The Other 22 Hours
At practices, we stress to the athletes, “What you do in the two hours at practice is not as important as what you do with the other 22 hours.” What this means, is when the athlete gets home, the recovery is just as, if not more, important than the training. While stretching, massage, and foam rollers are great, they are irrelevant if the athlete does not stay hydrated, eat a lot of good foods, and get plenty of rest and sleep.
Hydration:
Drinking a bottle of water ten minutes before practice does not constitute “hydrated’. Athletes need to be drinking water all day, every day. Every time they pass a water fountain in school, take a drink. Carry a water bottle to their classes. Right before bed, drink a big glass of water. And, athletes only need water. Gatorade is full of sugar, it is not needed. And of course, soda should be off the training table of any athlete running cross country. Not only is it full of sugar, the acids in sodas are very detrimental to training at the highest levels. It’s simple. Drink water, drink lots of water. Drink lots of water every day.
Nutrition:
We burn a lot of calories at cross country practice. Athletes need to have good fuel in them to be able to complete the training to the best of their ability. Two simple rules are: 1) Try not to eat anything with ingredients you cannot pronounce. 2) Eat lots of it. Eating lots of good, nutritionally rich whole foods from the perimeter of the supermarket is great. You can eat too many Cheetos. You can’t eat too many apples. Have a balanced level of carbohydrates, protein and fats in your diet. Splurge every once in a while, of course, but make sure to eat well and eat often. You will need that fuel every day for training.
Sleep:
Sleep is the key to recovery and growth. It’s when your food builds your muscles stronger. It’s when your brain recharges and your mental toughness increases. It’s when your injuries are healed. Sometimes it’s hard to get a good night's sleep due to other commitments. But, if you can prioritize sleep, and make sure to go to bed early enough to get a good night’s sleep, the benefits are noticeable. So, put that phone down, turn it off, and close your eyes. Sleep is important!
Stress:
Injuries:
Injuries can definitely occur when running cross country. They can range from muscle fatigue and tiredness/soreness to bone fractures and ligament tears. The most important thing to do with an injury is to communicate with a coach or a trainer about it. Some injuries come with the territory. Athletes will be sore after hard workouts, but the means the muscle now has the opportunity to grow back stronger. Stretching, icing, and hydration are the keys to alleviating these types of “acceptable” injuries. Some injuries, through repetitive motion or trauma, are much more serious. Stress fractures, sore hip flexors, rolled ankles; these require the athlete talking to the coach and/or athletic trainer as soon as possible. The best way to heal injuries as soon as possible is to let us know about them as soon as possible. We have a top notch training staff here, and they are here to help us get athletes back running as soon as possible.