News

The weekend passed by in a blur (doesn’t it always?). Last night I found myself feeling a bit disappointed and thinking “Ugh! I ran out of time to go for a run or do a weights session this weekend”. After contemplating this for a while, I realised that the time was ALWAYS there - this was more to do with how I was framing the situation in my mind. If I was being brutally honest with myself, I realised that I didn’t MAKE the time to get outside. It was as simple as that.Last night I decided to change my...

Most of you will know that I'm fascinated by how our diet affects our mind. Gut health is one of VALA’s four pillars - along with mental, physical and spiritual health - and it’s why VALA gels only include the seven natural ingredients above 👆🏻It’s often said that our gut is our second brain and I recently read the most incredible article from Harvard Health, which emphasised just how important it is to be mindful of the food that we eat…“Serotonin (known as the “happy hormone”) is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods and inhibit pain.Since...

No autumn run is complete without a cap to keep you cool and shaded from the sun. 

Since launching the VALA cap last year, it’s been a huge hit. However, it has definitely been a “journey” to finding the best cap for our crew. I’ve lost count of the amount of samples I went through before finding one that was juuuust right.I asked others what they loved about their running caps and what they’d like to see done differently, which all went into the selection of VALA sports cap.Here are five reasons to love it:

 ✅ Water resistant
✅ Lightweight fabric
✅ Adjustable stretch...

If you live near the coast and have yet to try sea dipping, now is the time! There’s nothing better than cooling off after a long training session with a refreshing dip. You don’t need any fancy equipment or special clothing to experience the benefits that the sea offers and most beaches have local sea swimming clubs with an amazing sense of community.Sea swimming is said to be great for the mind, body and spirit. Using seawater for medical purposes even has a name: thalassotherapy. As sea water is rich in magnesium, it helps to release stress and relax your...

Since the beginning of VALA, I've been so passionate about including only natural goodness in our gels. Here's what gives VALA gels their natural plant power and great taste:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✅ Maple syrup⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✅ Date paste⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✅ Lemon juice⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✅ Lime juice⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✅ Matcha tea powder⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✅ Powdered chia seeds⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✅ Halen Mon sea salt⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀For more info on the benefits of each of our natural ingredients, check out the “INGREDIENTS” highlight on our Instagram feed or visit our Ingredients page.If you want to give our gels a try, click here to pick up a sample pack with 2x gels and a ✌🏻sticker for £5.99.For single gels, 10 packs and 20...

When I first moved back to Wales in 2019 to start VALA, I discovered @bravendurance socks and became immediately obsessed. The colours. The fabric. The fit. The way they wash well and don’t lose their colour or go all sad and saggy after a few months! They’re nothing short of perfection. It turns out these were the same reasons that BRAV’s founder Adam started his sock company, as he couldn’t find any socks that fit the bill during his triathlon training and racing. It’s a strangely familiar story and has lots of parallels to VALA in many ways.BRAVs quickly became my ‘go-to’...