I have been swimming competitively for most of my life, and if there is one thing most swimmers (myself included) can agree on, it is that butterfly (or simply fly) is the bane of every swimmer's existence, in particular, the 100 Fly. The 100 Fly is either 4 laps in a 25-yard pool or two laps in a 50-meter pool dependent on the season. While this might not seem like that much and only takes about a minute to complete, every swimmer goes through nine stages swimming this event.
1. Waiting For Your Heat Like
As you either sit behind the blocks watching other people struggle through the event or stand as far away as possible, you try to prepare yourself for what is about to happen.
2. Waiting For The Official To Blow The Whistle
You step up onto the block, and while you are nervous, you have mentally prepared yourself for what is coming.
3. The First Lap
You have just dove in. Maybe it is the adrenaline or the fact that your underwaters were amazing, but at this point, the race seems very doable as you speed through the first lap.
4. The Second Lap
At this stage, you are still going strong. Arms are feeling a little tired but its nothing that will stop you. You think, "Maybe this will be different than all of the other times I've raced fly."
5. The First Half Of The 3rd Lap
Something is wrong. Somehow you are still moving, and it doesn't hurt that much which confuses you. Something is coming.
6. The Wall...
You were doing so well, then all of the sudden you hit a wall. Your arms stop moving, and you struggle to keep yourself afloat let alone moving forward.
7. The Last Lap
The hardest part of the 100 fly. You have come so far but yet have so much more to swim. By this time you have accepted defeat and are questioning how you will manage to swim to the other side of the pool.
8. Seeing Your Time
After you have somehow managed to drag your near dead body across the pool, and you realize that your time was not as bad as you thought it was, and you somehow managed to finish the race!
9. Getting Out Of The Pool
After you have finished and the next race is starting, you try and pull yourself out of the pool, but your arms are so dead from swimming that it is way more of a struggle than it should be.
