Beginner - swimming too fast?

I'm a beginner, learned how to swim as a kid, but only been swimming seriously for a couple of months.

I'm working up really slowly, focusing on technique, watching a lot of videos and trying to apply them.

One thing I'm struggling with is swimming too fast? Or otherwise, I'm just getting out of breath too fast. I see old people at my pool swimming endlessly at a slow speed without ever stopping. I might be going twice as fast on a given length, but I have to stop to catch my breath after two lengths of freestyle (maybe 4 lengths of breaststroke, which seems to be easier somehow).

I try to slow down, but then I feel my form breaking down as my legs sink and I lose that nice horizontal position and balance.

Worth noting that I'm very very out of shape and despite months of focused cardio I'm still well below average for my age and sex (according to my measured VO2 max anyway).

submitted by /u/panic_ye_not
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