be a hard race. I’m only in Year 4, and most of the other girls who are also scorers are probably in Year 5. That made me a little nervous, but I was also excited to give it my best.

My season’s best time before the race was 2 minutes and 4 seconds, and my goal was to try and beat that. I wanted to run faster and set a new personal best. But when I was warming up, I kept falling over — not just once, but four times! I didn’t know why at first, but then I realised my running spikes were a bit too big for me. That made me feel even more nervous, because I didn’t want to fall over during the race.

Today, I ran the Welwyn Fun Run for the second time, and it turned out to be a very hot day. We normally do ParkRun on Saturday mornings, but this time my dad suggested we do the fun run again instead. I remembered how much I enjoyed it last year, even though it rained a lot back then. This time the weather was the complete opposite. The sun was shining brightly when I woke up, and I could already feel the heat. I knew running in the sun would be harder, but I was still really excited to take part and see if I could beat my time from last year.

The Welwyn Fun Run is a 2K race for children aged between 4 and 14. Last year the course was on grass and had a steep hill, but this year it was mostly on tarmac, which made it feel different. Running on tarmac is smoother and easier in some ways, but the heat bouncing off the ground made it extra tough. When we arrived, I collected my race number and got ready. There were lots of other children lining up, and I felt both nervous and excited. I had a quick warm-up and told myself to stay focused and do my best.