Thorpedoed

Michael Phelps is amazing. He just broke Ian Thorpe's 200-meter freestyle record at the swimming world championships -- and he did it in Australia, the recently retired Thorpe's home turf. It brings to mind a couple things. First, Phelps just seems to get better. You had to wonder how could recharge after that brilliant 2004 Olympics. Most athletes would have suffered a competitive letdown, or simply reveled in burnout. Phelps added a few new strokes to his quiver, and is now clearly the best swimmer in history.

Which brings us to the second point. That "best swimmer in history" title was Thorpe's until 2004. Swimming is not like baseball or golf -- largely contemplative and sedentary, lending itself to a lifetime of competion. Looking down at that black line on the bottom of the pool for lap after lap, year after year, must be an acquired skill. One wonders how a world class swimmer distracts himself from the monotony, and finds new ways to challenge himself (or HERself, just to be equal here) to get out of bed in the morning and jump into that pool. So it's no wonder that Thorpe retired. But he's still a pup. And that world record in the 200-free was a cherished gem, for it was well known that Thorpe owned that event. So will we see him come back for Beijing? You have to wonder.

Onward. The Boston Marathon is going to start two hours earlier this year. With the field capped at 23,500 runners, officials are thinking that the traditional noon start could possible commuter bottlenecks in the evening. At least that's how I read the release. Either way, the race goes off at ten, which is a much more sane time to begin a marathon than noon, but will mean that the tradition of Red Sox fans leaving the ballpark after the Patriot's Day ballgame to watch the marathoners will be eliminated unless the baseball game can start two hours earlier. Stay tuned on that one.

That's such a cool marathon. Such mystique. Such tradition. Last time I ran it, I woke up on race day with a 102 fever. I wasn't even going to go. But I'd flown all the way across country, and it seemed silly to waste the entry, so I gobbled about ten Aleve and hopped on the school bus to Hopkinton. Like everyone else, I made the ritual urination on the shrubbery of that city's very accepting residents, and then toed the starting line, still feeling far less than a hundred percent.

But here's the thing: Boston is point-to-point. I don't know that area well enough to presume that I could find my way back into town without running. So I ran. The entire race was about energy management, but I knew I was home free when I ran through those Wellesley coeds. Nothing like a group of deeply enthusiastic beer-soaked college girls to make a man discard all thoughts of self-pity. It was a great day.

Alright. Enough nostalgia. Three cheers for Michael Phelps, and then off to check the cricket scores.

Keep pushing... always.

Comments

[susie b]

That's MY BOY! Go Michael! And did I mention in the last two days that he's from MARYLAND? :) Two other Americans set world records right after him - Natalie Coughlin & Aaron Piersol. Great night!

I am a great admirer of Thorpe too but I have to quibble with you about the "greatest swimmer in history"! No. Even though I had Mark Spitz's 5 ft poster (all tan, shaved, stars & stripes speedoed...), I wouldn't offer up Mark either. No, until Michael came along, I would suggest Johnny Weismuller. Yes, that's right - TARZAN. Before his motion picture debut, the man was 'one with a porpoise'. He set World Records in the 100,200,400, & 800 Frees. Only man to EVER do that. He won the 100 Free at back-back Olympics. The guy would have won more golds if there had been all the events they have today. PLUS, the guy NEVER lost a swim race...ever...

But for OVERALL swimmer, Michael Phelps is already the Best in history. After this world championhips & Beijing (if healthy), he will set records probably unbeatable, in # of WRs, swim medals at Olympics,etc. Besides the IMs, he swims & medals in three different individual stroke events. Amazing! And he could stay around til London!

But I agree, how these guys keep motivated year after year is amazing in itself. I've read one of the two current Michael books & he is determined to bring more notice not to himself but to swimming. With the next Olympics, I think he will finally replace ALL of America's thinking of "the swimmer" as being Mark Spitz. (About half-way there now). I hope we see another version of that commercial where his "training" showed him 'literally' swimming from Athens to the USA & he touches, says "one", & swims back the other way. Classic!

And may all this talk of Michael Phelps PUSH you into the pool Marty! Inspiration! Motivation! You too are a man with a "porpoise". (Ok, groan... I have no excuse...)

[Daniel M]

Three words for you on how to avoid burnout in the pool:

Underwater Sound System

We had one in my high school's pool, and it made the workouts go by a whole lot faster. Nothing like some hard-driving rock 'n' roll to keep you moving. That, and a coach who kept the water at an insanely cold 65 degrees.

- Rant

[Camille]

That darn Michael Phelps! My pool was actually crowded tonight (2 in every lane); everyone wants to look like Michael Phelps. DARN him. (but he sure looks good :)

[susie b]

Michael just set another World Record - this time lowering his own 200 Fly record by more than 1.6 seconds, which is MASSIVE in the swim world! He is ON FIRE! The question now must be - can he get even better? His competitors must pass out at the thought. :)

He is swimming's version of The Natural - "the best there ever was". On one hand it is great that this display of his superpowers are in Australia - that swimming-mad nation. But still, they must be stunned & at least a BIT dejected to see their own past superstar "replaced" so quickly & right before their very eyes!

Now, if I can just find out what network/cable channel will show the damn thing & when...

[Stan]

Susie B,

Go to www.wcsn.com. Pay $4.95/month (its self-renewing, so you have to terminate it once you get your fill of the highlights) and you can watch all of the events "on demand." NBC will probably show a highlights package at some point since they own the Olympics rights and Phelps will be a key part of their ratings push for Beijing. But if you need an immediate fix, I recommend WCSN.

Finish strong,
Stan

[Stan]

By the way, I am not a swimming historian or statistician, but I have been following the sport since I started swimming year-round in '81 (yes, I'm old). Yesterday evening's finals (Day 3 - 3/27/2007) may have been the greatest 2-hour session of championship swimming in history. 4 world records (and one American record thrown in for good measure), and another swim within 1 second of the world record in the women's 1500-meter free (which is the oldest record on the books).

http://tri4christ.blogspot.com/2007/03/best-day-of-swimming-ever.html

Finish strong,
Stan

[susie b]

Thanks Stan! And was Janet Evans' 800 & 1500 Beamonesque or what! That girl (she was a teenager at the time I believe) lowered those records SO much but I don't think even anyone at the time thought they'd last 18-20 years. I can remember watching her on TV & she would almost always be so far ahead of her competitors, it was as if everyone else was being shown in slo-mo.

[KP]

FYI -- The start time of the Red Sox game (vs. the Angels btw) was moved up to 10:05 am to work with the new marathon time.

The 7am start for us West Coasters seems like a warm up for the Tour coverage.

It's quite a thrill to hear the crowd in Kenmore Square erupting and then -- which way do you look? Sox? Marathoners? -- the elite runners come into view.