Today was a really exciting day for me. I took part in the Charnwood Open Athletics meet at Loughborough University, and I was running in the under-13 800-metre race. I’ve been training hard for weeks and looking forward to this event for a long time. I love running, and I was determined to do my best and hopefully beat my season’s best time of 2 minutes and 56 seconds. My goal for the day was to get as close as possible to 2 minutes and 50 seconds, which would be a big improvement.

The atmosphere at Loughborough University was amazing. The track is one of the best I’ve ever run on, and everything felt very professional. What I like most about the Loughborough track is that they have timers on each corner, so you can always see your time as you’re running. That’s a big help because it lets you know whether you’re ahead or behind your target, and it keeps you focused and motivated during the race.

Today was sports day at school, and I was super excited. I love running, and I had been waiting for this day for ages. The sun was out, the grass was freshly cut, and everyone was in their sports kits, ready for their races. I was especially looking forward to the 300-metre race. There were only two other girls in the race with me, but I still felt nervous. I wanted to give it my best and try to come first.

As I walked over to the starting line, I suddenly realised something—I had forgotten to put on my running spikes. I was wearing my normal trainers instead. My heart dropped. Spikes help me grip the grass better and run faster, and without them, I knew the race would be harder. I quickly turned to one of the helpers near the track. He was a parent volunteer, and I asked him, “Please, can I go and quickly change into my spikes?” He looked at me and said, “Sorry, it’s too late. You need to stay at the start line.”

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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.