Earlier than the Beep: How the Walsh Sisters – Alex and Gretchen – Put together for Race Day
Sisters Alex and Gretchen Walsh have made their mark on the game of swimming: Olympic medals, NCAA championships and memorable versatility have made them two of one of the best on the planet.
How do they put together on race day? That’s the focus of this version of Earlier than the Beep.
It begins within the morning, dragging themselves away from bed for a wholesome breakfast.
“Usually, I’ve breakfast and an iced vanilla latte to wake me up,” Gretchen says. “I head to the pool about an hour and 45 minutes earlier than I race, and hop within the water to heat up an hour and 10 minutes out from the race. Once I’m on the pool, I like hanging out with my teammates and coaches whereas I do some dynamic stretching and activation on land.”
For Alex, the mornings are a bit tougher.
“I’m positively not a morning individual, so after I get up, I’ve to have some espresso with my breakfast,” Alex says. “I usually attempt to eat very gentle meals within the morning after which larger meals for lunch after which after finals.
“For breakfast, I wish to have oatmeal, yogurt and a few fruit. Once I get to the pool, I like to hang around for round 20 to half-hour, simply speaking with my teammates and performing some gentle stretching. If it’s a very massive meet the place my nerves are up, I wish to generally discover a quiet place the place I can take a couple of minutes to do some deep respiration. As soon as I get my follow go well with on, it’s just about a streamlined routine of doing my warmup, placing on my race go well with after which going to the prepared room.”
One of many largest elements of their race day at an enormous meet is the psychological aspect of issues between prelims and finals.
Gretchen Walsh and Alex Walsh on the 2023 Golden Goggle Awards. Photograph Courtesy: John Lohn
“In between periods, I just about simply eat and sleep. I’ll take a two-and-a-half hour nap if I’ve the time. I can even watch my race from prelims earlier than my nap, and after I get up, I’ll have a snack, shave and take heed to music,” says Gretchen.
It’s also time to refuel. Alex shares: “In between periods, I’ll have an enormous lunch with my household or mates, then head again to my resort to get as massive of a nap as doable. Once I get up, I’ve a small chunk to eat for power, after which I head to the pool, listening to good music.” That helps her focus all the best way to race time.
Alex provides: “I wish to take heed to music within the automobile on the best way to the pool, however I don’t like listening to music after I’m on the pool. I’ve discovered that one of the best ways for me to remain free and get excited is to talk with my teammates—they at all times deliver good power that I can feed off of.
“Once I do take heed to music, I wish to take heed to EDM or rap. I wish to get to the prepared room as late as doable as a result of, personally, it makes my nerves worse. To counter this, I do deep-breathing just about continuously and work on optimistic self-talk heading into the race,” Alex says.
Gretchen is simply the alternative on the subject of music: “Once I get on the pool deck, I wish to disconnect from my telephone utterly, which implies I don’t take heed to music. Within the prepared room, I like going over my race technique in my head and chatting with mates to alleviate a few of my nerves.”
All of it builds as much as the mindset wanted when it’s time to stroll out to the blocks. It’s all about discovering the utmost confidence—with out being overconfident—on the proper time.
“My mindset as I’m strolling as much as the blocks varies relying on the meet,” sys Gretchen. “Nevertheless, I usually wish to work together with the group a bit to place a smile on my face and get me excited for my race. I’ll do a fast run by my race technique and perhaps consider some moments in follow that give me confidence (to assist me know) I’m ready for this second.”
Confidence can also be essential for Alex: “Even when I don’t totally consider it, I at all times inform myself that I’m prepared…and to savor the second.
“I’ve struggled with unfavorable self-talk for years in highschool, so I needed to work actually exhausting to get to a spot the place I really feel assured, telling myself motivating phrases as a substitute of sabotaging myself,” shares Alex. “I can rely on myself sufficient now that it’s just about autopilot to be having good ideas earlier than my race. As a substitute of basing my race off others, I attempt to discover different methods to get excited…like listening to the group!”
