Before the Beep: How the Walsh Sisters – Alex and Gretchen – Prepare for Race Day
Sisters Alex and Gretchen Walsh have made their mark on the sport of swimming: Olympic medals, NCAA championships and remarkable versatility have made them two of the best in the world.
How do they prepare on race day? That is the focus of this edition of Before the Beep.
It starts in the morning, dragging themselves out of bed for a healthy breakfast.
“Normally, I have breakfast and an iced vanilla latte to wake me up,” Gretchen says. “I head to the pool about an hour and 45 minutes before I race, and hop in the water to warm up an hour and 10 minutes out from the race. When I’m at the pool, I like hanging out with my teammates and coaches while I do some dynamic stretching and activation on land.”
For Alex, the mornings are a little harder.
“I am definitely not a morning person, so when I wake up, I have to have some coffee with my breakfast,” Alex says. “I normally try to eat very light meals in the morning and then bigger meals for lunch and then after finals.
“For breakfast, I like to have oatmeal, yogurt and some fruit. When I get to the pool, I like to hang out for around 20 to 30 minutes, just talking with my teammates and doing some light stretching. If it’s a really big meet where my nerves are up, I like to sometimes find a quiet place where I can take a few minutes to do some deep breathing. Once I get my practice suit on, it’s pretty much a streamlined routine of doing my warmup, putting on my race suit and then going to the ready room.”
One of the biggest parts of their race day at a big meet is the mental side of things between prelims and finals.
Gretchen Walsh and Alex Walsh at the 2023 Golden Goggle Awards. Photo Courtesy: John Lohn
“In between sessions, I pretty much just eat and sleep. I will take a two-and-a-half hour nap if I have the time. I will also watch my race from prelims before my nap, and when I wake up, I’ll have a snack, shave and listen to music,” says Gretchen.
It is also time to refuel. Alex shares: “In between sessions, I will have a big lunch with my family or friends, then head back to my hotel to get as big of a nap as possible. When I wake up, I have a small bite to eat for energy, and then I head to the pool, listening to good music.” That helps her focus all the way to race time.
Alex adds: “I like to listen to music in the car on the way to the pool, but I don’t like listening to music when I’m at the pool. I have found that the best way for me to stay loose and get excited is to chat with my teammates—they always bring good energy that I can feed off of.
“When I do listen to music, I like to listen to EDM or rap. I like to get to the ready room as late as possible because, personally, it makes my nerves worse. To counter this, I do deep-breathing pretty much constantly and work on positive self-talk heading into the race,” Alex says.
Gretchen is just the opposite when it comes to music: “When I get on the pool deck, I like to disconnect from my phone completely, which means I don’t listen to music. In the ready room, I like going over my race strategy in my head and chatting with friends to relieve some of my nerves.”
It all builds up to the mindset needed when it is time to walk out to the blocks. It is all about finding the maximum confidence—without being overconfident—at the right time.
“My mindset as I am walking up to the blocks varies depending on the meet,” sys Gretchen. “However, I normally like to interact with the crowd a little to put a smile on my face and get me excited for my race. I will do a quick run through my race strategy and maybe think of some moments in practice that give me confidence (to help me know) I am prepared for this moment.”
Confidence is also important for Alex: “Even if I don’t fully believe it, I always tell myself that I am ready…and to savor the moment.
“I have struggled with negative self-talk for years in high school, so I had to work really hard to get to a place where I feel confident, telling myself motivating words instead of sabotaging myself,” shares Alex. “I can count on myself enough now that it’s pretty much autopilot to be having good thoughts before my race. Instead of basing my race off others, I try to find other ways to get excited…like listening to the crowd!”
