My First Triathlon

Well, it's finally over. On February 14, 2009 I completed my first triathlon in Clermont, FL. My co-worker Rachael and her fiance Christian talked me into trying one after they did one last year and loved it. This was not a full on lengthy triathlon, because I had to start small. Eventually I plan on completing one of the longer events. The Valentine's Day Sprint Triathlon was at Lake Louisa Park in Clermont, FL. It consisted of a 400m swim in Lake Louisa, a 9 mile bike through the hills of Clermont, and a 2 mile run to end the race. This was a great starter race for me and definitely sparked my interest in the sport. I didn't realize how intense some of these triathletes were and it was pretty amazing. Some of the competitors had bicycles that looked like they cost more than my car. Vendors were selling rims for the bicycles that cost over $1,600... I could by 20" rims for my Jeep for less than that. Heck, those rims didn't even come with bike tires on them.

Overall the race was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I was really worried about the swim portion, because that was the only thing I had not been training for. I figured 400m wasn't too long so I could just wing it. Plus the water has been freezing since it is only February so I didn't feel the urge to train for that beforehand. The swim portion was definitely the hardest part of the race, but the adrenaline I had with all of the other swimmers around me helped me through it. The bike portion of the race was by far the easiest and it was almost like a resting session before the run started. Like a rookie, I made a few mistakes during the bike, because I wasn't keeping track of how far I rode. I thought the 1/3 mark was actually the 1/2 way mark and that threw me off mentally when I was trying to conserve energy. The run portion of the triathlon was over 50% in the sand which is definitely not something I was expecting, but it wasn't too bad.

My first sprint triathlon was a great experience and I am looking forward to my next one. I am targeting the April 11th race in St. Petersburg, FL or the Moss Park Triathlon on July 18th. The water will be a lot warmer in the upcoming months so it will be a lot easier to train for the swim. I am hoping to improve my times across the board. My times for the Lake Louisa Sprint Triathlon are listed below:

400m Swim- 13:34

Transition 1- 3:03

9 mile Bike- 29:18 (18.4 mph avg.)

Transition 2- 0:53

2 mile Run- 12:07

Total Triathlon Time: 58:54

I finished 4/15 people in the 25-29 year old men's division and 41 out of 120 overall in the race. If anyone is interested in doing the next one with me let me know. So far it looks like I already have Scottie and Kelsey signed up. Let's start training!

For more pictures of the race feel free to visit: http://www.asiorders.com/view_event_photos.asp?EVENTID=47411

Lane Kiffin... Open Mouth and Insert Foot

I haven't blogged in a while, but I also haven't seen anything that inspired me like yesterday's events. I have to say, I honestly felt bad for Lane Kiffin when he was fired from the Oakland Raiders. I figured he just fell prey to Al Davis like many others have in the past. Now I have to say that it amazes me that he ever landed an NFL job.

For those of you who do not follow college football during the off season, let me fill you in. Basically, Lane Kiffin replaced Phillip Fulmer as the Tennessee Volunteers coach a little over 2 months ago. Tennessee is coming off one of the worst years I have ever witnessed them experience. The players and fans were demoralized after last season and Kiffin looked like the guy to get in there and turn things around. He is a very young coach, 33, who is full of energy and also a great recruiter. If I had to describe Kiffin, I would say that he reminds me of a car salesman. He has a way of manipulating people in ways that benefit him or help him reach his ultimate goal. I would hire him in a second if I wanted to get 100 minivans off the lot by Sunday at 10:00pm. Well, let's face it. This is the SEC, not CarMax.

Yesterday, Kiffin spoke to over 1,000 Tennessee fans at a breakfast about how successful he felt his recruiting class was this year. He went on a tangent about how he stole one of the University of Florida's top recruits, WR Nu'Keese Richardson. He explained the whole scheme about how he had Richardson tell Meyer he was coming to Florida, while the whole time they were holding his fax with his signed commitment to attend Tennessee. Kiffin went on to say how they used a fax machine at a school down the street so Richardson's high school wouldn't mess up or change the signature on the form. As the fans started to react to Kiffin's story, he brought out the big guns. He stated that he got Richardson to sign with Tennessee even after Urban Meyer cheated by breaking the NCAA regulations that state that a coach can't contact a recruit while they are on another campus. Actually, his exact quote was, "Just so you know, when a recruit's on another campus, you can't call a recruit on another campus. I love the fact that Urban had to cheat and still didn't get him". Here's the funny thing LANE, that is not really an NCAA rule and therefore Meyer did not violate anything.

They can't blame Kiffin for trying to get the fans smiling by throwing the head coach of the the best team in the country under the bus. Oh wait, yes they can, and they did. Mike Slive, the SEC Commissioner, was quoted saying, "We expect our coaches to have an understanding and knowledge of conference and NCAA rules". That is basically saying that the SEC is ashamed that the head coach of one of their conference's powerhouses can't even read a rule book.

When Kiffin realized that he "goofed" he was asked to make a public apology. Kiffin's apology went a little something like this, "At an energetic breakfast with some of our donors and alumni I made a statement that was solely meant to excite the crowd. If I offended anyone at the University of Florida, including Mr. Foley and Urban Meyer, I sincerely apologize. That was not my intention".

Not your intention? Oh really Lane? You didn't see the cameramen that were outlining the room you were in? Do you really expect to call out Urban Meyer in front of 1,000 people (and cameras) and not expect to offend him, Gator fans, or the University? Given, I am sure Meyer loves this playful banter, but come on. Maybe that is Kiffin's plan. Who knows. There is one thing this gator fan knows. The next time Kiffin sees Meyer will be on September 19, 2009 at the Swamp in Gainesville, FL. He will have 90,000+ gator fans screaming their heads off all around him. He thinks Raider fans are scary? HA. Meyer will probably not mention anything about Kiffin's comments, but he doesn't have to. Meyer is the type of coach that uses instances like this to fuel his players before games. Maybe Lane Kiffin should give Mark Richt a call to see what happened to his Bulldogs after they excessively celebrated on the field in 2007... Show some class Lane, or your Volunteers will get run off the field just like Mark's Bulldogs did in Jacksonville in 2008.

He's Coming Back!

I almost forgot that the Gator's National Championship celebration was on television on Saturday, but luckily I turned on the tube just in time. I was able to watch the Pouncey twins get the crowd going while also coaxing Major Wright to drop it like it was hot on stage. I then saw Carlos Dunlap accept the National Championship game's Defensive Player of the Game Award. Lawrence Wright ('96) even spent some time leading the Swamp's crowd in a remix edition of a well known nursery rhyme. The shocker of the day occurred when Tim Tebow decided to speak. He started off his speech by thanking the whole team, the fans, the coaching staff, and his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, just like he does every time he is handed a microphone. As he started to speak I turned to Lauren and said how crazy it would be if he nonchalantly stated that he was going to be coming back for the 2009 season. No more than 2 minutes later Tebow finished his speech and started walking off the stage. Right when the crowd stopped clapping he turned around, took a few steps back to the center of the stage and enthusiastically proclaimed, "One more thing. Let's do it again. I'm coming back"! The 40,000 fans started screaming and through the television speakers they sounded like the usual 90,000 plus fans that go crazy every time he lowers his shoulder and runs over an opposing defense's linebacker. Erin Andrews, ESPN, reported that when Tebow told Urban Meyer about his decision earlier that day, it brought Meyer to tears. He said that he wanted to finish what he started and also wanted to stay loyal to the University. Tebow was also told by his NFL contacts that he would have the chance to be a quarterback in the NFL if he stayed for his senior year and worked on his fundamentals. They praised him for his leadership ability and toughness.

I have been going to Gator football games for 21 straight years. I have seen some amazing players take the field at the Swamp including: Danny Wuerffel, Jacques Green, Lawrence Wright, Fred Weary, Shane Matthews, James Bates, Eric Rhett, and Emmitt Smith, just to name a few. There are also a countless number of other professional athletes that attended the University of Florida while participating in sports other than football. When Tim Tebow leaves the University of Florida after next season he will leave as the "Greatest Gator of all time". That is insane to think about, but he has more than earned that title. As of now, Tebow is considered one of the top 25 best college football players of all time. There are a number of players in history that played both sides of the ball, but I would guess that Tebow is in the top 15 of the best offensive college football players of all time. In 2009 Tebow will have a chance to become only the second player in history to win two Heisman Trophies (Archie Griffin- '74, '75). He will also have the chance to win a 3rd National Championship in 4 years which is unheard of in present day college football. There are only two players in NCAA history to have both a Heisman Trophy and three National Championships.

We are still waiting to hear from Percy Harvin and Brandon Spikes in regards to their decisions about entering the NFL draft. In my opinion, they will both be on their way to the NFL. Harvin is one of the most dynamic offensive weapons I have ever seen and Spikes strikes fear in offenses across the country the second he lines up on the field. Harvin's draft status right now is probably as high as it can get. Another year of college football would only increase his chance of injury and with the current status of his foot he probably will not be willing to take that chance. If Spikes comes back Florida's defensive would return all 11 starters. The 2008 Florida Gator football team was the youngest team in the history of college football to win a National Championship. That being said, they are going to be ready to do it again next year. Florida is sitting atop the preseason rankings for the 2009 season on rivals.com, just ahead of the Texas Longhorns and USC Trojans. They have a very favorable schedule this year and I am looking forward to September. Go Gators!

We are the CHOMPions

They did it! Last night Florida beat the Oklahoma Sooners 24-14 in one of the best games I have seen in a long time. Sure it was not as exciting as Michael Crabtree's last second catch against Texas or even Alabama's OT interception at LSU earlier this year, but it was two of college football's powerhouses meeting for the first time ever, and it was a slugfest. I could not tell which team had the upper hand all game. The momentum seemed to shift every two drives or so. The tone of the game was set though when Major Wright (#21) almost decapitated an Oklahoma receiver on their opening drive (pictured above). I literally felt that hit sitting in Orlando.

The game could have really gone either way. If Oklahoma would have scored when they had the ball on the 3 yard line and a 1st and goal it could have been a different game. They also had a ball intercepted with 3 seconds left in the first half which denied them a shot at 7 points, or at the very least a chip shot field goal to take the lead going into halftime. Oklahoma's offensive line was dominating our defensive line on a few drives and it felt like they could run the ball at will. When the Gators were up 17-14 in the 4th quarter it felt like Oklahoma was going to march down the field and score to take the lead. In fact, they started marching down the field until Ahmad Black made the defensive play of the game. He intercepted a pass over the middle that Bradford was throwing to Iglesias. The replay showed that Iglesias actually caught the ball, but Black striped it from him in mid air and came down with it. The look on Bradford's face at that moment was absolutely priceless. For once I felt bad for the guy, but then I remembered he just won the Heisman so I got over it. He looked like a child on a playground that just had a bully steal his tricycle. From that point on Tebow would lead the Gators down the field for their final touchdown which sealed it at 24-14. On 3rd down Tebow attempted what seemed to be his patented "jump pass", but it looked more like a half jump / ballet move to hit David Nelson on a drag route across the middle.

I attended a party for the game at John Weaver's new house. It also happened to be Jason Ciekot's 26th birthday so the place was pretty crazy. We had about 30+ people in attendance with tv's on in 3 rooms so everyone could have a good seat. There was more food than you could eat and also more to drink then anyone ever should. Jason's uncle let us borrow his frozen drink machine which basically allowed us to have our own orange and blue slurpees for the event. If anyone ever wants to rent the machine contact me and I can relay his contact information. It is great for parties. I also contributed about 130 orange and blue jello shots for the festivities. As everyone knows, I am not a cook and for some reason even when I follow recipes religiously the food ends up coming out like something my sister made in her Easy Bake Oven when she was 5 years old. I tried making a dip for the party for the first time and I think it actually turned out ok. Everyone seemed to like it. If anyone wants a good frito / chip dip just get 2 blocks of Philadelphia cream cheese and let them soften. Then buy a jar of sweet pepper onion relish from Harry & David and mix it all together until it gets smooth. It is pretty much the best dip I have ever tasted, but it probably isn't too good for you. Anyways, the night was amazing and one I will not forget for a long time. My dad called me from the stadium right as the clock expired and I could hear the confetti getting shot into the air. I am definitely sad that I could not attend the game, but the Gators won and I got to witness it with a lot of close friends. Now if we can only get Tebow to stay one last year... He dodged the question about going to the NFL during his postgame interview, but no matter what his decision the Gator Nation will always appreciate everything he has done for the University of Florida. Go Gators!

Final Standings:

Florida ended up #1 in the polls, but I was a little shocked by how close the #2 ranked team came to dethrowning the Gators. The undefeated Utah Utes (13-0) were around 100 votes shy of passing the Gators for the AP #1 ranking. I like the Utes, but I am shocked by that. I am honestly shocked that they jumped USC in the polls. USC looked like one of the strongest teams in the nation on offense and defense throughtout the year. Even in their loss to Oregon State at the beginning of the season they dominated the 2nd half. USC's strength of schedule obviously hurt them, but even that is thrown into question considering the Pac-10 went 5-0 in bowl games this season. The Utes coach did mention he thought they had an outside chance of catching the Gators, but wasn't surprised by the outcome. They were the only undefeated team in division 1 college football this year and he said he was hoping to get a lot of the simpathy votes. Anyways, I am quite satisfied with the way everything turned out. I do feel like Florida was the best all around team this year, but at the same time you will not see me complaining that we don't have to play USC or Utah in the next few weeks. I love college football and I will savor the Gator's National Championship for the next 8 months, but then it's time to get ready to do it all over again in September. When that time comes, I will see all of you at the Swamp!

Gator Football vs. Congress

As everyone already knows, my Florida Gators are playing the Oklahoma Sooners for the BCS National Title tomorrow night at 8:00pm in Miami, FL. I attended Florida's last National Championship game against Ohio State back in January 2007 where the Gators humiliated the Buckeyes 41-14. Sadly, this year I am not making the short trip down to Miami. My father on the other hand will be at the game, because he was lucky enough to find a ticket for slightly under $1,000. He will be sitting right behind the Gator bench on the 50 yard line on ROW 5. Needless to say I am very jealous, but I am sure he will return with a number of good pictures. I will be enjoying the game on a large HD tv at the Weaver / Ciekot household over in Lake Nona. If you want to join just call my cell phone and I can give you directions. We plan on having a packed house with tons of food and drinks. Free Admission if you have on your Gator gear. If you choose to wear anything maroon, red, or other color that could be confused with the Sooners, you will be tarred, feathered, and thrown into the lake in the backyard.

Anyways, the whole point of this post is to show you exactly what this game means to America. Florida and Oklahoma have never played each other before and this powerhouse matchup will prove to be one of the greatest championship games to date. These last 2 Heisman trophy winners will face off against each other in less than 36 hours. One good sign for Florida fans out there is that Heisman Trophy winners are 1-5 in National Title games the year that they win the trophy. This game is so big that it has made it's way to Congress. Cliff Stearns, a Republican from Florida, wrote to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asking if she could rearrange the voting schedule to allow representatives from Oklahoma and Florida to attend the game in Miami. Someone on Nancy Pelosi's staff stated that they will not be rearranging anything for a football game, but hey, you can't knock the guy for trying. That is a true Gator fan. It should be noted that one of the main things they must vote for at this meeting is the certification of the Electoral College vote that gives Barack Obama the presidency. Read more at: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/28530958/ . Hmmm, it is nice to see that college football has grown to rival naming the President of the United States. Well, if anyone is still looking for tickets to the game there are still some available at http://www.stubhub.com for a little over $1,000. Trust me though, if you have the money, it will be worth every penny. Now if we could only get USC to play Utah and then have that winner play the winner of the Florida vs. Oklahoma game... One can dream.

Joining the Craze

Well, it's now 2009 and I have decided to start something new. A few of my friends and colleagues have blogs so I figured I would join the craze. Not sure how often I will actually use this, but I figure it would be a good way to keep people updated with my ever so exciting life. I am also going to use this blog to document some of my trips, update my new favorite music, hobbies and life interests, and also critique movies, restaurants, and other things I notice. Hopefully some people will find my life as entertaining as I do. Enjoy :)