For the last two weeks, I have been training in India at Wings Stadium in Bandra. It has been a busy time, as I managed to complete nine training sessions. My longest runs were 10,000 metres and 12,000 metres. For the 12,000 metres, I finished in 59 minutes and 15 seconds, while for the 10,000 metres, I completed it in 51 minutes and 10 seconds. It felt like a lot of running, but I was proud of what I achieved during this training period.

Normally, I train twice a week, but this time, I trained four times instead. It was a big change, and I did a lot of different types of running. Some sessions focused on sprinting, which helped me with my speed, while others were all about long-distance running to build my endurance. Most of the time, I ran on my own because the rest of the group was practising hurdles. Running by myself felt a bit lonely, but it also gave me time to focus on my pace and improve my stamina.

Today, I ran in the Metropolitan League at Uxbridge. The race was supposed to be 2 kilometres, but it turned out to be just 1.95 kilometres. I knew it was going to be tough because the course was very muddy, but I was ready to give it my best shot. As the race started, I got a good start, but I quickly realised I didn’t know what I had signed up for!

About a quarter of the way through the race, we came to a very steep hill. It was so difficult that even walking seemed faster than running! I pushed through as best as I could, but it took a lot of energy. After the hill, we faced some downhill sections, but they were just as tricky. The ground was paved, and I was wearing spikes, which made it hard to get a good grip. It felt dangerous at times, but I managed to stay steady.

Today I took part in the Battersea Run Festival, held on 24th November 2024. The race was supposed to be 3 kilometres long, but it ended up being just 2.75 kilometres. Right from the start, I felt ready to give it my all. At first, I was in second place, but I quickly managed to take the lead. It felt exciting to be out front so early on, but I soon realised there weren’t many signs along the route to guide us. Because of this, I spent some time looking back to check I was going the right way. I think I lost about fifteen seconds doing that.

Even with the confusion, I stayed ahead and managed to finish in first place. I crossed the line 1 minute and 12 seconds ahead of the runner in second place. It felt amazing to win by such a big margin. The weather made the run even better. It was 18 degrees today, which felt much more comfortable compared to the freezing 2 degrees I ran in yesterday. Running in warmer weather definitely helped me enjoy the race more.

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.