Legs Of...Lead?

Today is the sixth straight day of training. The work load isn't exactly difficult, but my fitness base has definitely disappeared from when I was swimming competitively. My lower abs hurt, my left shoulder is so tight I can barely move it and my quads feel like they won't support me anymore. That said, I'm loving it. There are fixes for all of these squeaky body parts-stretches, eating high calorie/nutrient filled foods and just plain perseverance.
Today was a 25 minute run/walk workout just trying to build up that base fitness I am lacking. It didn't fel so good when I was running, but when I finished I had a great sense of accomplishment. I'm also feeling good because it was a rare occasion hwen swim coaches could get six consequitive days of training out of me. I would just get bored and not go. This triathlon stuff keeps my mind occupied and my mind challenged. I also think I'm better at this because I'm an older athlete now.
I swam competitively from the age of 12 and on the international scene since I was 17. The two years I took off between swimming and embarking on this adventure did me some good. I feel like I'm doing this for myself instead of coaches or teammates. I enjoy it a lot better and I kind of feel like this is a second chance for me.
Don't get me wrong; I was a good swimmer. I won medals, held records and travelled everywhere with my sport, but I always felt like I could do better. I could never get ahead and really go after what I wanted. Part of it was lack of motivation on my part, part of it was life circumstances that made training a lot harder for me. I'm definitely not deminishing my experiences at three Paralympics and various international competitions, but now I feel like they were just building blocks for this. And, that is exciting.
I should probably get my tired but satisfied bum to bed. Tomorrow is another day and I don't know if I have a workout or not. :) So, the more rest I get, the better.