Today, I ran in the North West London League race at Trent Park. I knew it was going to be a really tough race because it was raining heavily, and the course was incredibly muddy. To make things even harder, we were running alongside the Chingford League, so there were more runners and stronger competition. I tried not to think about how difficult it might be and focused on doing my best, no matter the conditions. Even though I was a bit nervous, I was also excited to take on the challenge.
As the race started, I managed to get into 5th place right away. It felt good to be near the front, but I knew I’d have to work hard to stay there. The course was so muddy that every step felt like a struggle, and I had to be careful not to slip. About halfway through the race, I pushed myself even harder and moved up into 2nd place. By this point, I was completely covered in mud, but I didn’t care. I just kept focusing on the finish line and telling myself to keep going.
The race ended up being 2 kilometres long, not 2.23 kilometres like some of my previous races. This meant I had to give it my all in a shorter amount of time. In the end, I finished 1st for my club and 3rd overall for the boys in both the North West London League and the Chingford League. I was really happy with my performance, especially knowing I did well against such strong competition. Getting 1st place for boys in the North West London League and for my club felt like a huge achievement.
My pace for the race was 4:01 per kilometre, which I was really proud of considering how slippery and difficult the course was. The heavy mud made every step harder, and there were moments when I felt like I couldn’t go any faster. But I didn’t let the conditions slow me down too much. I just focused on running as quickly and carefully as I could without losing control.
This race was one of the hardest I’ve done, but it was also one of the most rewarding. I learned that I can perform well even when the conditions aren’t perfect. Running through the rain and mud alongside so many great runners was challenging, but it also pushed me to do my best. I’m really proud of how I performed, and I’m looking forward to my next race. Hopefully, it won’t be quite as muddy, but even if it is, I’ll be ready to give it my all again!
