2012 = Summer of Swimming

I've declared Summer 2012 to be the Summer of Swimming.  It's been said that you can't win a triathlon in the swim, but you can definitely lose it.  Swimming has always been (and continues to be, though to a lesser extent thank goodness) a liability for me.  I did not grow up a swimmer.  I quit swim lessons at age 6 and for the next 14 years, any swimming I did consisted of dog-paddling around my neighbor's pool.  I did dog paddle/sidestroke for my first triathlon (aaaand maybe for my second and third and fourth triathlons too...).  I'm comfortable in the water, it's always been more of a problem of swim technique (i.e., it was nonexistent) than being uncomfortable in the water.  I started learning the proper way to swim once I joined Team Z a number of years ago.  Then I started swimming more than twice a week and saw more improvement.  And this summer I took the plunge - I heard about the Summer Morning Masters swim program at Hain's Point that goes from Memorial Day to about Labor Day.  Two choices of AM swim practice times, 90 minute sessions 5 days a week IN AN OUTDOOR 50 METER POOL.  I saw that and was like, where do I sign up??!!  Yesterday I went to my first practice.  It was dark when I arrived, but as practice continued on, the sun slowly started to creep above the horizon.  The air and water temperatures were perfect, I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else, it was fantastic.  I think I got in just about 3900m and I loved (almost) every second of it (by the 6th 100 IM, I wouldn't have protested if practice ended).  I'm not going to be able to make it to the pool five days a week, but I'd imagine I'll be there at least 3-4 days/week.  Another bonus is that Hain's Point is on my way to work AND is the perfect place to do biking and running post-swim.  The summer of swimming has BEGUN!!