Written by Cheyanne Mumphrey
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Nutrition is a huge component of being an athlete that is often overlooked. Each runner on the women's cross country team has to be aware of their body and how they are feeling. They are high-calorie burning athletes and choosing this sport, any sport for that matter, is a lifestyle choice that demands a lot from their body.
The only way to make sure they are receiving the proper source of energy is by making sure they eat the right things. For this reason, they have people like strength coach Daniel Darcy who, along with providing instruction in the weight room, also gives needed advice on nutrition.
"There's a huge educational component on our side to make sure they are eating those foods and not skipping meals," Darcy explained. "As soon as they skip meals they are reducing their ability to recover as well and perform the next day. It is great if you perform today, but what are you doing dietarily to help your body recover and be able to come back tomorrow. If you're not able to do it day in and day out we won't be winning championships. We need to be training at a high level all the time so diet is really huge for them and we really push that six meals a day."
Even though you may look at the women's cross country team and think they can't possibly eat as much as they do, it is not all that surprising when you consider how much they run and how many calories they burn.
"Sometimes after I finish running I feel like I could eat everything," distance runner Jessica Williams said.
She isn't alone in this feeling, the girls on the team burn such a high number of calories that more often than not, food is the first thing on their minds after races.
And they do eat before races.
Before a run, or a lift, they eat meals that are high in carbohydrates, because that is what fuels them throughout their workout. "I usually eat a lot of pasta two nights before a race and something relatively light the night before so that I have the energy, but I don't feel to heavy," junior distance runner Melanie Zibrat said.
After races, Darcy explained, how refueling on carbohydrates and proteins allows their muscles to recover and give them energy moving forward.
Darcy is not the only one stressing the importance of nutrition either; Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Eric Heins, distance coach Leah Rosenfeld and athletic trainer Sam Lodygowski all understand the need for nutrition education.
"I can definitely tell if I'm ready for a workout based on how healthy I feel. If I'm feeling sick, low on sleep or not properly well-nourished, than it really affects me. I noticed when I eat better, even organic, I feel a lot healthier and can perform better in a race or practice," Williams said.
Health affects these athletes bodies and can determine their ability to run faster and longer distances.
"I think nutrition is extremely important for runners, because we're all doing everything we can to shave seconds off of our races," Zibrat explained. "Everything we do to our bodies counts."
Everything from working out, being mentally focused and feeding their body the right things, allows these female cross country runners to really compete at a high level. It is part of their preparation and it is one of the reasons why they are so successful as a program.
