Training, Cheat Days, and a Phelps Return? Swimmer Ryan Lochte Gives Pardon My Take a Life Update

Pardon My Take wraps up a short week today with recurring guest and Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte. The swimmer joined Mr. Cat and Mr. Commenter to fill us in on what he has been doing to stay loose while in quarantine, how the Olympic schedule affects his training, and a casual game of "Jeah! or No Jeah!" He also gave solid insight of his perspective when he found out the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were postponed, what his diet is looking like, and is his fellow American teammate Michael Phelps planning a return? Here is what he had to say:

Mr. Commenter: Were you bummed out that it [the Olympics] got postponed? Or do you see that extra year as like, "Hey, this is another year for me to get in better shape?"  

Ryan Lochte: Well, in the beginning when I first found out about it on the news, I mean, I was a little disappointed. I mean, I was training so hard. I was ready. I was doing things in practice that I've never seen before. I was going faster. This was my time, I knew I was ready. Then we found out, and I was just bummed. But then I had to look at the positive side. And I mean, I get another year of training to get stronger, to work on my technique even more, to tune up some things. So, hopefully it will be better for me.

Mr. Cat: Yeah. Are you training right now? Are you able to train right now?  

Ryan Lochte: Yeah, we have a pool, which is amazing, because a lot of people in the country and world, they don't have a pool right now. And doing the workouts in my garage and everything, so, I'm still doing everything I can to stay fit and just waiting until all this is over.

Mr. Commenter: I've always loved stories about Olympic swimmers' diets. What diet are you eating right now? What's your craziest cheat day?

Ryan Lochte: Every Friday, every Friday since I was a little kid, I have pizza and wings. Yeah, so that's definitely my cheat day.

Mr. Cat: OK. Is [Michael] Phelps officially retired? Have you talked to him at all?

Ryan Lochte: Yeah, he's officially retired. 

Mr. Cat: Butttttttt.....!

Ryan Lochte: There is no "but." I mean, that's all I got, that's all I know. He's retired, he's loving life, just being a dad and everything. 

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Hey, it was worth a shot. That's a Big J question, and who knows, maybe Michael Phelps is an AWL who listened to the interview and/or is reading this blog right now to potentially change his mind. After all, he does have an extra year to think about it. While we are on the topic of gold medal swimmers, here is one of Lochte's six first place finishes on swimming's biggest stage: