try-ath-uh-leet wrote:
Yes, normal.
Swimming is 85% technique and 15% fitness. Maybe 90/10. If your technique is dreadful, all the aerobic fitness in the world buys you nothing in the pool. And, as others have noted, with the lack of fat and poor ankle flexibility common to serious runners, it's a lot to overcome. Start with a good coach and see how far they can take you.
The good news about being inefficient is that it's WAY more of a workout. So if you are using it to cross-train when you are injured and can't run, being a sucky swimmer isn't so bad - will definitely exhaust you.