USA...USA...USA...

Once every four years, I get extra patriotic. I love the Olympics, but the Summer Games are my favorite. The aquatic events have always been at the top of my list. Guess it was because I grew up around water.

This year, the US Olympic Swim Team is training at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center. Doesn't sound like much, but that just happens to be the aquatic center on the campus of my alma mater, the University of Tennessee.

They opened practice up to the public today. From 8:00AM - 9:00AM, the first 1200 could watch inside the AC. For those that couldn't get in, the outdoor pool was open from 8:00 - 10:00AM.

My friend Sharon had expressed interest in going, so I decided to meet her there. Neither of us were sure how many people would actually show up, we decided to try and meet on campus around 7:00 - 7:15AM. Knowing how long it takes me to actually "wake-up". I set my alarm for 5AM. I actually hear it around 5:15 and was up and moving before 6. I stopped at Starbucks before I hit campus, 6:30AM-ish.

By the time I got to the top of Volunteer Blvd, the line to get in was huge! Similar to what you would see outside of Best Buy, in preparation for Black Friday. Sharon got there a little after 7 and we hustled over to the tail end of the line. I wasn't sure if we'd make it inside, but after standing in the rain for over an hour, I need to see some Olympians!!

Once the line started moving, people were cutting in left and right. Sucks for those of us that had been waiting and even worse for all of the kids and swim clubs that were behind us. As we got closer to the door, I felt like a little kid waiting to see Santa.

The door was in sight, and they held a group of us at the top of the steps. I'm pretty sure they said "1170" were already inside. They counted us off and I think Sharon and I were #1185 & #1186.

It's not every day an Olympic team trains in your backyard. We made it in and started snapping photos. Since they didn't have their names on their caps, it was hard to tell, from a distance, who was who. The local media found Davis Tarwater and talked to him for a few minutes. I'm pretty sure Ryan Lochte ran past him from the warm up pool and jumped in the main one. Everyone in the stands stated cheering, but not a "Michael Phelps" type cheer.

After about 20 minutes, we left and headed to the outdoor pool. It was still raining, but there were people lined up all around. We climbed up to the balcony of the original AC and saw Brenden Hansen getting his work out in.

I made it to my office a little after 9AM and when I went to lunch at Pete's one of my co-workers made a motion through the window. She asked if I saw Michael Phelps. I thought she meant while I was on campus, but it turns out, Phelps and his family were walking down Union Ave. I don't pay attention to the people walking down the street. But if I had seen him, good chance I would have chased him down the street. He's an 8x Gold Medalist for crying out loud!!

All in all, it was a pretty hilarious day.

Now, it's go Gold or go home...Go Team USA!!