Fuel and Recovery for High School Runners
- Blake Collins
- Jul 19
- 4 min read
Why Nutrition, Sleep, and Rest Are Critical in Helping with Recovery for High School Runners
When it comes to becoming a stronger, faster, and healthier runner, training is only part of the equation. What you eat, how much you rest, and how well you hydrate are just as important. We teach our runners that success starts long before the starting line.
Here’s how we help athletes fuel their bodies, recover properly, and show up ready to run their best.
Eat Like a Champion: The Right Food at the Right Time
Your body is like a machine—it needs the right fuel to run well. That fuel comes from two types of nutrients:
Micronutrients – These are your vitamins and minerals. You’ll find them in fresh fruits and vegetables. They help your body fight inflammation and recover faster. These should make up 50–70% of your diet.
Macronutrients – These include proteins, carbs, and healthy fats. You’ll find them in meats, fish, nuts, and grains. They give you energy and help your muscles grow and repair. These should make up 30–50% of your diet.
A healthy balance of both types gives your body what it needs to perform and recover like a pro.
Pre-Race Nutrition: What to Eat and When
If your race is in the morning:
The night before, skip greasy or heavy meals and go for complex carbs and lean meats, think whole wheat pasta, brown rice, chicken, or fish.
On race day, eat a high-carb, low-fat breakfast like a bagel with peanut butter and honey at least 3–4 hours before your race.
If you only have 1–2 hours, go with a light snack like a protein bar or dried fruit.
Right before the race, fruit snacks or gummy bears can give you a quick burst of energy.
Avoid dairy, sugary cereals, or heavy meals that upset your stomach (unless you're Coach Mac... then maybe a donut and a Pepsi works just fine).
If your race is in the afternoon:
Eat a solid breakfast like cereal with milk or yogurt, fruit, toast, or eggs.
Skip the sausage and bacon—they can mess with digestion.
Have a light, balanced lunch: PB&J or a ham sandwich works well.
About an hour before the race, grab a quick-energy snack like trail mix, pretzels, dried fruit, or fruit snacks.
Post-Workout Recovery: What You Eat Matters
You’ve just finished a hard run or race—now what? Your body is begging for carbs and protein to start repairing your muscles. The faster you give it what it needs, the faster you will jump-start your recovery and the better you’ll feel tomorrow.
That’s where the magic of chocolate milk comes in. It’s got:
Twice the carbs and protein of most sports drinks
Water to rehydrate
Calcium, sodium, and potassium for recovery
And sugar to restore lost energy
Other great post-run snacks include bananas, dried fruit, granola bars, or even animal crackers. Your body doesn’t care if it’s liquid or solid—it just wants fuel.
Hydration: Runners Need Constant Refills
Water is like motor oil for your body. Without enough of it, your engine will start to break down.
That’s why runners need to drink at least half their body weight in ounces of water every day. For example, if you weigh 120 pounds, you should be drinking at least 60 ounces of water.
Yes, that means constant pee breaks—especially for the Tiny Tanks out there—but staying hydrated helps your body move smoothly, recover faster, and stay strong.
Rest Is Part of Training Too
You don’t get stronger during your workout—you get stronger while you rest. Training breaks down your body. Rest and sleep are what rebuild it.
Without enough sleep, your body doesn’t have time to heal. You start the next workout already tired, and that leads to slower gains and a higher risk of injury.
Five Tips for Better Sleep:
Set a regular sleep schedule—even on weekends.
Avoid caffeine in the evenings.
Unwind before bed—no screens, no workouts, no stress.
Keep your room cool.
Make your room dark and quiet.
Sleep also recharges your brain, helping with focus, motivation, and learning. Most young athletes need 8–10 hours of sleep a night to perform their best.
Final Key Concepts: Training the Whole Athlete
At Owasso, we don’t just train runners—we seek to build strong, balanced young people. Here are the key concepts we teach to help our athletes become the best version of themselves:
Balance: Keep a healthy mix between school, family, and training. All stress affects performance—so keep your priorities straight.
Positive Atmosphere: The locker room is contagious. Bring good energy to lift up your teammates and yourself.
Goals: Don’t just focus on the outcome—focus on how you’ll get there. The process matters more than the prize.
Consistent Training: The only way to improve is to show up, day after day. Small gains add up!
Team Focus: A strong team makes strong individuals. When your teammates win, you win too.
Earned Success: You don’t win on race day—you win in the weight room, on the trails, and during the early mornings. Own the process, and success will follow.
“Be perfect in the things you can control. Embrace what you have to do, so you can achieve what you want to do.”
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