SimplyComplexJen

Dear Authors of the dozens of swimming plans I have found on the internet;

What you're posting is not a true beginning workout. A 500m warmup? I can barely swim to the end when I started at the end of Janyuary, and you want me to do that how many times?

You want me to change up with a butterfly stroke then a what-stroke? Um, freestyle is the only thing I've (barely) figured out because a loose version of it is what I use at the lake or in the ocean.

exhibit A : http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=181 (typical, not atypical).

I can cycle a century.

I can run a marathon (um, maybe on that one).

Swim 1600m in the pool? FAIL.

When someone approaches me about running, I can point them to Runners World for beginning programs. A walk/run interval program. The couch to a 5k program. I could go on and on about which programs and the pros/cons of each.

Cycling? I could join a spin class and get an idea of how I'm doing. Local shops have programs for beginners. I could go on and on about resources here too.

Swimming? Short of hiring a private coach or ordering TI DVDs, I am surprised by the lack of true beginner programs out there. After 6 weeks, I am happy I can swim 150m. (granted, I had to learn to freestyle first and ended up in a 4 session class on the basics), but supposedly I should be swimming a mile by now. I'm not a couch potato. This shouldn't be this hard. It is easier than when I first started blogging about my first tri experience in Jan, it's still not fun or remotely easy.

I understand if Tri's were easy, everyone would do it. But I also understand why swimming is considered by many to be the most intimidating part.

Help me. Point me in the right direction. And possibly? Can you do this without charging me by the hour? Please.

Regards,
Girl who wants to complete her Tri.

p.s. if you know of a site where I can join a forum and ask lots of practical questions as well, that would be nifty. Not sure asking my waxing and other such questions here is what I want to be memorialized on google for my daughter to find 10 years from now. Just a thought.