Gainesville 6-miler Go Gators Recap!

As I'm sitting in a Borders Bookstore writing this I can help but think about all our fellow surfers and friends in Hawaii who are evacuating to higher ground right now as a 3-to 8-foot tsunami rushes toward them at the speed of a jet airplane. My thoughts go out to them and hope that since they've had so much time and warning it won't be anywhere near as bad as Thailand tsunami was a few years ago. Mahalo my friends.

In other news, I've got a great run to recap from yesterday!

Jenny and I are having a lazy Saturday here in Gainesville. She's writing Rockstar Energy drink right now about possibly sponsoring her relay team for the upcoming Sunset to Sunrise relay race across Florida and I'm monitoring the Hawaii situation. It was forecast to be rainy and cold this morning, which is was, but now it's turning out to be a beautiful day. We had planned our first official long run for Seattle Marathon training for this morning, but when we saw the forecast we opted to do it after work last night at dusk instead. It wasn't nearly as cold and since it was only a 6-miler it works perfectly for me (getting back into the swing of things) and Jenny (recovering from her kick ass finish at the Donna Half Marathon last weekend).

Jenny mapped out a route through the University of Florida campus and sent it to me via MapMyRun.com and I was instantly stoked! I graduated from UF in 1999 and while I've been back for football games (Go Gators), I haven't really explored the campus in more than a decade. This would be a great opportunity and to share memories with Jenny!

We met at the Publix on University and 34th and started our run just minutes before sunset. As we ran down 2nd and past the University Golf Course a walnut fell into the road right next to us missing a passing car only by inches. I looked on the road for the nut and was confused because I couldn't find it. Then Jenny realized it was a golf ball. Amazing. A stray golf ball missed us only by about 10 feet and a car by only inches! We continued on past the law school and toward Ben Hill Griffin Stadium; a.k.a. The Swamp.

This is the spot where I was T-boned by a short middle eastern man that wanted to kick my @ss until I got out of the car and he saw how tall I was back in 1998! Ahhh the memories!

This alligator was not built when I was a student, like so many things, but we had fun running past it as it stands sentinel to The Swamp!

After passing the stadium we kept going west through so many new and old parts of the campus. Between buildings, dorms and stores that I walked thousands of times back in the day. It's funny what you remember vividly and what memories are triggered by seeing your old college, or old band marching field or the hill on Newell Road that I used to charge on my bicycle. As we turned back west the sun was setting and the sky was on fire.



When we crossed North South Road (it's called something else today, but I'm going by what it was when I was a student) a group of about 20 students walked by all wearing bandannas on their heads. Another oddity. Then we saw a student running in the road barefoot. No frog feet, just plain old barefoot. That's hardcore. I'll run barefoot on the beach, but not on a road. As we arrived down at Lake Alice it was twilight and a beautiful site!

Then I noticed there are now TWO bat houses at UF! Those bats must have been breeding like mice! There were a few dozen people standing around watching the bats leave the house for the night just as I remembered it, but we didn't stick around. We had a run to finish! (Plus, I see more bats near my house along Riverside Drive in the summer).


From here on out it was a simple shot up 34th Street back to our cars. As we pass the famous wall on the hill near University I get goose bumps as we pass the memorial to the 1990 slayings of five students by a sick twisted douchebag serial killer. When I was a student this wall stood memorializing their memory and it still does today. I remember once that someone painted over the memorial and within hours it was painted back.


I'm happy to say how much fun this run was; laid back and relaxing. The weather was beautiful and I received no complaints from Mr. Achilles! Finally tally for the week:

15-miles down. . . 413 miles to run before Seattle RNR Marathon!

...So give a Cheer for the Orange and Blue...

In case you don't already know, I'm a huge Gator fan. I have absolutely no idea nor comprehension of what it would be like not being a "Gator." I was born into it, love it and wouldn't consider anything else even if the University of Florida football team had a losing record. Of course, they don't and in case you've been living in a cave in Afghanistan they are far from a losing record. As of this morning they are undefeated and what's even more impressive is they are the defending National Champions and still undefeated this late in the season. So today I'm writing about Gator football. I just can't help it!

One of my earliest memories involves Gator football. It was November 8, 1980 and I was 3-years-old (go ahead figure out that TallGuySurfing is quite old) and all I remember is my father screaming at the television. It was one of those "gigantor" early color televisions that seemed to be swallowed up in a cabinet twice the size of the actual screen. I remember being concerned why my father was so upset and him trying to explain to me that the Gators had just lost to The University of Georgia Bulldogs 26-21, thanks to Herschel Walker's freshmen year as a Dawg. This early memory not only instilled in me a healthy rival-related hatred for the Georgia Bulldogs, the biggest rivalry of the Gators (we really don't regard FSU as a rivalry game like the media wants to hype it up) and a deeply embedded loyalty to the Gators. When it came time for me to apply for college I only filled out one application and that's where I went to school. I never considered another school. I marched in the band at all the games home and away and also played in the basketball band.

So now that I've told my story and made it sound completely impossible to write in an unbiased and objective manor I'm going to tell you about today!

Today is the SEC Championship Game (again in case you've been living in an Afghan cave). It's Alabama vs. Florida. What's unique about today is it's also the first time in the history of NCAA football that an undefeated No. 1 ranked team is playing an undefeated No. 2 ranked team for a conference championship. This usually happens for the National Championship, but not this year. This year it's today. Obviously, I'm for Florida, but win or lose, at the end of the day I'm going to be ok. Here's why. One name.... Tim Tebow. Now if you're still in that cave and haven't heard of Tim Tebow lets just say he's been pretty dang successful as a college quarterback. He's been involved in two national championships and has been a finalist twice for the Heisman Trophy, winning it once and may have another shot at the award this year. He's absolutely smashed just about every record a quarterback can do and then some. He's surpassed Herschel Walker's record for most rushing touchdowns in a college career. By the way, Walker was a running back and Tebow is a Quarterback! (Although I'll be fair and admit that Walker did it faster and in less games).

Even if the Gators lose today I'll still be Proud to be a Florida Gator! I'm proud because I can honestly say that Tebow is the best college football player I've ever witnessed play the sport and how completely awesome is it that he's a Gator?!? Not only is he an amazing athletic, but his leadership skills are out of this world. I can also honestly say that if he were the quarterback for another team, let's say Georgia (remember I hate Georgia), I still couldn't help but love the man for who he is and the good he represents. He's probably one of the best athlete roll models I've ever seen. He's a deeply religious man and if you're a Gator you can't help by have Faith and Believe in him and the Gators. He's surrounded by elite athletes whom some of which have followed him from their high school days. It's living proof that great people will follow great leaders. Watching him play football this year has been unbelievable. It's an exciting time in college football and I'm sure today will be one of the highlights of the season. Both these teams know each other well. Last year Alabama was ranked number one and undefeated. Florida marched into the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and unleashed hell upon the Crimson Tide. Late in the fourth quarter Tebow led two scoring drives to take the lead and hand Alabama their first loss. It's No. 1 against No. 2 in more ways than one. No. 1 offense against No. 2 offense. No. 1 defense against No. 2 defense and the list goes on and on.

No matter who wins I believe in Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators. He's made me into a Believer! Go Gators!

Tour de Florida Football Recap

327 miles driven
1 trumpet dropped on concrete
1 camera dropped on concrete
3 orange and blue glazed donuts consumed
2 football games in 2 days
2 tailgates in 2 days
1 Waldo sighting

Favorite Weekend Quotes:
"You suck... back up!"
"Gator Band Good!"
"What F*ck The?" (WFT not WTF)
"Squeeze hit!"
"Are you ready band, Hell yeah!"
"I want to set her purse on fire."

What a great weekend? I'm soooooo tired and at the same time feeling the need for some exercise. I ate way too much junk and drank enough to almost be worthy of living in Gainesville again. This weekend was the Gator Band Alumni Game. The University of Florida Gators (who are number 1 in the polls by the way) played Florida International University (a sacrificial lamb of sorts). The final score isn't important. We'll just say they could have had the Gator cheerleaders in playing toward the end of the game. The important part was the fun times. I got to see dozens of old friends, some of whom I had not seen in a decade since our old glory days as band geeks. This was the first year I've attended Alumni Band for the entire weekend and not just the game. Yes, they actually have a practice, a business meeting and a cookout, not to mention marching across the field at halftime with the real band to park and play a few songs. I lucked out and got a spot on the 50-yard-line only three rows back. Trumpets always get a kick butt spot on the field. I figured out a way to clip my Go Pro Camera in my music lyre on my trumpet for some interesting wide-angle shots. On Sunday I said farewell to my friends and Gainesville (ahhhh... what a great town) and drove up to Jacksonville for football day two! I rendezvous with some other friends to tailgate and attend the Jacksonville Jaguars game against the Buffalo Bills. Jags won with a game winning touchdown with 56-seconds remaining. Here's a few photos to recap the good times!

Let the tailgating begin!

One of my contributions to the Alumni Band tailgating... a recipe I found on Vancity Allie's blog. See it here under "The Most Absolutely Delicious and Moist Banana Bread Recipe."
It really is the most absolutely delicious banana bread and I'm totally making it again for Thanksgiving!

TEBOW! Need I say more?!?

Go Band!

Daniel and I before halftime. Two old trumpet friends!

"Gator Band Good!" lol... you'd have to be a band geek to get it. Can you spot me?

Can you spot Waldo? Where's Waldo?

Jags game!

It was a fun weekend, but like I said, I'm seriously feeling the need for some exercise. My Achilles tendon is still prohibiting me from running, but I'm going to try some long bike rides this week, perhaps some surfing and yoga. Happy Thanksgiving week everyone!

The Thursday Stoke!

Welcome to my 69th Post.... hell yeah, what's better to be stoked about than seeing 69 Posts on your dashboard! LOL....

Seriously though, I'm completely stoked about this weekend. I am calling it the Florida State Tour de Football by TallGuySurfing! Tomorrow afternoon I'm off to Gainesville to meet up with my University of Florida Pride of the Sunshine Marching Band Alumni band geek friends! Whew... yeah that's right. TallGuySurfing was a band geek once upon a time. As a matter of fact, I was a kickass trumpet player band geek! This is the annual band alumni weekend where we all get together, pretend we can still play our horns and march across the field during halftime slightly intoxicated from tailgating. While it's not the same as the old days of real marching, it's still fun and great to see a lot of old friends.

So Friday night I'll be making appearances in Gainesville. Saturday morning we'll be tailgating outside the MUB (College of Music, next to the famous bell tower) . Saturday afternoon it's Gator football time. Saturday night will likely be more Gainesville shenanigans or I'll head back to New Smyrna Beach to catch the finish of the Ragnar Race. Sunday morning I'm off to Jacksonville. A different set of friends twisted my arm and talked me into coming with them to the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Buffalo Bills NFL football game. I haven't been to one football game this season and I'm going to knock off a college game (the number 1 team in the country I might add) and a NFL team in the same weekend. This should be ram jam fun packed craziness! So stoked!

Here's a shout out of good luck to the Redhead and also my friend Rolling Hooters (of the Daytona Beach Hash House Harriers) in the Ragnar Race. Both of them are crazy off their rockers and are going to run an all day all night relay across the entire state of Florida. Good luck gals!