This year&rsquo;s stupendous season of outdoor track and field has finally drawn to a close, and goodness me, what a season it has been!
The World Athletics Championships Oregon22 took place only two months ago, but it feels like an eternity has passed since, with the Commonwealth Games, World U20 Championships, European Championships and NACAC Championships giving athletics fans the world over a feast of unforgettable performances.
If you are feeling your athletics fever dwindling somewhat, fear not, because September is always the month when we turn our attention to the roads and (I admit I am biased) the best event of them all &ndash; the marathon!
<img style="float: right;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/632f1427a216e9c661b3a00e.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="291" />The names of iconic marathon host cities &ndash; Berlin, London, Chicago, Valencia &ndash; will soon be in the news. Perhaps you are taking on the 26.2-mile challenge at one of these events? Or thinking about dipping your toe in during 2023 as the northern hemisphere spring marathon season beckons? The lure and appeal of the legendary marathon distance seems as popular as ever. If you haven&rsquo;t tried a marathon yet, naturally I recommend it; and I always advise persevering beyond the first time as it definitely improves with a few attempts.
It is nearly 10 years since I retired from elite competition, so I&rsquo;m thrilled that my first book, Marathon Wisdom, An Elite Athlete&rsquo;s Insights on Running and Life, was published earlier this year by Meyer &amp; Meyer Sport. It is a collection of 42.195 (the number of kilometres in a marathon) nuggets of wisdom which I learned from a lifetime of running &ndash; as a child, a young adult, a world-class athlete, and now as a retired recreational runner.
From setting goals and overcoming setbacks, to making the best of a bad situation and celebrating success when it comes, these insights are universal and relevant for all levels of runner. The following extract &ndash; Insight 1: What Fires You Up? &ndash; gives you a flavour of my book. It can be read from cover to cover, or dipped in and out of when time allows. It is available now from online retailers and in bookshops. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/632f13a7a216e9c661b3a00b.jpg" alt="Runners in the Berlin Marathon" />
Runners in the Berlin Marathon (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
</div>
<h2>What fires you up?</h2>
When I was a small child growing up in Nairobi, Kenya, I loved playing outdoors. I ran up and down the steep driveway to our house and dived into all kinds of adventures in the garden. The year-round tropical, warm climate lent itself to spending time outside. I grew up loving sports and being physically active. At weekends and during the holidays, my parents took my sister and me on safari, or to the coast and the Indian Ocean, or any number of exciting adventures under Africa&rsquo;s sun and big skies.
Fast-forward to 1984 and my family had moved to Oxford, England. During that summer, at age 11, I remember watching the Los Angeles Olympics on television and being utterly mesmerised by the sports extravaganza taking place on the other side of the world. The enormous stadium, the glitz and glamour, the athletes giving it their all &hellip; I was transfixed by this spectacle and spent many hours watching it all on television. 
Strangely, in hindsight I was not really interested in the women&rsquo;s marathon, which was making its hard-won debut in the Olympic Games. Instead, I was focused on the best all-rounders there are, the decathletes and my hero, Daley Thompson. To be able to compete brilliantly in all those various events inspired awe in me, and encompassed what I wanted to be: an all-round athlete. 
The excitement of watching wore me out and I could not stay awake for the final event, the 1500m. My mother woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me that Daley had won the gold. After the Games were finished, I watched the BBC&rsquo;s highlights on videotape, set to Spandau Ballet&rsquo;s Gold, again and again. After watching those Games, I decided I wanted to be a top-class, world-beating athlete. At age 11, I had no idea how I was going to do it, but from that summer on I had discovered something that really fired me up &ndash; a dream of becoming a sporting champion.
Becoming beside yourself with excitement is one of the wonders of childhood. Many children want to be like the fabulous and attractive people they encounter. But if I can describe in general terms what that summer gave me, it was an enduring, aspirational desire to do something special and specific with my life. This desire never left me and always gave me a clear goal to aim and strive for. 
Between that summer and 17 August 2008, when I finally stood on the start line of my first Olympic marathon in Beijing, 24 years had passed. A quarter of a century! You could say it was not a very motivating or compelling dream since it took me so long to make it happen. But it was not a straightforward journey. I had become side-tracked with other activities along the way, such as earning a living. I believe it is testament to how strong that desire was that it sustained me for so many years to keep going and ensured that I never gave up on my dream. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/632f14aca216e9c661b3a011.jpg" alt="Mara Yamauchi finishes sixth in the marathon at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing" />
Mara Yamauchi finishes sixth in the marathon at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
What I learnt from this burning desire born all those years ago was that discovering a love for something is immensely valuable and worth spending time on. That having a dream which really inspires you provides the engine for hard work, a motivating goal to focus on, and the ability to keep going through hard times. That a love for a particular activity might hit you at a time when you can&rsquo;t do much about it and you might need to return to it later. And that being clear about what you are aiming for is important because it gives you direction and motivation.
Why did it take me so long to realise my childhood dream? Most world-class athletes become professionals straight after or during their full-time education and retire while they are young adults. For me, it was different. When I left university, I wanted to become a full-time athlete but was nowhere near fast enough to earn a living from it. My parents encouraged me to look for a &lsquo;proper job&rsquo;. Like many students, I had no money. Therefore, on leaving full-time education I had no choice and simply had to find a job. I applied to the British Civil Service&rsquo;s Fast Stream graduate recruitment programme and became a diplomat with the Foreign Office. This too was a fascinating adventure. I travelled to places I had never been, had the opportunity to learn Japanese and the privilege of working with issues that mattered. I was posted to the British Embassy in Tokyo and enjoyed further adventures there &hellip; but during all that time, the dream of becoming a world-class athlete was always there in the back of my mind.
When my Tokyo posting came to an end and I returned to London at the age of 29, I decided that if I was to realise my childhood dream, it was now or never. I spent the next three years working and training hard and finally became a full-time athlete in 2006 at the age of 33. I was 35 when I finished sixth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics women&rsquo;s marathon, the joint best performance ever by a British woman in the Olympic marathon. I was 35 when I set my personal best of 2:23:12 in the 2009 London Marathon. 
It was a long journey of ups and downs, going off on tangents, and spells when realising my dream seemed like a very distant prospect. But throughout that quarter century, I was always clear what my goal was and what I wanted to be.
Sport is not everyone&rsquo;s cup of tea. Nor is spending a large part of your life pursuing one clear goal. I am not claiming that this is the only way to live a life. But this was my experience. My wish is that by sharing it, you will see how you can pursue and achieve an ambitious goal. We all have talents and gifts of one kind or another, whether it&rsquo;s in sport, music or something else.
Having a dream or overall goal provides motivation, direction and meaning. It might take time, but pursuing what you love is an enriching, life-changing journey.
Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics Be Active

Mara Yamauchi shares an extract from her new book on the importance of goal-setting and motivation

Marathon wisdom - what fires you up?

The period of time immediately after an Olympic Games is when we often see elite athletes retire from their sport. The Olympics is the pinnacle of competition for many athletes, perhaps even the dream of a lifetime. It makes sense to put your heart and soul into competing on this world stage, and then use the time that follows to think about what comes next and move on to pastures new.
Continuing to train hard for another four years &ndash; or in the case of the postponed Tokyo Games, five &ndash; is a long time for athletes who may be coming to the end of their careers. With the Games over, the post-Olympic period is an obvious time to call it a day.
Retirement, however, is not an easy process for many elite athletes. Competing at world-class level often calls for total devotion to your sport. The time, mental energy, physical exertion and sacrifices required to be competitive at this level are considerable. Your entire existence can become wrapped up with being an elite athlete. It certainly is a vocation and all-consuming.
When this life comes to an end, many things abruptly stop: your daily routine, training with your friends and teammates, an aspiring goal that fires you up, the guidance of a coach, your income, possibly&hellip; and many others besides. It&rsquo;s not an exaggeration to say that, in essence, what defined you as a person &ndash; your entire identity as an athlete &ndash; comes to an end. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/618fb1ac90699f7b6307a136.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /> Mara Yamauchi speaks at a conference in 2017&nbsp;(&copy; Getty Images)
 Some athletes might make this transition seamlessly, but for many it is difficult. For every athlete who has made a fortune, built a successful brand, or become instantly recognisable, there will be huge numbers who have none of these things, even though they may have worked just as hard as the medal-winners and champions.
Mental ill health often accompanies retirement for elite athletes but thankfully, talking about mental health is no longer as taboo as it once was. Last month we marked World Mental Health Day on 10 October, and Mental Health Awareness Week occurs in May every year. These landmark events remind us to look out for people in our lives who may be suffering. The need for support for retiring athletes is now much better recognised than in the past, and more athletes are finding the courage to speak up about their experiences. This has led to the appearance of a variety of organisations which provide help to retiring athletes, including recruitment companies matching employers with former athletes.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.asics.com/gb/en-gb/mk/asics-world-ekiden" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6195029fbb3bbc7313bde908.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /></a>
&nbsp;
My own experience of retiring from elite competition was certainly difficult. The void left behind, which my marathon career had previously filled, felt enormous. I felt bereft of solutions for replacing what I&rsquo;d worked so hard at and enjoyed over many years.
However, one positive aspect of retiring from the marathon was a memorable conversation I had with a friend about it. She commented: &ldquo;It seems wrong to use the word &lsquo;retirement&rsquo; for athletes, who are mostly still young; a word like &lsquo;reinvention&rsquo; is surely a much better alternative.&rdquo; I could not disagree. &lsquo;Retirement&rsquo; suggests a coming to an end, or something being over; whereas &lsquo;reinvention&rsquo; evokes new beginnings and the &lsquo;recycling&rsquo; of valuable skills, experience and attributes. I tried to hold on to this thought as I navigated the journey from world-class athlete to ordinary person. I was also struck by how this different way of viewing a move from one way of life to another might also be useful in adjusting to other life-changing events, such as children leaving home.
An example of an athlete who has successfully reinvented herself is Goldie Sayers, the 2008 Beijing Olympic javelin bronze medallist and British record-holder, who founded and runs a property development business. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/618fb1bf90699f7b6307a139.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 &ldquo;Retiring from sport is challenging for every athlete but I tried to see it as an opportunity to learn new things while having the time and headspace to do something new,&rdquo; Sayers explains. &ldquo;As athletes we tend to be addicted to progress and challenge, so running my own business was a good way to achieve both those things. I had experience of renting property while I was an athlete, and running a business seems to fill the identity void that was left when I retired.&rdquo; Sayers also suggests that athletes who have retired before you might be a useful source of advice as mentors.
If I could go back and give my younger self some advice about leaving elite sport behind and reinventing myself, this is what it would be.&nbsp;
<h2>1. Be aware of grief</h2>
Saying goodbye to an entire way of life as an elite athlete is a major loss, and, like all losses, grieving for it might be necessary. The sense of something valuable that is gone forever, being unable to get it back, and feeling the emptiness of its departure are all signs of grief which could easily affect athletes. Grief, though painful, helps us humans to process the loss of things dear to us. Grief might not hit you, but being aware that it is a possibility could help to explain any feelings of sadness. 
<h2>2. Seek help</h2>
Being willing and able to admit you need help is important. Help, in whatever form is necessary for you at the time, might be the difference between setting off on a new, positive path, and spending a long time unable to move forward and flourish. Help could take any number of forms and it might take time to figure out what exactly you need. There is no shame in asking for help. &nbsp; 
<h2>3. Plan ahead</h2>
While still competing, acquire skills, work experience or education that will smooth the way to a life after sport. Thinking ahead, while you are still an athlete, to what you might do afterwards gives you time to put plans in place and prepare. This may seem obvious, but it&rsquo;s tempting, while you are an invincible athlete, to imagine that this life will never end. All sporting careers do come to an end eventually. Having thought ahead to what will come afterwards saves time and avoids having to make important decisions at what may be a difficult period.&nbsp; 
<h2>4. Engagement with purpose</h2>
Work or activities that are fully absorbing and engaging will go a long way to fill the gap left by a sporting career. Being an elite athlete doing the sport you love and are good at is a very special, unique privilege. Few things can match it in terms of generating motivation and energising you. But if you can come close, that fire and inspiration can be rekindled. 
<h2>5. Focus on your daily routine</h2>
What you do every day can have a major influence on how you feel as you embark on reinventing yourself after sport. Doing some physical exercise, connecting with people, having something which provides a little routine each day, doing kind things for other people, and sleep and dietary habits that are fit for purpose will all help to keep your daily life on an even keel. 
One model for elite sport which perhaps should be adopted by more nations around the world involves major national organisations such as the armed forces, the police and private sector corporations employing athletes. Italy, Kenya and Japan use this model. While competing and training at elite level, athletes often have reduced work duties. In return, their employers benefit from the prestige and, in effect, advertising, from their employee athletes performing on the world stage. Once their sporting careers are over, athletes can work in &lsquo;normal&rsquo; jobs with these organisations. This gives the employers a supply of well-respected and trained employees, and the athletes a job without the worry of deciding what they will do next.
There is no magic recipe for successfully navigating the end of an elite sporting career and finding a new life. We are all individuals and what works for one will be different for another. At least nowadays there is some recognition that this transition is difficult for many athletes. The more we can have an open, honest and positive debate about it, the better athletes of the future will be served.
<div data-name="article-container">
Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics Be Active
</div>

Two-time Olympic marathon runner Mara Yamauchi shares some advice about leaving elite sport behind and reinventing herself.

Retirement, or reinvention?

Risottos, or I should say &lsquo;risotti&rsquo;, are a terrific food for athletes and one of my favourite dishes. They are easy to prepare, and versatile &ndash; you can use a wide variety of ingredients to flavour them and to add protein, for example seafood. The main ingredient, rice, is a good carbohydrate source. And they are tasty and nourishing, as a proper meal after a hard training session, or in small amounts as a snack. I have been known to take leftover risotto in a Tupperware box to training to eat straight afterwards! 
<div id="5e9acc430d00ae08f026e6b3" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/7292fdae-0010-44ce-8de7-2801e19fad78.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Distance runner and Asics ambassador Mara Yamauchi</div>
&nbsp;
Life has been turned upside down this spring by the coronavirus. Northern Italy, including Piedmont, the home of risotto, was one of the areas worst affected by this pandemic. In my own mind, northern Italy means hiking in beautiful mountains, delicious food, and trail running. So I remember watching aghast when alarming scenes from Piedmont&rsquo;s hospitals were on our TV screens. So this week&rsquo;s recipe is a show of solidarity for Italy and Piedmont. I just can&rsquo;t wait to go back to northern Italy, when it is safe to do so. In the meantime, we can enjoy one of its many delicious culinary inventions.
Risotti are typically made with sticky rice varieties, for example Arborio. But in this recipe I am diverging a bit from tradition and using barley grains instead of rice, which give it a crunchy and chewy texture. Interestingly, the combination of rice and protein such as meat, fish or cheese, is popular around the world, for example Korean Bibimbap, Indonesian Nasi Goreng and Spanish Paella. With some good flavours, it&rsquo;s a winning combination.
&nbsp;
<hr />
&nbsp;
<h3>Mushroom and bacon risotto (risotto funghi e pancetta)</h3>
Ingredients 1 small onion 30g dried mushrooms (ideally porcini) 200g fresh mushrooms, ideally a variety eg shiitake, maitake, oyster, sliced 50g pancetta, chopped into small cubes 250g barley Approx 700ml vegetable stock made from a cube 25g butter 50g parmesan cheese, grated 2 tablespoons olive oil
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/3afcbdfa-6191-4974-96bd-516b8e51ff18.jpeg?cachebuster=cc34a98a-eea5-4a26-9330-cd162b71ff02" alt="Risotto ingredients" width="600" height="400" />
 Method &bull; Pour 500ml of boiling water over the dried mushrooms, leave to soak for 20 mins, then drain, keeping the liquid.
&bull; Make your vegetable stock according to the cube instructions.
&bull; Finely chop the onion and fry for five minutes in the olive oil. Add the pancetta and all the mushrooms and continue frying, stirring regularly, until the fresh mushrooms have softened.
&bull; Add the barley and fry for two minutes. Add half the mushroom stock and stir well.
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/b984b21c-d646-46dc-b9c6-531dc1d0f7d1.jpeg?cachebuster=b7563578-8911-41a5-a1f3-7e4157fb904c" alt="" width="600" height="400" />
&bull; When the liquid has been absorbed, add the other half and continue stirring. Continue this process with the vegetable stock until the barley is cooked but still a little crunchy or &lsquo;al dente&rsquo;.
&bull; Finally, add the butter and half the grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and mix well. Place on dishes to serve and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
 (Many recipes call for white wine to be used as part of the liquid that you add &ndash; I have just used mushroom and vegetable stock in this recipe. Adding a little cream instead of butter at the end is another variation.)
 Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics

Risottos, or I should say ‘risotti’, are a terrific food for athletes and one of my favourite dishes.

Athletics@Home – risotto funghi e pancetta

Sushi is the most exquisite, sophisticated and beautiful art, made into food form.
Always delicate, colourful, and carefully presented, it is like a lifelong artisan&rsquo;s craft. The famous sushi chefs of Japan are indeed like craftsmen, who have honed their skills over a lifetime with patience and dedication. But sushi is also delicious &ndash; light yet quite filling, with an interesting mixture of being sharp and a little sweet.
Because I love cooking, when I lived in Japan as an athlete, I tried to learn Japanese cooking. Of course that included sushi &ndash; perhaps the most well-known of all Japanese foods. But I often heard people say that sushi is something you eat out, not at home. This is because sushi made by properly-trained chefs is so delicious, and it&rsquo;s difficult, at home, to produce sushi that is anywhere near as tasty and varied. This is a fair point and it&rsquo;s mostly true. But I also think it&rsquo;s a bit of a shame because it discourages ordinary folk from having a go and learning how to make it. So this week ordinary me is making sushi! 
<div id="5e9acc430d00ae08f026e6b3" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/7292fdae-0010-44ce-8de7-2801e19fad78.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Distance runner and Asics ambassador Mara Yamauchi</div>
&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m keeping it simple &ndash; maki-zushi with (mostly) readily available ingredients (traditional filling ingredients like takuwan, shiitake and kampyo aren&rsquo;t widely sold outside Japan so I have used more common ingredients). My sushi will never reach the dizzy heights of sushi made by a Japanese person, let alone a sushi chef. But it is fun to learn, and it is possible to make a basic but tasty version of this art-form at home.
Making it at home will hopefully whet your appetite for trying proper, authentically-made sushi in Japan. So if you&rsquo;re planning a trip to Tokyo for the Olympics next year, make sure eating sushi is on your to-do list!
Sushi is best eaten on the day it is made. The rice hardens up after that, as it does if you refrigerate sushi, which is a definite no-no. So set aside enough time to make your sushi feast and then enjoy the fruits of your labours soon afterwards.
<h3>Maki-zushi</h3>
Ingredients Nori sheets White sticky rice 480g, water 600ml Rice vinegar 4 tablespoons, salt 1.5 teaspoons, sugar 1 tablespoon Wasabi paste, sushi ginger, soy sauce Fillings: cucumber, tuna mayo, ham, smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado, asparagus, carrots. All &lsquo;long&rsquo; items cut into thin strips.
Kit: a bamboo rolling mat
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/1476927e-ceef-49ac-aab4-2b7968e2b5b7.jpg?cachebuster=8e7b33dc-714b-4ecd-9016-0e1d76c9ac0c" alt="Sushi fillings" width="600" height="400" />
 Method Start by making vinegared sushi rice. Mix together the vinegar, sugar and salt. Rinse the rice in a little cold water in a saucepan by stirring the rice vigorously with your hand and pouring off the starchy water. Repeat 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Add 600ml water and leave for 60 minutes. Then cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes bringing it to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave to stand with the lid on for 10 minutes. (Ideally a piece of kombu seaweed should be added to the rice and removed just before boiling point, but if you cannot find kombu, just boil the rice without it).
Empty the cooked rice on to a large clean tray (ideally a wooden &lsquo;sushi-oke&rsquo; bowl but these are hard to come by), spreading it out, and sprinkle the vinegar mixture over it. &lsquo;Cut&rsquo; through it using a spatula. Cool the rice by fanning it.
Now you can start rolling. Cover your rolling mat in cling film. Place one sheet of nori on it, shiny side down. Cover the nori with a thin layer of rice, leaving a gap at the top. Rinse your hands in cold water frequently to stop the rice from sticking. Add small amounts of your fillings along the length of the nori.
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/8d747e6b-7de1-4373-ad6e-60efe1a2afb8.jpg?cachebuster=e8d5d7c2-dc05-402f-accc-dc91bd08bfa1" alt="Rolling sushi" width="600" height="400" />
Tucking the fillings in with your hands as you go, roll the nori away from you, giving it a good squeeze at the end to make it compact. Using a very sharp knife, slice off the ends of the roll and discard, then slice your roll into bite-sized pieces.
Arrange on a large plate. Mix a little wasabi with your soy sauce on a small dipping plate, and enjoy your maki-zushi with sushi ginger.
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/c003030b-5672-4083-976d-c9657e61685a.jpg?cachebuster=3c10bf91-9163-411a-89d2-774ff14b79cf" alt="Sushi" width="600" height="400" />

Sushi is the most exquisite, sophisticated and beautiful art, made into food form.

Athletics@Home - sushi

High summer is nearly upon us in the UK, from where I am writing, and nothing heralds its arrival quite like the flowers of the elder tree.
Delicate, pretty and fragrant, the tiny flowers grow together in large, flat clumps which can be as wide as dinner plates. Elder trees grow prolifically in temperate regions all over the world. When their flowers are fully open, their fresh, light and summery scent is unmistakeable.
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/34c2351d-ef5c-4a58-94d0-abcd89aa5df1.jpg?cachebuster=5462793b-8abf-4526-809b-97ce5aab68ae" alt="" width="600" height="400" />
The arrival of high summer also means returning from training gasping with thirst! When your mouth is parched dry and you can&rsquo;t get hold of an icy-cold drink fast enough, elderflower cordial is the answer.
I am always trying to include seasonal and local foods in my cooking, and making cordial with freshly foraged flowers ticks both these boxes. The only downside of this cordial is that it includes a large amount of the dreaded white stuff: sugar. However, you only need a tiny amount of cordial diluted with lots of water to make a refreshing drink, and I reckon it&rsquo;s better than drinking processed, shop-bought drinks which may include all sorts of artificial ingredients as well as sugar.
Athletes aside, this drink is perfect for fans, spectators and officials of our sport when they&rsquo;re spending a long day at the track on a hot day. 
<div id="5e9acc430d00ae08f026e6b3" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/7292fdae-0010-44ce-8de7-2801e19fad78.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Distance runner and Asics ambassador Mara Yamauchi</div>
&nbsp;
The most common elderflowers are creamy yellow, and make a cordial with a similar colour. But their darker cousin, the &lsquo;Black Lace&rsquo; elder, makes gorgeous peachy-pink cordial. These tend not to grow wild, so I have &lsquo;borrowed&rsquo; some flowers from my neighbours, Peter and Val Lowman. Peter was a mentor for the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, and helped me when I retired from elite competition to forge a new life after sport. Both Peter and Val spend their retirement racing Ironman triathlon &ndash; amazing!
The elderflower season is just getting going in the northern hemisphere, so if you fancy making this cordial, the next few weeks are the perfect opportunity to give it a try. If you&rsquo;re even more adventurous, elderflowers can also be made into delicious tempura and the flower buds into pickles.
&nbsp;
<hr />
&nbsp;
<h3>Elderflower cordial</h3>
Ingredients 10 large elderflower heads (pick when just open and full of pollen) 900g granulated sugar 500ml water 40g citric acid (a preservative, can be found in pharmacies or health food shops) 1 lemon
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/496d4e59-41f4-42d3-bb2d-78ffc2c01838.jpg?cachebuster=35b50f36-621a-4ba9-aed6-12b1f3fa0d26" alt="" width="600" height="600" />
Method &bull; Trim the stalks and leaves from the flower heads and carefully remove any insects or debris. Do not wash them as this washes off all the pollen. Place in a large bowl.
&bull; Slowly heat the sugar and water in a large saucepan until the sugar dissolves. As it reaches the boil, turn off the heat and stir in the citric acid. Allow the mixture to cool slightly and pour over the flower heads.
&bull; Grate the zest off the lemon and cut the lemon into small pieces, then add to the flower mixture. Stir gently and leave covered in a cool, dark place for 24 hours.
&bull; Strain the mixture through a piece of muslin over a sieve, and pour into sterilised bottles. It keeps well in the fridge for a few weeks.
&bull; Dilute a small amount with cold water to serve, adding ice and mint leaves as optional extras.
 Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics

High summer is nearly upon us in the UK, from where I am writing, and nothing heralds its arrival quite like the flowers of the elder tree.

Athletics@Home – refreshing elderflower cordial

If you&rsquo;re training hard and are physically active, chances are you will be hungry often! Running a lot of miles and being starving seem to go together. Sometimes you just can&rsquo;t wait till the next meal, or need to eat something straight after training to help with recovery. Having snacks to hand is the answer, but many snacks you can buy just aren&rsquo;t very nutritious &ndash; they might be highly-processed, low in fibre or have excessively high sugar in them.
My answer to this dilemma is home-made granola. Like <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/be-active/lifestyle/healthy-cake-recipes-mara-yamauchi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my healthy cakes</a> from a few weeks back, you can adapt the recipe by substituting or adding in as many nutritious ingredients as possible. The fundamentals of granola &ndash; nuts, seeds, dried fruit and wholegrains &ndash; are sound ingredients, so you can make a healthy, nutritious version by using your imagination and creativity. 
<div id="5e9acc430d00ae08f026e6b3" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/7292fdae-0010-44ce-8de7-2801e19fad78.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Distance runner and Asics ambassador Mara Yamauchi</div>
&nbsp;
How you eat granola, on top of what you put in it, is another way to increase the variety in your diet. Of course it is traditionally a breakfast food, but I use it in all sorts of ways: as a night-time quick snack if I am hungry; sprinkled on fruit compote with yoghurt; or taken on trips away as portable emergency rations in a sealable plastic bag! 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/26c5ad1d-6ed3-41e7-8efc-d5e8caf0664e.jpg?cachebuster=d165ca3f-3aed-4150-82c9-404e7d39d27d" alt="Granola" width="600" height="400" />
 The basic recipe I use is below, but here are some examples of other ingredients you can use as substitutes to ring the changes and add variety.
&bull; Oil: coconut is the best but you could also use olive, sunflower or vegetable oil.
&bull; Grains: oats are the simplest; jumbo rather than small oats give better texture. Rye, spelt, and barley are good alternatives. It&rsquo;s even better to mix your grains.
&bull; Nuts: today I have used almonds with pecans &ndash; a bit expensive but a special treat! Walnuts, cashews and pistachios work well too.
&bull; Seeds: I always use mixed seeds to increase the variety, but if you want one type, pumpkin are the best for me. Sunflower and sesame are alternatives.
&bull; Dried fruit: to go with the pecans, I have used cranberries today. But I have successfully used raisins, sultanas, dates, figs, and apricots. To make it a bit exotic you could use pineapple, mango, papaya or even ginger.
&bull; Honey: maple or agave syrup are the best substitutes. The dried fruit also gives the granola sweetness so you can reduce this sweetener to taste.
&bull; Extras: I often add spoonfuls of coconut flakes, wheatgerm, oatbran, linseeds or bran. These aren&rsquo;t in the recipe but I just add them to increase the nutritional value. 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/2ffa0ed3-0902-416a-9080-701f8435dd6f.jpg?cachebuster=76cc7f4a-7271-454a-8e74-30e6d96e4701" alt="" width="600" height="400" />
 Ingredients 40g coconut oil 120ml honey (this makes it too sweet so I always reduce this amount by about half) 180g jumbo rolled oats 180g another type of grain (I was not able to buy another type under lockdown shopping, so used oats again) 200g nuts, roughly chopped 100g seeds 1 egg white 100g dried fruit
Method &bull; Line a baking tray with baking paper. Pre-heat your oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Heat the oil and honey gently in a saucepan until melted. Allow to cool slightly.
&bull; Mix all the other ingredients except the dried fruit in a large bowl, add the oil and honey and mix well.
&bull; Whip the egg whites separately and stir them into the mixture too. Spread out on your baking tray and bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown.
&bull; Stir the mixture after 20 minutes, and add the dried fruit and stir again after 30 minutes.
&bull; Allow to cool completely and then store in an air-tight container. Enjoy!
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/7f04a112-8916-44bd-b262-83614686e7b2.jpg?cachebuster=182f7c35-9e15-4eb5-aa76-320b57e19ed2" alt="" width="600" height="400" />
 Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics

If you’re training hard and are physically active, chances are you will be hungry often!

Athletics@Home - crunchy granola

Mara Yamauchi finished sixth in the marathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, won the 2008 Osaka International Women's Marathon, and earned the 10,000m bronze medal at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/ed88df49-9246-4842-a978-362cf59837d3.jpg?cachebuster=0ec4047f-1194-4526-91fe-cd68b8a64d52" alt="Mara Yamauchi" width="600" height="400" />
She retired in 2013 and now works as a coach, commentator and speaker. And to help pass the time while in lockdown, Yamauchi has focused on one of her other passions: cooking. Here are two of her recipes for healthy bakes. 
<hr />
 We are living in extraordinary times, but as runners we are very lucky that we can still do the sport we love. Swimmers, gymnasts and athletes in other sports aren&rsquo;t so fortunate. We&rsquo;ve lost some of the best things in our sport &ndash; races to work towards, the joy of running with friends, and top-class competition to inspire us. But this lockdown also brings positives and opportunities that we won&rsquo;t have again, like running without the pressure of looming races, and plenty of time at home to work on strength and conditioning.
This is the ideal time to take a long hard look at what you&rsquo;re doing on all the things which support your running, including nutrition. I&rsquo;ve decided to use this lockdown to raise my game on what I&rsquo;m eating and drinking &ndash; reducing coffee intake, trying new recipes, and aiming for 10-a-day on fruit and vegetables.
In the next few weeks, I&rsquo;ll be bringing you some ideas and recipes from my years as an elite athlete, when I was fuelling 100+ miles per week. Now I&rsquo;m 46, well into retirement and much slower than I used to be&hellip;but we can all, at any age or stage in life, fuel ourselves like elite athletes. Ready for the ride? Here we go!
First up &ndash; healthy, nutritious, high-fibre snacks. Know the feeling when you have to go out for a run soon, but you&rsquo;re absolutely starving? I&rsquo;ve been there many times. You can&rsquo;t eat much, because there&rsquo;s no time for digestion. But you need something, or the world will end. My answer to this is snacks based on simple banana bread recipes, but substituting as many of the ingredients as you can to make them healthy &ndash; high-fibre, low GI, and nutrient-rich. Here are two examples. 
<h3>Sweet potato bread</h3>
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/9ed2b7f9-b8dc-452b-816f-b624a9d6c913.jpg?cachebuster=81c99ced-92d2-43ea-b2ba-ce6922973779" alt="Sweet potato bread" width="600" height="400" />
Ingredients 250g boiled &amp; mashed sweet potato 140g sugar (use honey/mashed dates instead) 140g butter* 2 eggs 140g plain flour (use wholemeal; can substitute with other flours) 50g raisins (optional - if you use these, reduce the amount of sugar/honey) Handful of chopped nuts/seeds/bran/wheatgerm (not in recipe but I add to improve nutrient &amp; fibre content)
* I don&rsquo;t follow the advice that saturated fats are all bad, so I use butter but you can substitute with vegetable oil.
Method &bull; Mix sweet potato, butter/oil and sugar/honey/mashed dates and beat well.
&bull; Add other ingredients and mix well.
&bull; Pour into greased/lined loaf tin and cook at 180 degrees for about 45 mins.
&nbsp;
<h3>Peanut butter blondies</h3>
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/4b762e75-7470-414a-9907-0e9caf8aaf3a.jpg?cachebuster=cb40ac40-a880-4658-8c8c-c0670a868301" alt="Peanut butter blondies" width="600" height="400" />
Ingredients 2 large tablespoons peanut butter 140g sugar (use honey/mashed dates instead) 100g butter/oil 140g ground almonds (or flour, ideally wholemeal) 2 eggs
As above, add small amounts of anything nutritious eg seeds, dried fruit, bran, wheatgerm
Method &bull; Mix everything together, starting with peanut butter, butter/oil and sugar/honey/mashed dates.
&bull; Cook at 180 degrees for 40-50 mins.
 I always slice and freeze healthy snacks, so I can quickly microwave a slice before runs when I need to. Variety is important in what we eat to ensure we get all the micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) that we need. So try substituting the sweet potato/peanut butter with things like mashed pumpkin, cashew nut butter, or grated courgettes or beetroots. Enjoy!

Mara Yamauchi finished sixth in the marathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, won the 2008 Osaka International Women's Marathon, and earned the 10,000m bronze medal at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.