Swim honeymoon over

Friday noon: 35 minute swim. No stopping now. Just slow and steady.
But I'm not bragging anymore. I've read some swim training programs and they all seem to suggest my 1000m triumphs are more of a warm-up than significant feat. Plus, I had the privilege yesterday of being stuck in the middle of a pack of presumed tri-elite athletes. Good thing I read up on my swim lane etiquette/protocols. Conclusion: I can swim with these bad boys. Conclusion no.2: It is obvious that I am a very slow swimmer and that the honeymoon is over.

You know how in the first 2k of a run, the heart rate spikes, breathing is heavy and the urge to stop and walk is very high? At least, that's what I experience and I am forever reminding myself to start slow. Well, I'm finding the same with swimming. Only the erratic breathing and want of a break is replaced by my lungs screaming for air and the panic of drowning. It takes about 5 minutes to relax into a rhythm and for the urge to rest to subside. Head games!

Lastly, I've read up on those wonderful, fluid flip-turns that olympic swimmers execute so flawlessly. I'm gonna try it.
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1388