1.
When you realize that swimming is in fact a contact sport:
2.
And when you realize you haven't truly experienced pain until you've hit your hand on a lane line:
3.
When you think you're going to be brave hopping into the pool, and then when you actually get in:
4.
When you're a distance swimmer, and this happens right before your big race:
5.
When you're lucky to even get in the pool when you're warming up for a meet:
6.
When maybe there was water in your ear, but you always have to have the coach repeat the set at least a second time:
7.
When putting on a tech suit basically requires a miracle and God's mercy:
8.
When your coach decides to get cute with just a few minutes left in practice:
9.
When your coach says this, and you know that it can't mean anything good:
And then when you're about to start a really difficult main set:
10.
When your Friday nights are very different from most normal peoples' Friday nights:
11.
When you encounter that one swimmer who decides to go all out during the warm-up:
12.
When no matter how long you've been swimming, your start always could use a little work:
13.
And that definitely includes your backstroke start:
14.
When it feels like you have a bottomless pit in your stomach after practice:
15.
When you have that one person who swims up your butt the entire practice:
16.
When you've got a butterfly set during practice:
17.
When you get home from practice and you feel like face-planting on your bed and never waking up:
18.
When you get a sprint set during practice and you can't contain your excitement:
19.
When you need a break during a hard set, so your goggles conveniently need tightening:
20.
When there's that one event that you refuse to ever swim:
21.
When you finish the first round of a hard set and realize the pain is just getting started:
22.
When your non-swimmer friends ask you why you can't hang out:
23.
And when one of them says you smell like a pool and you want to scream at them:
24.
And finally, when you get to roll up to the blocks with your relay squad and you feel invincible:
