Lazy lazy days are over (in theory).
As I finally plucked up courage to go along to one of Oxford Triathlon Club's coached swimming sessions.
I should have been doing this for six months or more but instead didn't bother preferring to convince myself that I was ok at swimming and didn't need it.
How that belief came crashing down upon me on Monday night.
I stood out as a newbie straight away as I padded poolside in baggy swimming shorts to stand next to a group of people sporting Speedos.
For the first time in my life I felt sill for NOT wearing skimpy trunks!
The first test was simply to swim two lengths and count how many strokes it took me each length. 36 and 27 being the answer.
I kept up with everyone else but at the end stood in the shallow end breathing like an asthmatic smoker.
Then for an hour we were taken through the basic mechanics of the swimming stroke - using the full length of the arm, getting a "good catch" in the water and so on. It was knackering but very interesting nonetheless.
Then at the end we had to swim another two lengths to see how it compared. It took me the same amount of time but I needed just 26 strokes and, despite being at the end of an hour-long session, was less out of breath than earlier.
Result.