Google Maps v3 API: use first user location to center the map

I am building a Google Maps based web app on which I plot a moving dot of the user location. I am fetching continuously the user location from a server and would like to use the current user location when loading the map to center the window around it, meaning, when the user loads the site, the map will be centered around the first lat/long fetched from the server but enable the user to pan the map afterwards without re-centering it around where the user is. I was able to keep the map centered constantly around the user location but can't figure out how to use the first fetched location to center the map during initialization. My code is below, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 <script>

          var locations = [
                ['location a', 37.771678, -122.469357],
                ['location b', 37.768557, -122.438458],
                ['location c', 37.755121, -122.438973],
                 ['location d', 37.786127, -122.433223]
              ];
          var map;
          var i;
          var marker; 
          var google_lat = 37.722066;
          var google_long = -122.478541;
          var myLatlng = new google.maps.LatLng(google_lat, google_long);
          var image_dot = new google.maps.MarkerImage(
              'images/red_dot.png',
              null, // size
              null, // origin
              new google.maps.Point( 8, 8 ), // anchor (move to center of marker)
              new google.maps.Size( 8, 8 ) // scaled size (required for Retina display icon)
          );

          function initialize() {

            var mapOptions = {
              zoom: 12,
              center: myLatlng,
              mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP
            };
            map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map-canvas'), mapOptions);

            setMarkers(map, locations);
          } //initialize();


          function setMarkers(map, locations) {

              for (var i = 0; i < locations.length; i++) {
              var beach = locations[i];
              var myLatLng1 = new google.maps.LatLng(beach[1], beach[2]);
              marker = new google.maps.Marker({
                position: myLatLng1,
                icon: image_dot,
                map: map
              });
            }
          }

          google.maps.event.addDomListener(window, 'load', initialize);

    </script>

    <script type="text/javascript">

            var Tdata;
             var image = new google.maps.MarkerImage(
              'images/bluedot_retina.png',
              null, // size
              null, // origin
              new google.maps.Point( 8, 8 ), // anchor (move to center of marker)
              new google.maps.Size( 17, 17 ) // scaled size (required for Retina display icon)
           );
            var userMarker = new google.maps.Marker({icon: image});

            $.ajax({
                    method : "GET",
                    url: "get_location.php",
                    success : function(data){
                        Tdata=JSON.parse(data);
                        myFunction();
                    }
            });

            function myFunction(){
                    var interval = setInterval(function() { 
                        $.get("get_location.php", function(Tdata) {
                            var JsonObject= JSON.parse(Tdata);
                            google_lat = JsonObject.lat;
                            google_long = JsonObject.long;
                            myLatlng = new google.maps.LatLng(google_lat, google_long);
                            userMarker.setPosition(myLatlng);
                            userMarker.setMap(map);
                            //map.setCenter(myLatlng); --> this is not what I want since it will always keep the map centerd around the user 
                        });
                    }, 1000);
            }

     </script>