1.
When you accidentally whack the lane line and it feels like you might lose a few digits:
2.
When you take off your goggles but you still look like this:
3.
When the lane leader is catching up behind you during practice:
4.
When you never, ever really rinse the chlorine out:
5.
When you have to play make-believe during warm-down:
6.
When your meet is moving along more slowly than molasses:
7.
When you're trying to make practice a little easier on you and your teammates:
8.
When you're in the middle of practice and TBH you don't really know what's going on:
9.
When you're about to swim the 1650 and you ask your coach how you should swim it:
10.
When you have to swim *THAT* event:
11.
When you have to carbo-load:
12.
When your wake-up alarm might destroy you:
13.
When you're almost done with the 500 and you have an "oh shit" moment:
14.
When the only way to cope after a morning practice is this:
15.
When you have *THAT* person on your team:
16.
When you mastered the two-backpack look growing up:
17.
When you have to put on a tech suit but it might kill you:
18.
When the swimmer behind you just won't stop riding your ass:
19.
When you decide to take a convenient "bathroom break" during practice:
20.
When swimming becomes a contact sport:
21.
When your butterfly stroke looks very different at the beginning of a race than it does at the end:
22.
And when you're challenged with swimming too much butterfly during a meet:
23.
When you know a hard main set is coming, and you have to prepare for the worst:
24.
And finally, when you walk up to the blocks feeling like a badass with your relay squad: