In an interesting article on how Michael Phelps came to endorse the protein drink of a Texas start-up company, the Wall Street Journal tells us that Phelps has let himself go since winning eight golds in Beijing. Gone, for now, are the insane workouts that included massive amounts of swimming along with weight training. The Olympic god has become a “spindly couch potato. His once-bulky chest now appears to sink in from his shoulders rather than puff out.”

In an interesting article on how Michael Phelps came to endorse the protein drink of a Texas start-up company, the Wall Street Journal tells us that Phelps has let himself go since winning eight golds in Beijing. Gone, for now, are the insane workouts that included massive amounts of swimming along with weight training. The Olympic god has become a “spindly couch potato. His once-bulky chest now appears to sink in from his shoulders rather than puff out.”

He orders cheeseburgers and fries for lunch. If he has no corporate obligations, he says he tries to make it out of bed at his home in Baltimore for the final morning edition of ESPN's SportsCenter. He often misses it. Then, he watches a couple hours of television, may talk University of Michigan football with his friends, catch a movie, and another day is done.

"Doing nothing is actually pretty easy," he says.

If anyone deserves a break, it's Phelps and he earned every day off he can get. This won't last for long, though, since he will resume training in February as he gears up for the 2009 swimming season. Since he is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan, I can picture Phelps on his couch on Sundays in sweats, a T-shirt, guzzling beer and chips like any other good American football fan.

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