Thought I'd give an update - expecting Alison to be swinging into full goal mode now that she is back from holidays.

I've lost 5.5 pounds. 2.5 more and I'll be to where I was at the beginning of the summer.... 

The swimming class was a bust. It had promised 'stroke improvement' tips but there were none. Instead we just got told to swim up and down doing this or that thing. The water was chilly (for real swimmers) and so the combination of no instruction and the cold and I decided that I prefer my cardio hot and sweaty.