swimming : 1500 meters

So, I swam 1500 meters this morning. Thirty-seven minutes focusing on technique—I have the “reach, catch, pull, and recover” but cannot seem to generate propulsion faster than 1:00 min. per 50 meters! How, on earth, do the majority of triathletes (age-groupers) swim 1500 in 20+ minute range—and the better swimmers in 15 minutes! I cannot swim 1500 in under 37:30 min. I mean, I’m bald, so that should help make me “slippery” in the water…and though I’m Italian, I have ZERO hair on my back (thankfully, for many reasons, including the drag in the water it would cause). Do I need to shave my legs?? My legs are a problem—they’re skinny and muscular, dragging behind me like an anchor. Maybe I need to put on some fat for buoyancy!! I’m constantly being swum over (literally) by “larger” athletes. Or I can learn to kick?! Swimming is hard for me…and perhaps the time has come to seek help…