Growing up, I never knew anything about the sport of swimming – I stuck to riding horses, cheerleading, dancing, and playing soccer. I nannied for kids who all were on a swim team and had friends who swam, but nothing prepared me for dating a collegiate swimmer. Here’s what I quickly learned as the girlfriend of a swimmer…

1. Don’t expect to be able to travel anywhere together.

Swimmers practice more than anyone I have ever met. 6 a.m. every weekday and 8 a.m. on a Saturday? Late night practice? Oh, and don’t forget right smack-dab in the middle of the afternoon. Hope you don’t want him to meet your family or go on a quick trip anywhere with you because the one day he has off – he will likely be curled up in his bed or scavenging up the last bits of homework he couldn’t finish between practices.

2. Be prepared for long drives to swim meets.

He may not ask you to make the drive, but seeing your face up in the crowd will make his day. Even if he doesn’t like when people watch him swim, he will appreciate the fact that you support him and what he loves… even if it entails you driving three hours there and three hours back early in the morning and bribing your friends to tag along so you don’t get lonely. He’s worth it.

3. You will quickly be able to differentiate the different strokes.

Like I said earlier, I grew up doing a variety of sports – none of which included water in any sense. I never attended swim meets or watched the swimming Olympics. I had zero prior knowledge of swimming when I met my boyfriend. Now I can watch one heat of one event of one meet and tell you exactly the stroke they’re doing, the name of the event, and even the number of laps they do. Ask me if I ever thought I would know anything about swimming…. No. The answer is no.

4. Afraid of water? Get over it.

Water is definitely not something I enjoy. I’ve had my share of bad experiences and even took swim lessons as a kid and can barely tread water. However, I’m dating a waterbug. This means that, as long as we are together, I will continue to push myself through this fear so that I can enjoy my boyfriend’s passion along his side – rather than as far from the pool as I can get.

5. Taper is the DEVIL.

If you don’t know what taper is, consider yourself lucky. Taper is when swimmers don’t do ANYTHING and “rest” for an extended period of time right before a big meet or championship. IT. IS. AWFUL. Want your boyfriend to come over but you live down the street? Well too bad! Need help carrying something? Sorry for your luck! Want to go on a romantic walk by the river? Not gonna happen! Good luck though!

6. Morning practices make grumpy men.

Exactly. That early morning practice he goes to? Expect it to be followed by naps that last hours, meals four-times the size of a normal portion, and a VERY irritable, sleep-deprived, achy man who will grumble at everything you say and throw a fit anytime you ask him to do anything because he is just far too exhausted to function like a human while still being a student and an athlete. Being a boyfriend will not be his top priority at this point. The faster you accept that, the better it will seem.

7. His team is his family.

They do everything together - swim, travel, sleep, and even hang out in each other's pee. You want to go to the school cafeteria and have a nice dinner together? Go for it! Just expect a couple extra seats to be pulled up to your table! You better learn to love his team as much as he does because they'll probably be around for quite a while!

8. Seeing him do the thing he loves most… it’s priceless.

It isn't every day I get to see my boyfriend dive off the block into the water, but I count it as a blessing every time I do. We often take things in life for granted. I probably won't be 90-years-old and riding horses, just like he probably won't be 90-years-old and swimming. Most people may not jump for joy at the thought of driving three hours at 6 a.m. to sit in a hot room on a Saturday and watch someone swim 1,650 yards in a pool, but I do. I love supporting him doing what he loves.

If you can accept these things and learn to love the life of a swimmer's girlfriend - dive right it! It's completely worth it!