With track and field season starting and meets starting soon, people who may have never done the sport may want advice on what to eat and do before and after the track and field meets. I’m going into my third year running track and would like to give my advice to other runners that may help them through their season. Some people may disagree with the advice I give, but this is just my personal experience that helped me and will now hopefully help you.
My first piece of advice for new track runners is after every single workout that you at least take five to 10 minutes to stretch out so you don’t cramp up after.
Also, before track practices or meets, you should eat. Carbohydrate-rich foods such as whole-grain bread or toast with nut butter (peanut or almond), oatmeal with fruit (bananas, berries), bananas, Yogurt with granola or fruit Rice or pasta with vegetables and Protein-rich foods, such as eggs, Lean meat (chicken, fish), nuts, or seeds Milk or cheese.
For after practices or meets, you should eat a combination of carbohydrates and protein to aid in muscle recovery and glycogen replenishment. Good options include Greek yogurt, chocolate milk, a turkey sandwich, or a fruit smoothie.
Get plenty of sleep because restless nights will either make you get sick way easier or slow down your progression or both.
My final piece of advice is to always believe in yourself and do as much as you can because you never know if you try something out and it turns out to be a big game changer for the rest of your track career.
