Today I ran in the Stan Allen one-mile race in Tooting. I was really looking forward to this race because I had never run a mile on the track before. The furthest race I had done before was 1500 metres, so this was a new challenge for me. The journey to the track was quite long, and when we were travelling there it was raining very heavily. For a while I thought the race might be cancelled and that I would not even get the chance to run. Luckily, when we finally arrived, the rain had almost stopped. It was still spitting a little, but it was only light and it wasn’t going to stop me from running.

My race was the fifth heat, so I had to wait and watch a few others before it was my turn. I was determined to do well and had set myself a target time of six minutes. I believed I could get close to that target, and I felt ready to push myself. When the start came, I didn’t hear the bell properly and because of that my start wasn’t as sharp as I wanted. I managed to settle into the pack quite quickly, but during the race I often found myself stuck on the inside, surrounded by three or four other runners, which made it difficult to run freely.

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.

Today I ran at Sutcliffe Park for a Track and Field Night event. This was my second time running at this event, after first taking part on the 16th of July. I was really looking forward to returning because I enjoy running on the track, and I had a goal in mind. I was going to run the 1500 metres again, and I was hoping to beat my personal best. My previous best was 5 minutes and 40 seconds, and when I ran here last time, I finished with a time of 5 minutes and 43 seconds — just three seconds slower than my best. This time, I was determined to run faster and get a new personal best.

Even though I had just recently come back from my holiday, and I didn’t feel like I was at full fitness yet, I was still really motivated to do well. I knew it might be a challenge, but I wanted to test myself and see what I could achieve. I was placed in the last heat of the event, and my aim was simple: run the best I could and try not to finish in last place. This event is mixed, so boys and girls of all ages take part, but most of the runners in the 1500m are usually 13 years old or older. That meant I was by far the youngest in the race, which made it even more important to focus and stay strong.

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.