Candy = GOD
In my ongoing quest for world domination, I came to the realization that in order to improve in the sport of triathlon, I would need to improve my swimming. I think my cycling is about as good as it’s ever going to get, and my running really won’t improve that much more until I start actually running in training.
Enter Candy Angle. Candy is the 2002 XTERRA World Champion. Candy is not only a pro triathlete, she is also THE BEST SWIM COACH EVER. I was told by my people in the know that she is “the best.”
On Friday Andy and I had a session with Candy. Now I make no secret of the fact that I cannot swim very well, that I did not learn to swim anything beyond dog paddle until last summer, and that my swimming more closely resembles a losing battle with a giant squid than actual technique.
Candy fixed me in less than 2 hours.
OK, so I am not going to break any water records and I still am not a great swimmer, but suddenly I am moving forward in the pool rather than meandering back and forth across the lane. I could not believe the improvement that I saw in my swimming after the first 1/2 hour of our lesson, seeing as it was entirely on land. The drills she had us do transferred directly into the pool, so when I first entered the water and she said “I want to see you swim” I was already making corrections. And as anyone who knows me can attest, I am NOT a kinetic learner. When it comes to muscle memory, my learning curve is really shallow.
I feel like I actually know what I am doing now. Add Candy’s session to my Wednesday night triathlon swim classes at the Y, and I might just stand a chance in this sport after all. Andy and I left our session with Candy and promptly went to Home Depot to purchase some wooden dowels for our dry land drills. Several ninja/sword fights later, we are ready to commence training.
En Garde!
