Ryan Lochte takes a short route back

You could hear the clatter of skateboards in the background behind the pool and better waves not even half an hour away were urging him to stop by.

Yes, this was the picture of a perfect swim meet designed for Ryan Lochte.

Especially with short-term motivation in short supply at this stage of the swim season, and a mere few months after he accomplished his long-term goal in winning an individual gold medal at the Olympics in Beijing, in the 200-meter backstroke.

Getting back on the swim treadmill after so much success -- four medals in China, two gold and two bronze -- was never going to be easy, and if the Southern California scenery could lend an assist, then Lochte was ready to take full advantage at this short-course meet.

"I'm going surfing between sessions tomorrow," he said Saturday afternoon at the Belmont Olympic Plaza Pool in Long Beach.

This was a couple of hours before Lochte won the 200-yard backstroke in 1 minute 39.01 seconds at the Southern California Grand Prix of Swimming. Fellow Olympian Matt Grevers finished second in 1:40.42.

Earlier, Lochte reflected on his post-Beijing life and looked to the future but did indulge in a couple of glances in the rear-view mirror at the China experience.

Not an option was taking off for an extended period of time. He tries to skateboard at least three times a week and could envision getting used to a life of skateboarding and surfing, not training and tapering. And "always" thinking about food.

"I feel if I took that long off, I wouldn't want to come back," Lochte said. "I'd just get into that mode of not going to the pool, like skateboarding and surfing all day."

Lochte may carry the surfer vibe but there's much more he needs to get done in the pool before he lets his inner slacker fully take hold.

"I feel I haven't accomplished what I think I'm capable of doing," he said.

Which would be?

"I think I'm capable of getting like six or seven golds at an Olympics," Lochte said. "I know in the events that I swam, I know I'm a lot faster. And I know I can do more events. That's what I'll be going for."

To that end, his program schedule will be adjusted leading up to London in 2012. Gone, probably after this year, will be the grueling 400 individual medley, barring a drastic change of heart. He earned bronze in Beijing in that event to Michael Phelps' gold, and Phelps has indicated he won't be swimming the 400 individual medley, either.