The London Marathon doesn’t really need much of an introduction, does it? For me, it’s the best - maybe on par with New York - but definitely right up there. I’ve done about 15 different marathons, so I’ve got a decent frame of reference. I had a good-for-age qualifying time, and with a UK driver’s licence, I could use that entry option. You do need to be a UK resident for that to work, which is sometimes a bit of a sore point in the community, but it is what it is. ...

I chose the Seville Marathon because it was local, the timing was good, and a bunch of us from the running club were going. I wanted a race around February time and I’d heard it was flat - which sounded good to me. I hadn’t run it before but people I trust said it was a fast course, so I signed up. My original plan was to go for a PB. ...

I tried these having learned that pinole is a nutritious complex carb, so is great for running fuel. They last 4-5 days in an airtight container. This is adapted from a recipe found in the book Born To Run 2, which in turn borrowed it from a trail runner called Andrew Olson. Ingredients: 2 tsp chia seeds, 300g pinole, 100g dates, 2-3 tbsp honey/maple syrup, 150ml water Method: Preheat over to 200°C. Process all the ingredients until they form a thick paste. Divide and shape into 6 cookies on greaseproof paper on an oven tray. Score with the prongs of a fork. Bake for 10-15 minutes until starting to crack and colour. ...

This recipe is a campervan favourite, and nicer than the meat equivalent. I usually transfer it to another saucepan once made to simmer/rest while I make the rice in the same pressure cooker afterwards. Ingredients: 1 onion, 1 pepper, 1 carrot, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 mug dried beans, soaked overnight (mix of kidney, black & mung), 1 tin chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon tomato puree, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder, 1 teaspoon miso paste (optional), 1 square dark chocolate ...

This is a fast camper van crowdpleaser, because it uses pre-cooked chickpeas and the sauce is naturally creamy and thick thanks to the combination of peanut butter and coconut milk. The lime is a nice addition because it adds an unusual and complementary sharpness at the end. Ingredients: 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 tin full-fat coconut milk, 4 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 tablespoons tomato puree, 2 tins chickpeas (drained), 1 veg stock cube, 1 lime ...

A simple curry that we never get bored of. For us, if you’re going to try to avoid meat, you should replace it with things like beans and pulses, so dishes like this feature pretty much daily on our menu. Ingredients: 1 onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 medium red pepper, 1 medium sweet potato, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 mug red lentils, 1 tin chopped tomatoes, 1 tin coconut milk. Optional: Small bunch of coriander, thumb of ginger, 1 tsp nigella seeds, juice of half a lemon. ...

Travelling as we do in a small Volkswagen California campervan, we have to be very careful about the amount of cooking equipment we carry with us. And indeed, over the years, the amount we carry has dropped. But by being clever in the meals we cook - and therefore in the gear we need - we’ve settled more or less on a small number of pieces that nestle together, fit in one half of one of the cupboards in the built-in kitchen, and allow us to prepare a wide variety of meals. Here’s everything we carry, with a peek into our cutlery drawer too. ...

It’s not really a risotto due to the pressure cooking of course (see below), but it works for us. It’s filling, tasty and highly nutritious, and thus a great one-pot meal both for van life and for carb loading before long runs etc. Ingredients: 1 small onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1.5 mugs any short-grain rice, large splash of white wine (optional), 4 mugs water, 2 veg stock cubes, 250g mushrooms, 2 large handfuls spinach, 1/2 mug grated parmesan, big knob of butter (optional) ...

I’ve been ‘in charge’ of food for our household ever since Faye and I met, when I DJed at weekends, Faye worked in the week, and so it fell to me to make the weekday evening meals. We’ve made every mistake, tried all diets, and honestly you couldn’t make up some of what we’ve done/been through (how about being diagnosed coeliac and living gluten-free for 8 years, only to figure out that the diagnosis was wrong?). Over the decades, we’ve boiled out ‘food philosophy’ down to these few rules to live by: ...

This one was a belter in the end with a solid 3:11.06 time, but right to the start line, it felt like it could go either way for me, spectacularly. What follows is my race report, and lots of info about the marathon and the city for those considering doing this one. So what was the issue? Well, having trained really well for 18 weeks, I turned my ankle quite badly 5 days before the run. I only decided to actually even travel to Málaga the day before, having completed a short test jog, but was not even sure I’d finish. ...