My shoulders burn like massive bonfire,
My breathing has gotten heavy as I try to suck in every last molecule of oxygen,
And the overwhelming smell of chlorine fill my nose.
The feeling of my body cutting through the clear, cold sparkling water,
Like a knife cutting through butter.
Thundering down the pool, in a mad frenzy of splashes,
Like an army racing into battle.
Flying through the crisp water with determination in our eyes.

The clock is our enemy, who lies in the underbrush, waiting for the perfect time to push us to our breaking point as we race for our lives.
It’s always ready to tell us how much harder we need to push,
How much improvement to make. 
The red hand rounding the seconds is like a field full of land mines,
We have to tread lightly yet count every second.
But the enemy becomes a friend, when it drops several seconds off your best time.
Whether the clock is a friend or an enemy,
It is the lifeline of the swimmers,
Like a lifejacket it keeps us afloat.

Keep your head down,
Kick faster,
Pull harder,
No breathing off the wall, all are phrases that repeat in our heads.
They have been engrained into our beings.
Explode off the blocks,
Streamline off the wall,
Don’t breathe.
We are soldiers and these are our marching orders.

Swimming looks effortless and beautiful to outsiders.
We appear to glide across the water, but we know better.
The peaceful looking pool has embraced tears and pain.
Difficult and painful workouts take a taxing effect on our bodies,
Injuries, sickness, blood and sweat are mixed in the clear, sparkling waters.
The pool also has been a place of joy and happiness where we can be powerful and as fast, as we want to be.
These girls who take the plunge with me everyday are my family,
Always sharing in each other’s pain or happiness.

And on we charge through the water.
Legs hurting, heart pounding, lungs burning, eyes stinging, we swim on and on and on.