Phelps eager to get back in the pool

Michael Phelps returned to training this week, five months after his record-setting performance at the Beijing Olympics.

Boy, did it hurt.

``I'm in a world of pain right now,'' Phelps said Thursday during a teleconference to mark yet another award: his selection by the U.S. Olympic Committee as its sportsman of the year for 2008. ``It's all over my body. I'm almost in a state of shock. Literally every part of my body is hurting.''

Phelps resumed formal training Tuesday with longtime coach Bob Bowman. The swimmer spent a little over an hour in the weight room, a session that included sit-ups and other abdominal exercises. He also worked about an hour in the pool, trying to recapture the form that carried him to eight gold medals in China.

It's not going to be easy coming back from the longest break of his career, a time spent having fun, moving back to his hometown of Baltimore and cashing in on his iconic performance with everything from a new book to hosting the season premiere of ``Saturday Night Live.''