Lost in Beijing» Michael Phelps

Best of 2008: Athlete – Part 4

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:47:07 +0000

The Deep End of a Man called Phelps

I’m a swimmer. I have forced my arms through the resistance of the deep, seen the swirl of patterned aqua on white, felt the weightlessness of my being surrendered to the liquid calling my name to pull forward, forward. I have had the liquid fill my eye sockets and nostrils; I have felt at home in the abyss of that from which we came. I have heard its spiritual call, where I was alone, far from the crowd, alone, just me and that which if I struggle against will take my very life, but if find its connection within me, become one with it, and become triumphant, not against it, but with it. Such is the story of 2008’s greatest athlete, Michael Phelps.

The town of Ann Arbor, Michigan, gives home to the now famous Michael Phelps, hero to the swimmer, hero to the athlete, hero to the American. To elevate the sport of swimming was Michael’s goal, and he has done just that. Mission completed, only that is not all he has done. While it is hard not to say that swimming has been in the eye of the Olympic beholder more than most sports of the summer Olympics, giving the sport its glory and fame that is deserved, enough for those of us to who call ourselves such, to say, we are swimmers, to proclaim, “I am a swimmer,” Michael went on to accomplish more than even he could have seen.

Born June 30, 1985, could this babe have known that someday his best stroke times would climb to 200 fly-1:52.0, 100 fly-50.7, 400 im-47.5, and 200 free-1:42.9? And if you don’t know swimming, it’s good, darn good, good enough for Michael to be the most celebrated athlete of the U.S., good enough for the Olympics, good enough for me, good enough for you. The one called “Sportsman of the Year,” “Athlete of the Year,” “World Swimmer of the Year,” and “American Swimmer of the Year” earns his titles.

His Club Wolverine Swim Team must have been enthralled when the moment came, which he proclaims as his greatest moment in swimming, the 4×200 free relay. The twelve years of painful workouts, which he attests to, paid off, paid off in the home of athletes, Athens, Greece, and then in a far away Beijing. As he read and envied the swimmer Pablo Morales, Michael, this student of the University of Michigan, would rise to be a Pablo, to be more than his own Morales.

Poker and music, he proclaims his interests; yet, I suggest perhaps a slight love for the splashing water and ripping his body through its torrents, as well. One could say the quote which

Baltimore sites of interest: Fells Point

admin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:10:51 +0000

Fell’s Point in Baltimore, Maryland does carry quite the interesting history. Fell’s Point was named after English Quaker known as William Fell. He had bought the land on Inner Harbor. It was known as “Long Island Point” and “Copus Harbor.” In 1763, the town was called Fell’s Point. In 1773, it would be incorporated into Baltimore Town.

Fast forwarding to the present, the TV show known as “Homicide: Life on the Street” is set in Fell’s Point, Baltimore. Today, Fell’s Point is home to various pubs, coffee bars, shops, restaurants, and music stores. In the Inner Harbor part of Baltimore, there is definitely nightlife at Fell’s Point. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is a resident of Fell’s Point. He holds seven world records in swimming. He also competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Overall, Fell’s Point has a deep history since the United States Revolutionary War. The USS Constellation, one of the first ships used by the United States Navy, was built at the shipyards of Fell’s Point. Overall, there are places to see and things to do at Fell’s Point. Perhaps this is one of the prime hangouts if and when visiting Baltimore, Maryland.

The restored second USS Constellation is still floating in Inner Harbor. This is one of the things you can check out while visiting.

If you are a fan of boxing, the Baltimore Boxing Club is located at Fell’s Point. This is a place for both average and professional boxers. Jake “The Snake” Smith, the owner, has won various national, state, and Golden Gloves championships. If you want to check out a boxing match, this is the place to go to while you are in Inner Harbor.

If you are into scary stuff, there is “Baltimore Ghost Tours.” It is pretty much a tour with local actors acting as the tour guides. This is a guided tour that takes place at night. Perhaps you might run into a spirit or two. You get to check out many places that are deemed haunted.

If you are into something education, there is the Baltimore Maritime Museum. You get to check out and explore the Lightship Chesapeake, the USCGC Taney, the USS Torsk, and the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse.

There is a tattoo museum in Inner Harbor called the “Baltimore Tattoo Museum.” While you get to glance at the artwork, you can check out the history of electric tattooing in the United States of America. It is a free tour. On top of that, the artists are well-versed in various disciplines of tattoo art.

So far, these are just a few places to check out while visiting

So How Long Has Michael Phelps Been Training to be a Champion?

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:59:40 +0000

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Stories about teenage phenoms winning gold medals and setting world records at world-class swimming competitions are legion. The list is long and you can add Michael Phelps’ name to the list.

Phelps began swimming for the North Baltimore Aquatic Club at age 7. He was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and was encouraged to take up swimming to provide him with an outlet for his energy.

He attended the 1996 Olympic Trials as a 10 year old to watch his sister Whitney finish 6th in the 200-meter butterfly while trying to make the Olympic Team. He cried when she didn’t. His other sister, Hillary, would later swim for the University of Richmond.

A year later, when Michael was 11, he caught the eye of Bob Bowman, former swim coach for the University of Michigan. Bowman began coaching Michael at age 12 and outlined a program for his development. While competing at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, Phelps was nicknamed the “Baltimore Bullet”.

By age 15, Phelps made the United States team by finishing as runner-up in the 200-meter butterfly for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney (Australia). Despite his age and lack of international experience, he qualified for the finals in Sydney and finished 5th as the youngest member of the U. S. team.

Five months after his Olympic race in Sydney, Phelps became the sport’s youngest male world-record holder by winning the 200-meter butterfly at the 2001 World Championships in Japan. He was 15 years old, and he held a world record.

Before he arrived at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens (Greece), he would set 4 other world records in international competition. In Athens, Phelps would win 6 gold and 2 bronze medals while setting 1 world record, 3 Olympic records and 2 American records.

Before he arrived at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (China), he would set another 8 world records in international competition. In Beijing, Phelps would win another 8 gold medals while setting 7 world records and 1 Olympic record.

So what does it take to perform like Michael Phelps? Start with very intense and very tough training under Bob Bowman’s watchful eye since age 12. In his peak training for the Beijing Olympics, Phelps was swimming 80,000 meters a week (49.7 miles). If he trained only 6 days a week, Phelps was swimming more than 8 miles every day he trained.

All of this training could make a guy hungry. Phelps reportedly eats up to 12,000 calories a day, about six times the intake of a normal adult male.

This endurance training is what helped Phelps win his 100 butterfly event at Beijing. He was in 7th place at the turn and somehow surged past 5 competitors to close the gap in the last 50 meters and took a half stroke at the wall to win by 1 one-hundredth of a second.

Phelps endurance training really paid off as he had to swim 17 times in 8 days to get through preliminary and semifinal heats to get to the finals of the 8 races where he won gold medals. Even though Phelps set 7 world records at Beijing, he does not have a sprinter’s speed and could be beat at shorter distances.

His endurance training would be what runners call base training, only it is likely that Phelps was much more intense in his effort than a runner would be, in part because it is easier to swim than to run. In swimming, you are buoyant on the water; in running, every stride you take on land you are lifting your body weight, which is why running is much tougher on your joints than swimming.

So how does he beat competitors who also intensely train for years? Phelps has a very unusual body that gives him a physical advantage in the water. He is 6-feet-4 and 195 pounds, but has a 6-foot-7 wingspan (arms stretched out) than is 3 inches longer than his height. His torso is also longer compared to his legs, allowing him to ride high on the water. He also has flexible ankles and size 14 feet, allowing him to use a powerful kick.

He uses his physique with an impeccable swimming form and efficiency to literally churn through the water faster than his fastest competitors.

After training at Michigan’s Club Wolverine with Bowman in Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan Wolverines, both Phelps and Bowman will return to the North Baltimore (MD) Aquatic Club, where Bowman will be the new chief executive officer. Bowman was coach of the University of Michigan men’s swim team. Phelps was a student at the school but did not compete for Michigan’s swim team because of his professional status.

Some people might think that Phelps’ accomplishments are too good to be true. In fact, they are true. Phelps was tested 9 times during the Beijing Olympics for performance enhancing drugs, and passed every test with flying colors.

Like the greatest athletes of all time, Phelps can be beaten and his records can be broken. Should you want to try, I suggest you start very early in life and work very hard. It also would help to have his physique, his inexhaustible work ethic, his ferocious competitive drive and a phenomenal coach.