Your heart thumps like the bass of a song. The only things competing with the thumping are the flood of thoughts in your brain and music flowing in from your headphones. Your attention bounces from the music to the thumping to the thoughts you are desperately trying to quiet.
Then, over the intercom: First call for event 5, the women’s 200 freestyle.
It’s coming up, it’s almost time. Calm down. Just breathe.
You take your headphones off and realize it’s almost as loud in the natatorium as it is in your head. You gather your cap and goggles, take off your warmups, and take a deep breath.
Your legs start taking you towards the starting blocks, as if they are telling your brain to take a seat and let them do the work- and that’s what swimming is about sometimes.
You have to trust your training and your body to pull you through the water. It’s a mental game, and you can win if you make your mind listen to the thoughts that empower you and make you want to race. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have some enjoyment for the sport (unless you have parents that won’t let you quit).
Either way, the anxiety that comes before a race is unlike anything else. The rush of adrenaline makes you even shake sometimes. You look around and see some standing completely still while others are acting like Michael Phelps and smacking their muscles. You put your cap and goggles on, do your own pre-race pump up routine, slow your heart rate down a bit, and get up on the blocks. One last deep breath.
Then, over the intercom: Quiet for the start…
A few seconds of silence pass, feeling like an eternity, and you stare down at the water below the blocks.
Swimmers…take your mark
*beep*
Photo taken by: Danielle Guy
Project Me - Alex Truby 
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In my opinion, everyone should be interested in exercise because it strengthens the body and maintains health. Also, paying attention to competitions and achieving outstanding results makes life challenging. I like swimming and sometimes swimming. When I watch the race, I feel short of breath as if I were a racer. On the other hand, when I go to practice, the trainer often tells me swimming is the best sport to burn calories. So, take care of taking my kids over to the Indiana State University swimming pool weekend, swimming all over and watching a lot of people swim quickly.
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Swimming is really interesting because it does different things for different people. I’m glad to hear that you all enjoy the pool, I loved going to pools even as a child. If you haven’t yet, you should check out the swimming lessons for your children. Be sure to say hi if you see me at the pool sometime!
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