Marathon Training

I've signed up for the London Marathon in April 2026 and have started training. I've been really enjoying my long runs- if anything it's a chance to get out of my very noisy house and enjoy the meditation of putting one foot in front of the other. I find I'm so much fitter and energetic if I don't drink alcohol or eat sugar, and because of my sweet tooth, I'm trying to find some sugar alternatives that fuel my body. I'm loving this Chocolate Fruit & Nut bar from Deliciously Ella at the moment (recipe below.) If you'd like to sponsor me and read more about why I'm running the marathon then you can do so here.

Deliciously Ella Chocolate, Fruit & Nut bars
160g peanut butter
4 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons raw cacao powder
200ml maple syrup (I used a combination of maple and honey)
pinch of sea salt
12 pitted medjool dates
zest of 1/4 orange

To top:
handful of mixed nuts, roughly chopped
handful of mixed dried fruit
pinch of flaky sea salt

Melt down the peanut butter, coconut oil, cacao powder, maple syrup and salt in a pan. Blend mixture with dates- I used a hand blender but you could use a Nutri bullet or magi mix. Stir in the orange zest. Spread on greaseproof paper and top with the nuts and mixed fruit. Put in freezer until set. Cut into squares and store in freezer.