Are you saying that you cannot do 2000 yards non-stop in a pool? If that is so, I think you have a problem, and I think you should slow down your pace and stop the damn 5 second rests.
I "learned" to swim last year, and did a half without a wetsuit, and 2 IM's with.
Be sure to do some warming up just before the swim in the water, and then be super careful not to go out too fast, or the next thing you know you will be gasping, your heart will be racing, your eyes will be bugging out of your head and you will be panicked and looking for a kayak. Let everybody go. You will catch them later. Actually, you will probably not catch them later, but it is a good thought to hold.
If you do get spooked, just try to go back to the slowest swimming-like thing you can do, take big breaths, be sure to exhale (under water, just as you would ordinarily), and trust that it will straighten itself out, just like it does if you go out running too hard, but it will take a minute or two. But be sure to exhale, don't just keep trying to pack air in on top.
I "learned" to swim last year, and did a half without a wetsuit, and 2 IM's with.
Be sure to do some warming up just before the swim in the water, and then be super careful not to go out too fast, or the next thing you know you will be gasping, your heart will be racing, your eyes will be bugging out of your head and you will be panicked and looking for a kayak. Let everybody go. You will catch them later. Actually, you will probably not catch them later, but it is a good thought to hold.
If you do get spooked, just try to go back to the slowest swimming-like thing you can do, take big breaths, be sure to exhale (under water, just as you would ordinarily), and trust that it will straighten itself out, just like it does if you go out running too hard, but it will take a minute or two. But be sure to exhale, don't just keep trying to pack air in on top.