Swim, fat chick, swim!

On the plus side, I can tolerate a swim suit again on my toasted back (which is still pink and peeling for the second time-- EW-- but the pain is, well, not quite gone but acceptably deep seated enough to ignore).  On the down side, getting my first real taste of swimming out "there" in the cove (and not within the defined guarded beach) was a rude awakening.  I sucked, which...well, frankly, I expected.  But I did not expect to panic as much as I did at the first wave in my face, first inhaled water, first kicking and struggling in a group, and, well, those sorts of things.  I'm not happy with how much I had to rely on back and breast to recover.  And I did not expect to make such slow progress.  I can pound out a mile straight (an actual mile-- not the cheating indoor swimming "mile" of 1500 meters/ 1650 yards) in the pool no problem.  Sure,  it's ugly and slow, but it can be done.  Swimming with the tide and winds and boat wake and all that.. just a completely different experience that had me questioning my abilities as a swimmer.  But open water swimming has an undeniable attraction due to its oddly romantic nature-- just you and the ocean/ bay/ channel/ river/ lake/ etc-- so... let's all hope I can finish and not embarrass myself too, too badly.