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Whether you’re out training or racing, it’s always important to maintain fluid levels when exercising, as this helps to prevent thirst and dehydration. When using energy gels as part of your nutrition, it’s essential to have an adequate amount of water to hand.Staying hydrated allows you to experience the full benefits of the gels and avoid any possible stomach irritation. Having a drink of water with your gel helps it to become properly absorbed by the small intestine and limiting water intake during longer sessions can put you at greater risk for dehydration.⁣⁣An early sign of dehydration is feeling thirsty, but by the time...

As VALA grows each month, the importance of wellbeing and the concept of ‘balance’ has become something that I feel more and more passionate about sharing.As athletes and sportspeople, we often love being active so much that we forget that rest and recovery is just as important as movement. It feels as though sometimes we’re so busy training our bodies that we forget to train our minds.The British government defines wellbeing as ‘A positive physical, social and mental state’ and I couldn’t agree more. I recently asked the question “What does wellbeing mean to you?” on our Instagram stories, and...

Ahhhh the often dreaded rest day! Why is it that everyone else seems to be posting about their epic runs and rides on the one day you’re NOT supposed to be out there? Rather than feeling like a spare part on your rest day, here are some tried and tested ways to make the most of your rest days:▪️ Have a relaxing walk - turn your phone on airplane mode to avoid being distracted if want to really immerse yourself in your surroundings!▪️ Read a book about an inspiring sportsperson - some of my favourites are ‘Born To Run’ (Christopher...

I recently read an article about journaling and how it’s best to write three pages as soon as you wake up. The theory behind this is that for the first 45 minutes after waking, the ego hasn’t had a chance to set in. As soon as I read this, I thought about my morning exercise routine. I love to wake up and be active within the first 15 minutes and I always joke that it’s because my brain hasn’t had a chance to realise that it’s running or lifting weights yet 😂I’d rather get my exercise done for the day...

It’s Sunday, which for many of us means waving goodbye to the weekend and getting back into the swing of the weekly routine.Instead of spending your evening wishing the week away, take 10 minutes looking forward to the week ahead and write out a few intentions for the week. These don’t have to be epic goals - they can be as simple as ‘get 2x 30 minutes of fresh air this week’ or ‘drink a litre more water a day’.Start by opening the notes section in your phone or grab a piece of paper and a pen. I prefer to...

I’m sure we can all relate to this quote by the incredible @richroll, who perfectly sums up procrastination in so few words.Sometimes we’ll get inspired by another athlete and think “That looks fun! I’d love to give that a go!”. Then the analysis paralysis kicks in and moments later we’ve quickly talked ourselves out of it. It’s pretty safe to say that self doubt and ego are the two biggest things that prevent us from achieving what we really want deep down.The good part of all this? The sooner we can bring awareness to our self-sabotaging negative talk and behaviours, the...