The next Summer Olympics are 4 years away, right?

For the past, oh, 6 months or so, I've been idly saying "I'd like to start swimming for exercise" but so far haven't made it past that stage. I was all gung ho to start in the summer (Olympics power of suggestion what?) when the Mono hit and I was out cold for 4 weeks. (that would have made for an interesting rescue situation in the pool: "I don't know, she just fell asleep coming in to the wall!") Then just when i was getting my energy back and started trying to find a pool with lane times that fit "my" "schedule" (i.e. not early morning, but not late evening after my butt has hit the couch due to winter etc), the dreaded Death Flu (comes with bonus hacking cough) hit and I was out cold again.

Then, last week a coworker and I were discussing getting off our butts and I mentioned my swimming "plan". She said she had found a pool, open to the public, that had lane swimming pretty much all day. SO... (drumroll for this is truly a momentous occasion) we went swimming Monday after work.

During the day she had asked me how many laps I wanted to go for so I said I thought I would try for a certain length of time rather than laps so I could try to pace myself. She asked "how long do you want to go for then?" to which I replied "I'm aiming for 20 minutes." She laughed and said she was thinking like an hour, but come on people, I know myself.

Sure enough: one lap in and I was thinking "WHAT am i THINKING?" I never did count my actual laps but we swam for 30 minutes (a new PB!)(personal best)(because I'm obviously training for the Olympics) and then sank gratefully into the hot tub. I'm surprised I made it home afterwards. I was wiped out.

This will get easier right? I will get "in shape" and will have stamina and endurance and all those mythical words that athletic people throw around with nary a care in the world. My legs will stop shaking one day soon right?

I can't wait to go again.