50 meters (yards?) never felt so far

I picked up another sport habit last summer while rehabbing my shoulder- swimming.  I have never been a great swimmer, but I was feeling pretty good about my swimming before the move.  I could swim for 40 min nonstop.  It wasn't always pretty, but I could do the distance.  

Disappointingly, since I moved to a place with abundant swimming (ocean and outdoor pools), I have swam only once.  Today made it twice.  My experience was both humbling and wonderful all at the same time.  The Manoa Valley Community Pool is a mere 2 minute bike ride from my house.  It takes longer to lock and unlock my bike than it does to get there.  On top of that, swimming is free.  The lap swim on Mondays is the full length- 50 meters (yards?).  I've only swam in little pools- Como and SPG.  Big pools look neat- you know- like the Olympics and stuff.

When I arrived on the pool deck, I inspected the swimmers to see if there was a method to there madness.  The lifeguard saw my blank expression and politely described the lane rotation.  Arrows on the pool deck marked which direction each lane went, one lane to go out, the other to return back.  Genious.  This was going to work just great.

I foolishly thought I'd still be able to swim my half-mile in 30 minutes.  Hah!  50 meters (yards?) is much longer than 25 meters (yards?).  I'd say, twice as long, maybe longer since I get to push off the wall half as much.  After my first lap, I was feeling pretty confident that I could at least swim 400 meters (yards?).  After my second lap, I was a little concerned- maybe I could swim 400 meters (yards?).  After my third lap, I proclaimed myself a filter feeder based on the amount of water I swallowed and called it quits.

Defeated (and embarrassed that I only swam for 15 minutes), I went to shower.  The kind lifeguard bid me farewell and gave me the pool schedule to take home.  Wow, even HE knew I needed to swim more.  Ouch.  I'm hoping to join the UH Master Swimming club next week.  For $4 a session I can get technique instruction from the UH swimming coaches.  I figure in a month or so, my lifeguard-friend won't even know its me!

Its really rad to swim outside in February.