I know exactly what you mean about being a land animal! I would say, it depends on your goal. I could not swim 25m 4yrs ago. But, within a year, swimming 3x/wk, and coaching, I plodded 1500m to complete an Olympic distance. I was slow, and certainly not comfortable. These past 1.5yrs, not swimming consistently because of Covid. But, this past summer/fall, pools opened, and I could be more consistent. I finally feel I am making changes again....I would love to hold a 2:10 over 1.9km...not close. But this weekend, I broke 1min over 50m, and in July I was consistently 1:27. Time, commitment, and good coaching is essential...the coach actually has to be certified to teach...those teen lifeguards really aren't helpful because they don't understand those of us who weren't raised as swimmers...