I’m dedicating this post to my good friend and housemate who introduced me to the power of jelly babies.
Apparently many runners use Jelly Babies as an energy source during longer races – both to fuel their miles and also as a motivational tool (“One more mile, then I’ll eat a baby”).
Jelly Babies are a cult UK sweet. Launched in 1918 to celebrate the end of World War I, they were originally called Peace Babies. Allegedly they come in six flavours: strawberry, lemon, raspberry, lime, blackcurrant and orange. The reality is they only come in one: sugar. Still there’s something strangely addictive about their texture, a soft jelly flesh encased in crystallized sugar.
And they are great for running.
I trialled the Babies for the first time last Saturday. It was fantastic. We ate them as follows:
Start: Two babies
Mile Seven: One baby
Mile Ten: One baby
Mile Twelve: One baby
I think the effect was mostly psychological but it definitely worked, if you’re feeling low or like you might stop, you can just focus your mind on the next jelly baby. Further exploration on the internet suggests that some runners take a baby on board at each mile after the halfway point.
Calories per baby: 20 (all from sugar)
Nutrition per 100g: Calories: 335, Carbs: 79.5g, Protein: 4.0g, Fat: 0.0g
Ingredients: sugar, glucose syrup, water, gelatine, citric acid, colours (E150d, E120, E132, E104), flavourings, suphites.
Turns out I’m not the only one with a penchant for the jellied baby:
The father of a little boy with a rare skin condition says positive thinking and jelly babies were the key to getting him through the London Marathon to raise money for research into his condition.
http://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/latest-features/Dad-runs-marathon-for-little.3996457.jp
A runner is hoping for sweet success in the London Marathon due to her Jelly Baby powered training regime.
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=304259
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