Updates and News

And the Journey Begins!

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:02:01 -0700

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The Tree

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:16:46 -0700

So this week, I got a letter in the mail. People don’t write letters anymore and I think it’s a shame. I love getting a letter in the mail and not one congratulating me, telling me I’ve been pre-qualified for a new credit card.

The letter came from my good friend and Austin homestay, Scott. When I stay in Austin, Scott and I have some great conversations – great meaning entertaining, and entertaining because I am likely over-tired and low in blood sugar when said conversations take place.

At one point, we’d chatted long about the beloved (to me, anyway) Stanford mascot; The Tree. I have a little tree clipped to my backpack.

I get questioned on it all the time. “What the heck is that?”

I love it, as it’s a reminder of where I came from, of my incredible teammates who made me better every day and who support me still. They don’t know it, but when I am struggling thru a workout, I think back to a horrible “Richard Special”….the ones that were so long and complicated; the ones where we failed during warm-up and that took him 20 minutes just to write on the dry erase board. Where when he set his chair at the end of your lane, it made you throw up a little bit in your mouth, knowing he was going to be in your kitchen for the next 2.5 hours. I remember those workouts and how we got each other thru and I hear my teammates encouraging me on still.

Finally, my tree reminds me that while I have my days that are mind-numbing, filled with little more than “right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, eat, right foot, left foot…..” that at the end of the day, I am actually pretty smart!

So I was thrilled when Scott sent me an article from ‘The Austin American Statesman’; a story that came across the AP. The 12 coolest mascots in college (sports). http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/21/2164661/the-12-coolest-mascots-in-college.html

And there it was. The Stanford Tree.

But wait. What? I actually had to read down the list fairly far to get to the Stanford Tree. #6?? Unacceptable.

I immediately emailed Scott to counterpoint. He responded, telling me my email was print worthy, which means, to me, it’s blog worthy. So here’s my response to Scott, but moreover, to Ralph Russo of the AP. I fear he’s a little misguided.

“6th?? Unacceptable.

I have called the Stanford AD and training begins today. We’re moving up!

I am confident we can take down #1, Ralphie the Buffalo….he doesn’t look so smart. Ding.

We might have our work cut out for ourselves with #2, the Georgia Bulldog. I am a sucker for the 4-legged furry ones, but since Georgetown is a bulldog too, I think they lose points for lack of originality. Ding.

#3, Chief Osceola looks like an Indian to me, and I thought that use of a Native American was culturally insensitive (my father was distraught when Dartmouth went from being the Indians to “the Dartmouth Green”….as if a color can be a mascot), so he’s disqualified on grounds of social insensitivity. Ding.

In at #4, Mike the Tiger, LSU. Yawn. Boring. Ding.

#5 is complicated. The Auburn War Eagle is hard to slight, it being our Nation’s proverbial mascot as well…but again, I’d have to ding the War Eagle on lack of creativity. Copying our nation’s mascot is not only uncreative, but you lose extra points for trying to get the sucker sympathy vote by tugging at the strings of our national pride. Double Ding.

Which leaves us at #6. The Palo Alto; a truly unique mascot and you have to give it extra props for being entirely recreated every year. Part of the mascot’s audition is to create the costume he or she will wear……so it’s new and different every year.

I suspect Ralph Russo might be fired for not naming the precious Longhorn in his list; given the printing of said article in the Statesman.

I’d like to conclude by saying that Stanford not only has the coolest mascot, we have the coolest fight song too. Care to challenge me on that? I dare you!”

New Video Blog

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 10:57:48 -0700

Testing 1, 2, 3......

Do we now have video blog?? Riley???? Do we???

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Vineman Race Report

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:09:36 -0700

2 Weeks Overdue: Vineman Race Report

It all started 2 weeks ago – packing up for California and Vineman 70.3. While I was so excited to have Davey G coming along with me this trip, it seemed like I was breaking down everywhere else…..Garmin 310 died; back to the shop. Tweaking the Kestrel 4000 to get her working the way she should be; camped out at Fast Splits for the week. SRM needing service; back to the shop. Bike box with wonky wheel, no doubt an excuse for TSA to drag and torture my bike more than usual; 2 trips to the hardware store to find the proper wheel and beg Davey G to fix ‘er up right.

All last minute hassles….part of life and nothing ever goes as smoothly as you think.

I dropped Riley off at “camp” on Wednesday morning, breaking my heart, more than hers, I am sure.

By Thursday, we’d made it to the airport with most of my equipment issues resolved.

No one had told us that it was “first time traveler” day at Logan Airport. You know the ones…..they neglect to take their shoes off before going thru the metal detector. We can all thank Richard Reid for that one…..but seriously? How can you not know that by now?

Then, once they get their shoes off, they go thru the metal detector, not realizing they had all their change and their pocket Swiss army knife in their pockets. Great. Now security descends upon them like flies on poop. Once they remedy the concealed weapon issue, we are slowed once again, in honor of “first time traveler” day because jack-ass forgot to take his laptop out of his backpack.

And that was just one dude….seemed like everyone had their heads up their bums. Thankfully, because I live in fear of missing a fight, we had ample time and could laugh at “first time flier” day and had plenty of time to make out flight.

God bless Jet Blue. 5.5 hours of TV. Love it. DaveyG was engrossed in the British Open golf, while I opted for some great trash TV on MTV; “Teen Mom” marathon and a few episodes of “The Real World”, both of which made me thankful for my stable upbringing!

We arrived in San Fran, had a quick swim at the Olympic Club and drove north to Guerneville. By the time we settled in and caught up with our housemates, Monica and Tim, it was well past bedtime; having been up for 22 hours.

Race weekend went by quickly, catching up with our good friends, and preparing for the race ahead. Before I knew it, we were off and racing. I had a solid swim, trying not to do too much work, but also knowing that the swim is my strength, and every second counts so I didn’t just want to sit in. I exited the water first, but with 2 girls close by. Out on the bike, I had settled in to a good pace, and then suddenly heard a crash. I immediately looked down, fearing I’d launched my race nutrition on a bump in the road. Nope! Thank goodness!! I figured, then, that maybe it’d been the water bottle behind me, but when I reached around, it was still there, too. Huh. Maybe my spare? Reached my other hand around and the spare was there as well.

Perplexed, I rode on and re-focused, glancing down to take a peek at my wattage to make sure I was executing the plan coach Jesse had laid out (for once in my life). Yep….suddenly, I thought, “Hey bump in the road? Come on back and take my race nutrition, or my water bottle ….or my spare, but for the love of GOD, give me back my SRM head unit!”. Suddenly, it’d become a costly bump in the road.

I spent about 10 seconds wondering if I should go back……I was only 40 minutes into the race….I was reluctant to bike blind, not to mention, the replacement cost meant I’d have to race my butt off to earn it back! Ultimately, I pedaled on, figuring DaveyG and I could go back for it later.

I managed to sync my Garmin 310 to read my wattage on my watch. I had no idea how accurate it’d be…but it gave me a line in the sand at least. I knew I wanted to execute my race plan as instructed, so I used the wattage as a relative number, rather than an absolute, and moved on with my business.

T2 was whirlwind. And then we were running. Rinny was gone before I could blink, in a plume of smoke that would make even the Road Runner blush (meep, meeep). I was running with Tyler for a while and we chatted. She’s such a character, and she made me laugh which isn’t always easy to do when I am running, as mostly, I just want to cry. Pretty soon, though, in glancing at my pace, it seemed that I was running way faster than coach Jesse had instructed. Fearful of blowing, as I am known to do, from time to time, I laid up a bit and tried to settle in; checking my pace, running hard, but controlled. At the turnaround, I could see I was putting time into some of the girls ahead who had run the first half perhaps too aggressively.

I kept telling myself “you are a runner” and “you can catch them”. Suddenly at mile 8 or so, the girl who was running just ahead of me multiplied and was two! Out of nowhere, another girl appeared on the course. Who the heck is that? She was dressed in black, and I didn’t recognize her from anywhere else in the run. For the next 3 miles, I put the hammer down, giving it all I had to catch, now 2 girls I thought were in reach.

The girl in black kept looking over her shoulder; I took it as a sign that she was fading and was worried about what was coming. I think I took it that way as it’s something I do……nearly every time I run!

I’d closed the gap to about 10 seconds with 1 mile to go, and suddenly, the girl in black peels of the course and makes a b-line back toward transition thru the residential neighborhood. She ran along the sidewalk for a bit, talking to the girl just ahead. I busted a gut to close that 10 second gap, fueled by even the hint of impropriety, but alas, the tank was empty.

6th place overall. :20 out of 4th. I came out at the wrong end of a very tight race.

Still, I executed my race very well negative splitting both bike and run. Lots of work left to do, but moving in the right direction.

As for the pacer, I am told it was nothing of the sort. Though lines were blurred, it was just a misunderstanding; unfortunate, but reality.

After some light training that afternoon (thanks, Coach Jesse), we said goodbye to our friends Tim and Monica who had to travel home that night and DaveyG and I enjoyed a quiet night with some good wine; hey…when in Rome…….

Vineman is always such a special race for me; it was my first triathlon back in 1997 when I raced the full Ironman. I love traveling back to the Bay Area, home of my beloved Stanford and while we didn’t have time to catch up with Stanford buddies this trip, we’ll be back again soon.

Special thanks to the Vineman crew, particularly Amy Latourette; she takes such good care of us! To all my awesome sponsors – Steve Harad in particular for designing the Kestrel 4000. First time racing it; LOVE IT! Shimano, Di2?? ..... will change your life! and Saucony? One word…..KINVARA! …… Fuel Belt, Trakkers and all my great sponsors…..just a mid-season shout out! .....couldn’t do it without you all!

And an extra special added thanks to my friends at SRM for helping a girl out. DaveyG and I went back and combed every inch of that stretch of road; we recovered some 6 empty gel packets, 2 empty cigarette boxes and a host of other road debris, but (sigh), no SRM head unit. PC7 arrives Wednesday! Thank you SRM!

And of course, my DaveyG! ….don’t have the words. ‘Nuff said. Awesome to have him travel with me this time around! Wish we could do it this way more often!!

Back into training mode. It's go time!

Sponsor Appreciation Series, Volume 2

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:29:42 -0700

Up next in my sponsor appreciation series is Steve Harad of Kestrel Bicycles. Anyone who knows Steve knows he is passionate about the sport of triathlon, and loves to make fast bikes!

I have been with Kestrel for 2 years now, and I simply love the bike. I'll admit, with the release of the new Kestrel 4000, I was a little reluctant. I'd gotten to know my Airfoil pretty darn well and loved the fact that it didn't have a seat tube. The fact that they'd added one to the 4000 bummed me out; to me the missing piece is what made a Kestrel a Kestrel. Now having had some time to get to know the new 4000? All I can say is that in this case? More is better. The 4000 feels much more responsive to me, and most importantly, it fits better! (Plus it's super cool looking, but if I say that first, I seem shallow.....but it is super cool looking!!)

So please allow me to introduce to you, Steve Harad and Kestrel Bicycles:

http://www.kestrelbicycles.com/

1) Tell us a little bit about Kestrel bikes. When and by whom was Kestrel founded? What was the first frame? And what does ‘Kestrel’ mean?

Kestrel was founded in 1987 by a couple of guys who were really smart! The company first produced the Kestrel 4000 and we continue the heritage today. The Kestrel is a wicked fast bird that is well respected in the bird world that the other birds are admire and strive to be one day.

2) Kestrel is now owned by Advanced Sports. When and how did that come to be and how does Kestrel fit into the Advanced Sports family?

Kestrel was purchased by Advanced Sports International in 2007. Kestrel has been on an up and down over the years and we purchased it to rebuild it back to the premier brand it once was. Kestrel supports the ASI other brands as a high end boutique brand that works only with carbon fiber. It also is the first brand we work with that is sold both in stores and online.

3) With the new Kestrel 4000, you now have a UCI legal time trial bike. Was that the motivation behind the design of the bike? Is the hope that, with the Kestrel 4000 in your arsenal of bikes that Kestrel will have a bigger presence in pro cycling? And one day sponsor a tour team??

You nailed it. We want to expand into pro cycling and with our line of bikes we had, we couldn’t do that. I’m also a wind tunnel nut and wanted to design a bike that was faster than our Kestrel Airfoil. What the 4000 represents is the latest technology Kestrel has to offer for the Triathlete as well as conforms to the UCI regulations. We are fortunate that our sister company Fuji let us test the Kestrel 4000 out with the Footon Servetto team.

4) As Kestrel Brand Manager, you are the face of Kestrel bikes. How did you end up at Kestrel? What did you do prior to working for Kestrel?

Scary that I’m the face of Kestrel. I have more of a radio face  But seriously, I’ve been in the cycling industry since I was 14 when I started racing bikes. I’ve used to own Steve’s Multisport, one of the first Triathlon stores in the USA, and was the founder of Elite Bicycles. I sold both businesses and set out to get a “real” job. After 3 weeks, I realized that wasn’t what I wanted to do. I joined ASI 5 years ago and when we purchased Kestrel, I took over managing the brand. It’s the coolest job making wicked fast bikes. I travel all over the world, visit wind tunnels, meet really cool athletes like yourself, and really enjoy what I do.

5) What are your hobbies outside of your obvious passion for cycling?

Outside of work? You mean after the 70 hours I typically put in at work? I spend most of my free time with my son Jesse. He’s my rock star! Other than that, I really enjoy long walks on the beach, sunsets, cute girls  Oh, and I’m single so feel free to find me a date.

6) What is your favorite Kestrel bike and why?

Has to be the 4000 although the new RT1000 that I will show in a few weeks is right up there. These are the first 2 bikes I had total control over and designed with my team. The 4000 has a year and a half of my time invested in it, lots of trips to the A2 Wind Tunnel so IF I had to pick one, that would be the bike.

7) What differentiates Kestrel from all the other tri bikes on the market these days?

There are a lot of tri bikes out there and I think everyone is doing a good job. Kestrel is pushing the technology barrier and really spending time balancing product with aerodynamics and Fit. Fit is so important and I think some companies overlook that aspect of building a bike. Plus there’s me. I still am the guy talking with customers, answering emails, traveling to races to meet Kestrel customers. I think having someone you can call about anything Kestrel is very important!

The release of the Kestrel 4000 has been a much anticipated and exciting step for the brand. What’s next for Kestrel??

Well, the RT1000 is coming out soon. We are pushing hard into the road market with some very cool designed bikes for 2011. I’m already working on 2012 and Kestrel will be expanding into some new categories. We are also working with some new carbon technology that will be completely unique to Kestrel that we will have ready in 2012. Other than product, we are expanding my travel so I can visit more Kestrel dealers, athletes and expos. I am really looking to visit as many places as I can to keep in touch with the end user of Kestrel.

9) Who is your favorite pro triathlete? …..meaning your favorite female pro triathlete? ….I mean, your favorite female pro triathlete from New England……who rides a Kestrel…..and is currently under the age of 40? DO I NEED TO MAP IT OUT FOR YOU ANY CLEARER??

Hmm, Smyers? You had me at “you really need to sponsor me” when we met in HI 2 years ago. I figured if you had the guts to be direct with asking, you definitely were worth sponsoring. Plus, your husband is cool so IF I ever get sick of you, I can always hang with Dave and your dog

Sponsor Appreciation Series, Volume 1

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:26:22 -0700

As a pro triathlete, I get asked questions for interviews. OK, not all that often, because I am not that good......but sometimes.

Often times, the interviewer will email me a list of questions. It's easy that way. Saves time, adds convenience, and since most interviews are for print or web media, it makes posting the interview rather simple.

So I decided to run a series on my blog called "Sponsor Appreciation Series" where I would turn the tables on some of my sponsors and ask THEM a list of questions.

My first edition of "Sponsor Appreciation Series" profiles Trakkers GPS. Trakkers is a new sponsor for me this year, and so far? I've really enjoyed my partnership with them. Yes, their product is cool, and getting cooler by the day, but moreover, the man behind the company, Charlie Patten is one of the nicest people you will meet in the sport of triathlon. People say nice guys finish last? Not this guy!

Charlie and his teams at Trakkers and Rev3 are not-so-quietly changing the way we race, where we race, and how people will watch us race.

Read on!! I present Charlie Patten and Trakkers GPS:

1) Tell us a little bit about Trakkers. When and by whom was it founded? What is a Trakker, exactly?
Trakkers is a little GPS device that’s tracks anything that moves in real-time. It uses GPS data for location information and a Cellular network to transmit that data to our servers. Users can then track that item or person, in real-time via our website. In a nut shell, of course!
The company had actually been around for some time before the idea came up, but it has been about 3 years now that we have been focused on this particular technology.

2) We’ve seen the Trakkers device demo at a couple of the Rev 3 races. How did those “test runs” go? When will we see Trakkers devices at all races??

The test runs have been going extremely well. Of course, they are “test” runs, so we expected to have some glitches along the way. As a matter of fact, in some cases we actually want things to break. It gives us valuable insight into how these devices will actually be used by athletes. All of the lab testing in the world cannot replicate a real life scenario.

Our plan is to be renting these devices at races this year. You will start seeing us at expos around the country in the near future!

3) Without divulging any strategic secrets, outside of a race environment, how can a Trakkers device be used??? When do you think we might see them available for individual users?

Actually, that’s a great question and one that we get a lot. The devices are currently being used in military environments as well as tracking athletes. I can’t give out too much information regarding the applications in which they are being used. It’s a matter of National security and I wouldn’t want to leak too much information. That combined with the fact that I would have to kill you and all of your readers if I said anything!

4) Right now, the Trakkers device is about the size of a small garage door opener. How small do you think you can get the device to be?

The primary constraints right now for the Trakkers device is the battery technology. They have to last for a 24 hours period on one charge. If the battery technology was a bit better, then the devices would be MUCH smaller. As technology in that industry gets better, our device will get smaller.

5) In addition to your busy role at Trakkers, you also own the Rev 3 race series. Which role came first?

Trakkers came first, followed by Rev3, followed by…………. Oh, nevermind.

6) How did your obvious passion for the sport of triathlon start? Do you race yourself??

I wouldn’t consider what I do racing! More along the lines of participating. That said, I actually do not participate very often. Since getting involved in the sport as a business owner, I have been participating less. Crazy how that works!

I think I am more passionate about just being healthy then I am about the sport (that said, I need to lose some weight). Is that bad to say?

7) Moving away from Trakkers for a second, put on your Rev 3 hat and tell us a little about what is going on with the Rev3 series? What new races are on the horizon for Rev 3? Do you think the new WTC proposed rules will impact your pro fields at Rev 3 races because you aren’t able to offer the pros “points” toward their Kona and Clearwater qualification?

Rev3 is going great! We are currently traveling all over the country looking for some new venues! Got any ideas? For the 2011 season, we have added our first international race in Costa Rica. We are hoping to add one or maybe two additional races to the lineup in 2011. Stay tuned for more information on those locations! Let’s just say that moving west is on the top of our list!

I would have to guess that the new WTC rules will without a doubt impact the pro fields at our races. If pro athletes like yourself want to race in Kona, then your seasons will have to revolve around that goal. The Rev3 races will become an afterthought based on where athletes stand in the new ranking system. That said, I do not believe this new system is all that horrible. I think it’s a step in the right direction for Pro athletes and it will force Race Directors to be creative if they want to attract a pro field. Competition and options for Pro and age group athletes is a good thing. It forces Rev3 to be more creative and innovative in our approach. That will only benefit the consumers.

'8) What is the hardest part about putting on a race?

You know, that’s a funny question! I haven’t ever considered putting on a race hard (granted, we are still amateurs at this whole race production thing). It is time consuming and a lot of work, but it’s not like we are splitting atoms. We at Rev3 are fortunate to have a wonderful group of people that are part of this adventure and as a result, things that might be hard are more fun than anything else. Sure, some things are a little more challenging than others but I wouldn’t define it as being hard.

9) Tell us something about Charlie Patten that the triathlon world doesn’t yet know!

I’m sure there is a lot about me that the triathlon world doesn’t know! I’m sure most of it, they probably don’t care to know as well! That said, first and foremost, I am a devoted husband and father. I put Christ and my family before anything else in my life. As a matter of fact, I had to leave the race at Quassy this year on Sunday while the race was still in full swing. We had a family emergency with our oldest dog I jumped in the car and drove back home to be with him and my wife.

Thanks, Charlie!

To learn more about Trakkers, check out their website at www.trakkersgps.com. Also be sure to check out the Rev3 race series at www.rev3tri.com.

My Thoughts on the WTC Pro Rules, Volume 2

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:07:37 -0700

Well, the 8% and 5% rules were short lived. WTC has recently come out with some amendments to those rules; though no really amendments as they look nothing like the originals. As always, the new rules are not without controversy.

Fortunately, WTC solicited feedback. Whether they listen, truly, or not, is to be determined. I certainly hope they do.

Here is what I had to say to WTC. Feel free to comment. The only way these rules will be good and lasting is if they are well thought thru, and thoroughly debated.

Hello,
I am emailing to offer my feedback on the new, proposed WTC policies with respect to qualification for Kona and Clearwater, and on other corresponding policies.
Let me start by saying that I applaud WTC for giving the professionals the opportunity to comment on the rules that will shape the future of our sport. I realize that WTC is under no obligation to open these proposals up for comment, but as a professional who has significantly altered her professional life in dedication to this sport, I appreciate the opportunity to provide input and I truly hope WTC listens to some of the concerns as well as some of the applause.
I like the ranking system. I like it better than the existing 5% and 8% rules. I think it allows for athletes to earn their place in the World Championships by demonstrating great performance; not just on one day, but all year long.
That said, I do have some concerns with the proposed plan.

• Weighting of points – I don’t think the points reward outstanding performance aptly. I think an Ironman win in ANY scenario is worth more points than the current proposal awards. I think a top-10 finish in Kona is worthy of a heavier weighting as well. I think it’s stunning that a 10th place finish in the world is worth only 200 points more than a 10th place finish in a “Championship” Ironman. Take, for example, this weekend’s IM-Frankfurt “European Championship”. 14 women entered. I think it’s a gross injustice that the 10th place finisher there is awarded only 200 points fewer than the 10th place finisher in our World Championship will be awarded. While still a Championship race, it is simply not of the same caliber (quality or quantity) field as the World Championship. The athletes in the top 10 in Kona have bested the rest of the world on what each athlete targets as his or her best day of that year. I think those performances need greater recognition.

• Ironman points vs 70.3 points – I realize that many of us who are more “Ironman specialists” still race 70.3 races frequently, however, I think that the current points comparison between 70.3 points and full Ironman points rewards the 70.3 athlete more than the Ironman athlete. You simply earn too many points for 70.3 performances that contribute to qualification for a full Ironman World Championship. This is qualification for an Ironman, and as such, I think the Ironman points contributions should be much greater than the 70.3 points contributions; not necessarily in terms of the number of 70.3 races that can contribute to the points total, but to the points that are awarded at 70.3 races. I think that the math should be calculated such that a top-10 finish in Kona coupled with a top 2 or 3 finish in an in-season Ironman ought to be enough to get an athlete to Kona. I think that athlete is more deserving than an athlete who perhaps, even wins 3 70.3 races. It appears from the new policies that Ironman points don’t even contribute to an athlete qualifying for Clearwater, so why should the 70.3 points have such a heavy weighting in an athlete qualifying for Kona? I also think that any Ironman win ought to be sufficient qualification for Kona, regardless of the “Championship”, “$75,000” or “$25,000” designation.

• Tiered Ironmans – I don’t understand this one at all. A $25,000 Ironman? Really? I think that prize purse is far too low for the effort that goes into an Ironman. ANY Ironman. I think that by categorizing these events as such, you will lose quality fields at $25,000 Ironman races. I think it’s also tragic that athletes who have built a loyalty to a “potential” $25,000 Ironman (Bella Bayliss to IM-South Africa, Belinda Granger to IM-Malaysia, myself to IM-Brazil); those loyalties speak to the strength of the race, it’s fans, it’s organizers and the entire community where Ironman’s are held. By banishing Ironman races to the $25,000 category, those loyalties will be lost. It simply isn’t worth the expense of travel, and the few dollars in prize money, and points. For relationships like that to be lost, I think would be tragic and, in the long run, would hurt the “smaller” Ironman races.

• Clarity of process – I think for this points system to work, it is essential that the rankings are made public, are updated accurately (the points example in the email that was distributed had mathematical errors in it – clearly in a “real world” scenario, such mathematical errors would be unacceptable) each weekend following every competition and furthermore, that WTC go back to publicizing pro start lists in advance. This gives every athlete a fair and equal shake at knowing where they stand, who their immediate points competition is and where they are racing. It could lead to some amazing late season head to head points competitions amongst athletes who are “on the bubble”. If I may, transparency has not been one of WTC’s strengths, to date. So I implore you to make this process as open and transparent as possible. It will ensure a “fair fight” for points.

• Timing – September 1 is simply too late a deadline to allow the professionals adequate time to prepare physically or logistically. Lodging in Kona is difficult to come by. If, as a pro, you don’t know if you are competing or not until 9/1, the logistics of planning a trip are virtually impossible. Trip insurance on a plane ticket and rental car is one thing, but with lodging, many rentals are arranged with individual owners. There is no way to recoup that expense, should an athlete be left out, nor is there any way to find reasonable lodging one month before the competition date. I think the points cutoff ought to be made earlier. Either that, or guarantee that the top 25 by July 1 are guaranteed their slot, and the remaining qualifiers will battle it out until September 1. Either that, or shift the entire calendar to a July 1 to July 1 points basis. These potential solutions clearly have shortcomings as well, but I just don’t think it is reasonable for an athlete to not know if they are competing in a World Championship until a month before hand. The preparation that goes into such an effort from a training and psychological perspective, not to mention a logistical perspective cannot be discounted.

• Wild Card – This policy irks me. What all these policies are doing is holding professionals to a higher standard. I think, for the most part, the professional applaud that. Yet simultaneously, WTC has the right to hand pick an athlete who is not to be held to that same standard? Rubbish! Giving an athlete an exemption due to injury, illness or other life tragedy, or even to pregnancy; there is precedent for that. Yet the policy specifically says that the Wild Card is NOT for that purpose. It seems arbitrary, and inequitable. If a higher standard is what WTC asks of its pros, then it should be asked of ALL of its pros. Save your Wild Card for the age group ranks. Invite whomever you like to race in the age group. Let the pros who have equally earned their right to compete, compete.

• 3 year exemption – This policy impacts so few people, it seems silly to mention it, but I feel compelled to anyway. Ironman World Champions are special. And I think they ought to be treated as such. Mandating former World Champions to the Age Group ranks eliminates the opportunity for athletes like Michellie Jones, Karen Smyers and Natasha Badmann from toeing the line in Kona. They cannot compete as age groupers as they are registered pros. Yet their invitation to race as pros is no longer valid. These athletes may have lost their “marketability” to WTC as champions who are past their prime, but to the current athletes who have been inspired by these champions, I believe that having these athletes continue to race in the pro ranks, if they so choose, adds value to the race. Retired former Champions? Sure – they can race with the age groupers if they like. But for current card carrying professionals, they have earned that right to compete amongst the pros regardless of whether they won last year, 5 years ago or 10 years ago. Former champions deserve a spot amongst the pros, if they choose, and should NOT be included in the 50/30 count.

• Logistics – what happens in the event of a rankings tie?

• Logistics - When will races be categorized into the breakdown of Championship vs $75,000 vs $25,000. And how do new races get categorized. Does every IM start as a $25,000 and hopefully grow up to be a $75,000? I think, honestly, there should be WC races, Championship races and the rest are equal. That seems more fair to me, but if not, when will those distinctions be made and how does a race change category?

• Logistics – 50/30 division – how were these ratios determined? How will they change with time?

• Drug testing – The top 20 in world rankings ought to automatically be included in the WTC out of competition testing pool.

• Growth in popularity of the sport – these rules limit an athletes ability to race in races outside of WTC races. I think that’s tragic and will ultimately stifle the growth in the sport. These new race series aren’t competitors to WTC races….WTC is clearly the big fish, but it’s a big ocean and there is plenty of room for other series offering not competing races, but alternative races. These policies don’t allow for professionals to race in other series and that is unfortunate, and ultimately will not enhance the growth in our sport.

In short, I like the points system, but I think it needs to be re-calculated to put the emphasis in the proper places. I also think that in order for these new rules to work; truly work, this process needs to be thoughtful and deliberate, not rushed. It seems that the reason WTC is reworking the 5% and 8% rule is that 1) in retrospect, they may not have produced the results WTC had hoped and 2) they were tremendously unpopular. In an effort to develop a set of rules that work, have athlete and sponsor support, and will correctly produce the result that WTC desires, I beg you to take the time to shape these rules properly. I realize WTC is under no obligation to hear any of this input. I know for certain that the pros appreciate this opportunity to make comment. Current athlete and input on whatever committee decides these issues would be a HUGE step toward a process where everyone wins.

Thank you for the opportunity to express my thoughts.
Dede Griesbauer

It Doesn't Take Much to Turn Your Day Around

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:19:24 -0700

I'll be honest, I've had a real crapper of a day. ....just one of those days you wish you'd never gotten out of bed. Everything was going wrong, I was getting pulled in a million different directions, equipment malfunctions, and a mountain of training to contend with as well (which I am still not done with, so I have to be brief here. FOCUS, DEDE!).....

Anyway, back to my crapper of a day. I was in a pissy mood and getting pissier by the minute.

And then.....like that....on a dime.....a 180.

I got an email from an old friend. Not a friend who is old, but a friend I've known a long time.

She wrote to a bunch of us old friends; friends who don't get to see each other as much as we'd like to. In her email, she told us about a tradition they have at Harvard that she'd learned about recently when she hired a recent Harvard graduate.

They have a tradition at Harvard where graduating seniors write an essay of retrospection. "Senior captains and representatives of varsity teams write a Senior Perspective essay and then they compile all of them into a book and hand them out at a Senior Letterwinner's Dinner," she said. "(this) essay and it brought back so much incredibly strong memories of all of you guys and how special it was to be a on team with each of you - so thanks for the smiles, laughs, trials and tribulations that we all shared together - As we get older, I still look back on our college days as some of the finest of my life!"

Here is the essay:

"“What are you doing over Christmas break?” That’s a questions I’ve been asked numerous times, like many other people while growing up. My answer was always the same. “Training. Swimming,” I would say anxiously, and a little jealous of my classmates who would enjoy a week of sleeping in and movie-watching. Quickly that emotion would leave me as I would tell myself that all my hard work would pay off. And pay off it did indeed.

My answer to this question would change once I made it to Harvard. I would say, “I’m spending it with my team.” While my break would still be spent swimming and training, I would be given the added bonus of saying I was going to Puerto Rico, Key West, St. Croix, or Barbados. The difference between my breaks at Harvard and my breaks at home was more than just the destination, however. My change in answer says it all. I was part of a team, part of something bigger than me. I was no longer training in the hopes that my hard work would benefit myself, I was training so that an incredible group of young women would have faith in their ability to lean on me.

Growing up, swimming was never a team sport to me. I competed for myself, against a clock without any regard for team scores. When I was being recruited, the Harvard coach called me and I told her exactly this. Thankfully, she saw an ability to change me, or perhaps she knew the magic her team, in particular, carried. Before I arrived at Harvard as a freshman I felt my experience over the next four years would be one completely different from my previous ones as a swimmer.

Unlike many other nervous freshmen arriving at Harvard eager to make friends, I had thirty of them before I even arrived. I had a group of girls who would prove to be there when I needed and who would support me in countless endeavors. They would be the first to congratulate me, wish me luck, and comfort me. We would say every year that the current team was a special one, one capable of doing great things, and I believed this from the moment I stepped onto the team.

The environment at Harvard can be a competitive and stressful one. Throughout my four years I felt that walking over the bridge was like crossing into another world. It was a place to leave all that behind and spend some time in the water where I belonged. Even when the idea of a tough practice seemed daunting, knowing I would be working for and alongside my team made it seem welcoming. Whenever I was having a rough day, I knew there had to be someone else within this large group of girls who needed me to help get them through whatever obstacle we were being thrown. Knowing that I could be someone else’s encouragement was enough to make me realize that their problems were mine and mine were theirs. We were united in a way that meant our lives would become entangled and overlap beyond the pool.
Having the opportunity to lead this magnificent group as co-captain this past year was the biggest honor that I could have been presented with at Harvard. This team of young women who I had relied on was choosing me to lean on in the biggest of ways. I just hoped that I could give back in this time even half of what I felt the team had given to me over the first three years. I anticipated welcoming the freshmen, supporting the sophomores, and encouraging the juniors to see how they were the inspiration for much of the team. I can only hope that I left the team with fond memories and maybe a few lessons.

My years over the bridge at Blodgett Pool will be some of my most unforgettable. These moments helped me realize that my time at Harvard was not about what I accomplished as much as who I encountered. I do not know if I will ever have the honor of standing alongside thirty strong women behind a single cause again in my life. I do know that even if a similar situation arises, I will forever remember my team at Harvard as teaching me the emotional significance of working for more than myself. They taught me that I can be a part of something bigger, something extraordinary."

So thanks, Harvard grad, for writing what so many of us who swam together on extraordinary teams at extraordinary universities have thought, but who may not have put it down on paper. My Stanford girls are a group of uncommon girls with whom I share a bond that is hard to describe; except to other swimmers who have swum with other extraordinary girls....and even then, it's not the same. Some immeasurable bonds grew out of that 50 meter x 25 yard x 4.5-8.5 foot deep tank of water. I value more, those friendships and bonds than any I've developed since (well, except for maybe with Davey G). Who knew that out of all that suffering could come such remarkable good?

So thank you, Janel, for turning my day around and sharing that memory with us and for reminding me that even all these years later, when I am having a crapper of a day, I still have extraordinary teammates who have my back!

Hail Stanford!

Starting Over

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 06:19:19 -0700

Where does it all go? All that juicy fitness I busted my butt from November to May to build? One Ironman race. One easy recovery week of about 5-6 hours of training. And suddenly I don’t even feel like an athlete anymore.

Shameful.

Depressing.

Reality.

So after my week “off”, I’ve gotten back to work. The first week? OK, I could laugh it off as easy as the next guy; extraordinary case of squat-ass (now an honest to goodness medical condition, thanks to Kevin Burns….I knew you were on my side!), Z1 paces that were off the charts (and not the right end of the chart), Z1 wattage that couldn’t fuel a pen light……sure, it’s easy to laugh. …..for the first week.

Now into the second week, and I am starting to feel like the joke is on me. Though there are signs of hope.

Last week, I went out for a 35’ ZR run. ZR is really easy. “Stupid easy” as my coach calls it. My max HR for ZR is sometimes achieved just standing up from the couch, so you get my drift on how slow ZR is on most days. Anyway, last week, I said to DaveyG, “Hey, I am doing an easy run. Wanna come?”

DaveyG and I don’t often get to train together, so with me just coming back from an Ironman and DaveyG getting his legs back under him after a couple months of not being able to train, it was a perfect opportunity for both of us to suck together.

We set out, and before I knew it, “Sorry, babe. I have to slow down. Too fast.” So we slowed down. 30 seconds later, “Sorry…..still to fast.”

This continued for the first 20’ of the run. I kept looking at my HR. “Crap, too fast”. Slow down. “Crap, too fast.” Slow down.

I actually started feeling bad for Dave. Could we run ANY slower? I kept apologizing for how slow I had to run. DaveyG, as always, so supportive. “You have to start somewhere. This really isn’t that slow,” he said, as a woman in a business suit and 3 inch heals walked buy us, while talking on her cell phone. And sipping a non-fat, no whip, soy latte.

This week, DaveyG came with me again. Same drill. 35 minute run. Zone R. About 12 minutes in, we actually PASSED someone! (and exchanged a celebratory fist bump). In all, 4 people passed during our ZR run last night! 4!!!! AND, we averaged 1:03 per MILE faster than a week ago, at the same HR.

So no; don’t think I’ll be busting out a sub 4:00 mile any time soon, but hey, it’s progress and we all gotta start (back) somewhere!

Some new toys added to my stock this week!

Brand new, GORGEOUS Kestrel 4000. (kiss, kiss). LOVE this bike. Feels great, handles better, fits best ever. And let’s face it…..it’s hot!

Then, because my life isn’t filled with enough torture, Coach Jesse “suggested” these: Power Cranks. Imagine the hours of torture, the 4-letter expletives, the paralyzed hip flexor muscles. I had my first ride on them just this morning….you know….to see how long I could make it. Didn’t bother putting bike shorts on. Didn’t figure I’d be riding that long. Yep. 5 minutes, 22 seconds. I know. I’m a rock star.

So yeah, the weeks of post-Ironman aren’t the most satisfying, the most confidence instilling, the most impressive displays of athleticism. Still, when DaveyG sits down to a steak dinner, and I get to look over at this face…..I know, there’s no place like home and it’s good to be back home and into the swing of things.

Brazil, The Aftermath. Back to Square One

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 05:18:55 -0700

So I made it home from Brazil. Sounds simple enough. All you gotta do is sit on a plane, right?

Not when traveling with “The Travel Gods Must Hate You Griesbauer”.

Somehow my travel plans called for a 10 hour layover in the Sao Paulo airport. Clearly my travel agent (me) wasn’t thinking when I booked these tickets. Still, facing a 10 hour layover, I was armed with the most valuable asset a traveler could have; an Admiral’s Club Membership!

Prior to my trip, I’d consulted with Admiral’s Club staff (both the customer service call in center, and in person at the Miami club on my outbound flight…..I’m anal that way – like to double check EVERYthing. Not proud…..just sayin’….) Because the Admiral’s Club is on the other side of security, and because the American Airlines employees don’t get to the check-in counter until 4PM, I needed to figure out how to pass security so that I could sit in the far comfier Admiral’s Club, complete with free wireless, and more importantly, free food and drink! Both my sources confirmed; so long as I had pre-printed my boarding pass, I’d be fine to clear security and relax in relative tranquility.

Pre-printing a boarding pass seemed easy enough, but because the travel gods hate me, our hotel had no internet access the last 24 hours I was there, so I dragged my new favorite friends, Justin and Jason, to an internet café at 11:30 PM (I wasn’t real thrilled to be wandering out alone that late at night) to procure said boarding pass.

So with boarding pass in hand, I could nearly taste the delightful little finger sandwiches they serve in the Admiral’s Club. I was off the core for the week, so for once, I was anticipating getting to eat what looked good, instead of laboring over the CHO content and how eating whatever I was contemplating eating would throw my numbers for the week.

And as quickly as I could say “finger sandwich”, my plan was thwarted. The security guard looked at my boarding pass and started saying in Portuguese, “No free food and drink for you.” At least that’s what it sounded like to me.

I was turned away. I went to the AA ticket counter and was met by the most rude woman I think I have ever met in my life. I explained my situation to her and despite the huge sign in the ticket office that said “Admiral’s Club; available all day”, I was made to understand that what the sign really meant was “Available all day, but here in Brazil, “all day” means only after 4PM, so despite the fact that you've paid a hefty membership fee to utilize this service, it's a service we are going to provide you access to only sporadically, even though we've told you otherwise, so settle in, sweetheart. You are stuck in the plastic chairs, without internet access, and there’s a McDonnalds in terminal 2”.

Right then.

I was pissed. And I sent a strongly worded email to the Admiral’s Club (for which I paid nearly $10USD for internet access in an internet café). That didn’t make me feel that much better, so I wandered to McDonnalds and had a McFlurry and that helped soothe the beast a little.

I did ultimately make it home, after some 27 hours of travel. My bike arrived after some 33 hours of travel.

My “down week” which wasn’t “down” as in sad or bad, but down in terms of training which means not off, but light, was busy. Wednesday, I took a nap and did laundry. Thursday, I re-assembled my bike, did more laundry, and in general, got stuff put away. By Friday, I was on the road again; off to the Rev3 Quassy race where I’d been invited to do live commentary on the women’s pro race.

The travel gods kicked in again in Connecticut, as when I arrived, I found that I didn’t have a hotel room. “Clerical error”. I wasn’t on the list, and was told there were no rooms, when in fact, there were 9 available. While I was slightly panicked, as after calls to 6 other hotels, I was still shut out, I tried to look on the bright side; at least I could speak the language. Getting out of a travel pinch when you are fluent in the language you are trying to speak is loads easier than when you can’t speak or understand what is being spoken to you.

In the end, the travel gods took pity and I found an available room in a hotel that was a mere 3 miles from the race site. Happy day!

The Rev3 race was fun; though I learned I much prefer being a part of the action and not describing the action!
And before I knew it, it was Monday; back on the core (no more McFlurry), back to a full training load. In honor of day 1, I was greeted with 5 x 800 in the pool on Monday morning.

It’s amazing to me how quickly it feels like the fitness disappears. When a mere week before, I clobbered the swim course in Brazil with complete easy, yet during my 5 x 800 main set, I got suddenly panicky after 3, looking nervously about the pool deck for a life guard.

Day 1 got a little worse when I headed back to the gym to start our heavy lifting phase all over again. The 3rd exercise on the list? 3 x 3 chin ups. Or in my case, 1 chin up, and then the hang. Oy. A wake up call that we are firmly back at square one!

But after day 1, there is a day 2. And while day 2 has met me with a soreness from day 1, rendering me near useless, I have to laugh (well, not really, because my abs are so sore, it hurts to laugh)….we have to start somewhere! And it’s all about the journey!

Ironman Brazil 2010

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:07:48 -0700

It’s been a few days since I raced Ironman Brazil. I’ve been waiting for a wave of inspiration for a blog worthy update, but if I am being honest? I got nuthin’. Maybe it’s the exhaustion brought on by 9 ½ hours of racing, followed by 3 nights of little or no sleep, coupled with over 24 hours of traveling, but still…..my mind is blank.

Maybe too, it’s because I have such mixed feelings about the whole trip. It was so great, and so frustrating at the same time, that I think I’ve just come out neutral.

Once I finally arrived in Brazil, travel traumas behind me, the race week itself was pretty quiet and uneventful. I got the most awesome-est chance to visit with my dear friends, Hillary Biscay and Amanda Balding, and their respective honey’s Maik Twelsiek and Luke McKenzie. Maik was there supporting Hillary, as he’d raced IM-Lanza the week before (as did Hillary, the freaking beast, but we all know they broke the mold on her, so Maik did NOT opt for back-to-back IM races!) and Luke went on to very quietly and confidently smash the course record, become the first non-South American male to win IM-Brazil in like a million years or something and then party the night away on Monday night in a battery operated shirt. Truly impressive.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

Race week was quiet and as usual, as the race day approached, I was filled with that tortuous mixture of excitement and dread. Excitement to see how all this new training was going to work out for me in the end, and dread because let’s be honest, while we all love the sport, there is a fair amount of dread and anxious build up that comes with the territory.

One of the ironies of the week; WTC had asked me and several of the pros to be guests at the Executive Challenge dinner during the race week. I had agreed, but was kind of dreading it for a lot of reasons. But, because I knew it was the right thing to do, and because, in my heart, I care more about the athletes in the sport and less about the politics and the proverbial BS, I agreed to go.

It ended up being the highlight of the trip, as I met some truly fantastic athletes who I am now, proud to call friends. I think we, as pros, were inspired by these athletes, their entrepreneurial spirit (many working for companies they started themselves), their ability to juggle challenging roles in business with the demands of Ironman training with family life, etc. I think they were wide eyed to get a look behind our lives; the sacrifices we’ve made to make a career of this sport, the effort and attention to detail we put into our training and some of the challenges we face as pros in a small, still fledgling sport.

But back to race week.

I had a couple pre-race massages during race week. Now, I am not that shy, as lord knows, I’ve done more than a million deck changes in my life, peed along many sides of a road, more standing beside a shrub than actually hiding in it. However, stripping down completely naked and being massaged sans draping was a new experience for me; and not altogether relaxing, if I am being honest. By the second pre-race massage, I was at least prepared for the experience, but when my female massage therapist willingly invited a male massage therapist into the room for a quick consultation, I must say, ……it was an experience definitely filed in the “new” folder. Parts is parts, I suppose. We all got ‘em.

As for the race itself, well, I’ll be honest; it was disappointing not to defend my title. I’ve come to love IM-Brazil over the 3 years I have done it. I wanted nothing more than to defend my title there. I fought hard, raced my race to the best of my ability, but I got beat. It broke my heart just a little, but I could not have done more on the day, and so for that, I can not be disappointed. It wasn’t a perfect race for me, so from it, I take away a valuable learning experience that will help shape the second half of the year of training and racing.

As for my trip home? Well, it’s over; for me, anyway. My bike is still MIA. If possible, travel home was worse than travel down, but I am just too darn tired to re-live it all.

I’ve got a light week this week of training, get to eat what I want, when I want (but if I am being honest, I am already sort of over it), and we’ll be back to work on Monday and start the road toward Kona.

Obrigado e adeus!

PS – if anyone knows how to resolve this toe issue I have going on, I welcome your input. And yes, DaveyG is a lucky man!!

The Glamorous Lifestyle of the Pro Triathlete

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Mon, 24 May 2010 12:33:29 -0700

I just sent an email to my very good friend, Karen Smyers. She was telling me about her most recent race which didn't knock her socks off, so I was trying to make her feel better by telling her about my travel experience to Brazil. After writing the email, I decided it was blog worthy.....

It's funny to me. I get, "Wow, you are a pro triathlete? That is so cool" a lot. And they are right....it is. Mostly. But like most realities, you take the good with the bad and try not to be so freaking out about it. (that last sentence will be funny later, I promise)

So this is my tale....my tale of travel.

My trip rather sucked. Though now that it's done, its all fine, which, when you think about it...most things that suck do. Oh, sure, I got an upgrade and all, so there was that. I got to sit in the "pointy end" as my friend JJ calls it. The pointy end is nice, but when you are on the Core Diet and can't drink all the alcohol you want, eat the fresh baked chocolate chip cookie, or the ice cream sundae, it's not really that spectacular. In fact, by the time they go to me to take my dinner order, my choice was gone, and all that was left was the pasta. NOT Core Diet friendly. So 2 salads, and one shrimp appetizer (literally....ONE SHRIMP) and that was my first class meal experience.

Still, I had a reasonably nice cushy seat, and managed a few winks of sleep.

Things got ugly when we landed in Sao Paulo. I got off the plane in Sao Paulo with only 90' until my connection to Florianopolis. Should have been enough time. SHOULD have. I am at the end of the ramp and we get held by some government official saying that if you aren't a Brazilian citizen, you have to wait. So they let all the Brazilians off our plane....and every other plane that landed between 5:30 and 6:15 AM (which, given the line at passport control, was quite a few). They were doing some crackdown on Brazilian counterfeit passports. Or so we were told.

So we stood in line for 30' before we were even allowed to get into the passport line. By that point, every other plane had let their non-Brazilian citizens off the plane and our plane was literally last in a very long line. I tried to tell someone that I had a tight connection. They cared so much about my sob story, that they told me (literally) "You should not be so freaking out. Just wait here." I finally found an American Airlines agent who told me not to worry. That they'd confirmed me on an 11AM flight on GOL airlines, since it seemed likely I was going to miss my 7:45 TAM flight. I started to feel better and waited in line with the 40 million other people.

I got thru passport control, managed to find my luggage which was somehow spread across 4 different corners of the baggage claim area, then had to snake thru yet another queue about 87 snakes, back and forth, back and forth....with a huge suitcase, my bike box, which while it does its job, does not have the turning radius of ....well, a dime, and a wheel bag....I was sweating bullets and had knocked over every barricade stand by the time I got to the customs guy.

Finally outside customs, I was able to get a skycap guy who spoke no English, but did speak Spanish, so I got to wow him with my 3 years of high school Spanish. No wonder he looked at me funny so many times. I probably asked him to roller-skate my refrigerator to the barn instead of help me with my luggage to the ticket office.

I got to the American Airlines ticket office and re-encountered the woman who told me not to be "freaking out so much" who told me that I was no longer confirmed on the 11 am GOL flight. She said "That just happens sometimes." I told her that "confirmed" must mean different things in Brazil than it does in America. She didn't think that was funny. Instead, she suggested I get on a city bus and go to the other airport to get on a 12:45 TAM flight because the 3:45 TAM flight was full, so that was my only hope. Of course, I thought that was hysterical....what with carrying some 200 lbs of luggage with me. I told her that I'd been mugged walking 2 blocks from a internet café to my hotel and that I thought worse things might become of me if I tried to venture on a city bus with 200 lbs of non-space efficient luggage.

She seemed to understand my predicament, and then suggested that I just spend the night in the Sao Paulo airport and try again tomorrow.

That is when I lost my sense of humor over the situation and started to be so freaking out again.

I decided to revisit the "confirmed" yet "not confirmed" issue. She told me that the GOL flight was full, but said maybe if you go and buy a ticket they will let you. I asked how I was going to buy a ticket on a full flight. She said "that's just how it works sometimes."

And I thought airline travel in the US was FUBAR.

So I went to GOL with my Spanish speaking friend and tried to buy a new ticket on their airline. She said that there was room. Then I asked how come there is room but that they wouldn't honor my TAM ticket when American Airlines had said that they would. She said "we just do that sometimes. We are really competitive with TAM so we don't like to do that."

We went on like this for some time, when finally, exhausted, and starting to "freaking out" again, I just said to hell with it and bought a new ticket.

After I bought the ticket, she said, "Now wait here. I have to see if your luggage will fit."

Come again?

"Yes. Your bike box is very large. I don't know if we can fit it on our plane."

I asked why we hadn't had that conversation before I purchased the ticket. She smiled and said "Don't worry."

Envisioning the city bus scenario, I wondered how much it would cost me to have my Spanish speaking Brazilian friend come with me on the city bus to help me with my luggage. Likely less than the GOL option was costing, but I had already bought the ticket, and something told me that their refund policy might be only slightly more strict than their policy of honoring fares with TAM.

She returned saying that my bicycle could fly with me. She went on to say that they weren't going to charge me for the bicycle because American had already done that. My only "win" of the day.

I did arrive in Florianopolis and more shockingly....WITH all of my luggage. So that's good.

I hate to be Chicken Little, or Eeyore, but stuff like this always seems to happen to me.

Just waiting for the other shoe to fall...................but that's what makes this life so fabulous!

Square Peg, Meet Round Hole

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Mon, 10 May 2010 08:18:26 -0700

So I haven’t blogged in a while. Been either too busy, or too tired and as my mother used to tell me, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

I won’t tell a lie….it’s been a bear of ….well, a 6 months! Lots and lots and LOTS of training. All good though. And making me a better, stronger, more durable me. Or so the theory goes.

I had 2 huge overload weeks coming off of New Orleans 70.3. Some big miles, some good intensity, and a lot of naps! We debated and debated the value of doing the Rev3 Knoxville race. At least I debated it. Coach Jesse was fairly set on the idea, but I took some more…..persuading, so to speak.

My training, you see, is not very specific to Oly distance racing, and anyone who knows me knows that natural speed does not come easy to me, if at all. So given the fact that I’d done very little quality oriented work, going to an Oly distance race seemed…..well, silly. And that in doing so, I’d be something akin to a square peg trying to fit into a round hole.

My email exchange (aka, Hail Mary pass attempt) with Jesse on Wednesday before the race pretty much sealed the deal. “Jesse, Before I start packing, I just wanted to make sure that you thought this Oly distance race was really a good idea.” It didn’t take long before I got is extremely chatty reply. “Pack it up.”

Swing and a miss!

So I packed up and readied myself for Knoxville. I arrived late Thursday afternoon with a bike, but no bag. In that, I learned a valuable lesson.

Lesson 1: As an American Airlines Gold member, those little orange “priority” tags they stick to your bag have no value whatsoever. None. Oh, sure, they may make you feel good as you leave your bags to the TSA beasts; like they might show you a little more love and respect than they might otherwise, as a loyal and frequent flier. Nope. Quit deluding yourself. They don’t mean sh*t. Life is hard. Get over it.

So I arrived in Knoxville without so much as a toothbrush.

I made my way to the Avis counter to get my rental car. A very nice Southern woman tried to talk me into upgrading my rental to a “fully loaded, leather interior SUV for a mere $15 more per day.” “No thanks. I’ll stick with my beater.” After a few clicks on her keyboard, she prints out my contract and says “Well, we don’t have any beaters so I’m going to give you the upgrade for free.”

Lesson 2: Never fall for the upgrade offer! They are trying to steal your money!

Since I had no bag, and therefore nothing to sleep in and no toothbrush, I decided to make my way to a Walmart in order to procure said necessities for the next 12 hours until my bag made its way to me. I got into my leather seat in my fully loaded SUV, and asked my Droid to navigate to Walmart. It found one 8 miles away, and supposedly en route to my homestay, so I followed the mysterious voice coming out of my phone, which promptly led me to the middle of a condominium complex. Not to Walmart.

Lesson 3: Droid Does. But does not always.

I did manage to find a sporting goods store where I bought a $2.99 t-shirt and a $4.99 pair of shorts adequate for sleep. Then I found a CVS and invested in a travel toothbrush. Mission accomplished, and luckily Droid did manage to get me to my homestay in one piece.

I met my homestay, Fred Smith at his gorgeous Knoxville home and was thrilled to meet his lovely wife, Ali, and his furry children Sam, and Lily, 2 golden retriever fluff balls, and the perfect Riley stand-ins for the weekend.

On Friday, I joined Fred for a Master’s swim workout at the University of Tennessee in their gorgeous swim facility and then headed out to drive the course. The decision to drive the course was both a blessing and a curse; I then knew what I was in for and …..I then knew what I was in for!

In a word, the Rev3 Knoxville course is hilly! No monster climbs, but some good, honest chunky hills, and twisty, turny narrow descents. It felt like a roller coaster thru some country towns! It was going to be a good, and fair bike ride. I started to get excited, though still felt like a fish on dry land!

Saturday morning, I got the chance to swim with the UT Lady Vols and their coach, Matt Kredich who was one of my coaches at Stanford. I hadn’t seen Matt in years, and it was so great to meet his team and get to catch up with him. He introduced me to his team and also managed to point out that I’d swum on the US National team before any of them were born.

Lesson 4: The truth hurts.

I had a fun swim (I just warmed up) and then a quick bike and run while Matt finished the workout with the girls. I then had a super fun breakfast with Matt, followed by a couple hours meeting his kids, and catching up with his wife Kim, about whom I could write an entire blog. Kim is awesome! And after hearing all that she’d been up to these past years, I could only look and marvel and think “Wow, not a lot of butt prints on the Kredich couch!”

By Saturday afternoon, I started to realize I had a race the next day! Time to get serious! I had an early dinner and was in bed by…..yep. 7PM. Wasn’t even dark out, but I was tired.

Woke at 5, gulped down some pre-race breakfast and then put on every piece of clothing I had, clean or dirty, to head out into the 45 degree morning. Got thru my pre-race ritual and before I knew it, jumped into the muddy Tennessee River, to “bask” in the 69.4 degree relative warmth.

The race started, and I had a pretty good swim. I was in reasonable touch (not immediate touch, mind you, but reasonable touch) with some of the fast, short course swimmers, and before I knew it, racing toward T1.

I encountered some technical difficulties with the zipper on my swimskin, and thank goodness for Amanda Lovato. Amanda stopped just short of sticking her foot in the small of my back to rip the thing off me. The zipper just wouldn’t budge, but Amanda to the rescue, after about 30” of struggling with it myself, she ripped the thing off me, and I was out of T1, giving up at least 2 spots in the process.

Frustrated, I headed out on the bike and tried to keep touch with the girls in front. As a slow twitch girl, its hard to go from zero to redline immediately like that. I’m more used to building into an effort more gradually, but no time for that.

I held my own on the bike, not feeling like I was biking that well, and having no idea who was in front of me or behind me, but was pretty pleased to reel in some of the girls ahead and come off the bike within site of 3rd place. Not too shabby for a slowtwitcher.

I felt reasonably good running, were it I could feel my feet. The air temperature still had to be in only the 50s and I felt like I was running on stumps, but tried to keep the girls ahead of me in site for a long as I could. Kelly Williamson came running by me like a freight train, and even managed to take out and reset her pony tail, all while putting a good 30 yards into me. THAT is run speed!

I held my place from there, finishing 6th overall, far ahead of my “God I hope I don’t come in last” estimate pre-race! While I didn't contribute directly to the Trakkers team win over Trek/KSwiss, it was still fun to have a team feeling during the race and it added a really fun element to the competition.

Lesson 5: Square pegs don’t fit in round holes, but sometimes, you can fake it well enough to not stick out too badly.

After the race, I had just enough time for some light training to shake out the legs, hit the awards celebration, pack my bike and get to the airport for my 4:30 flight. No time for a shower (sorry seat neighbors). Home in my own bed by 10:45! That never happens in Ironman!

Up next, Ironman Brazil. It’ll be here before I know it! Holy Schnikes!

The Unsung Hero

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:40:25 -0700

It is nearly impossible to believe that I have been in Austin for nearly 5 weeks. Where did the time go?

Well, I know exactly where it went…..straight into my training log! But, my, time does fly when you are exhausted and beaten to a pulp nearly daily!!

What a host of memories I will take away from this training stint in Austin:

• The half marathon that never was – Bearathon, I will see you next year!
• Treadmill assault to replace said Bearaton….sorry to all the kind folks at the YMCA who I scared away by grunting, sweating, and snotting all over the treadmill. At least I didn’t swear….I wanted to.
• UT Masters with my old swimming rival turned new swimming coach, Whitney Hedgepeth. And all the UT Masters swimmers who make us visitors feel so welcome in their sessions.
• The always hospitable Jack & Adams Bike Shop – you guys rock.
• Solo assault on Marble Falls – bring on the hail. I don’t sweat you!
• As awesome as a track workout can be; awesome track workout with Mrs. Shermingham.
• Too few rides with my girl, Amanda Lovato
• Trakkers Pro Team launch weekend – what a crew – AWESOME sponsors in Trakkers, Saucony, Kestrel and First Endurance.
• Launching my lunch all around the South MoPac during Coach Jesse induced bike intervals.
Mostly, however, what I take from my Austin experience is the extraordinary kindness of “strangers”.

A year ago, when my pal Richie Cunningham convinced me to come to Austin to train, I thought about the logistics and thought, “Nah. I don’t know anyone there. Where would I stay? I don’t know my way around.” My friend Karen Smyers knew a guy who had some ties and decided to give him a call. He lives here in Austin and he said “I’ll take her.”

So here I was, new to Austin, looking down the nose of a 5-week training stint last year, descending on this guy’s otherwise quiet home, with all my crap, my sweat, my grumpy moods. And can you believe it? He invited me back this year?

This “stranger” is so incredibly generous – he mixed my Endurox for me so it was ready when I came home from training on a hot day. He likes me to text him when I am out riding solo so he knows I am OK. He takes me with him to his pool when it’s too cold to swim outside, or when it’s just nice to have some company during a swim workout.

Then, when my other triathlon friends come to town, he sherpas them around when they are stranded or lost, leads them on rides when they don’t know which way they are going.

Too often times, I think we and by “we”, I mean people in general, overlook the extraordinary kindness of “strangers”. If you are one of those people, look out. You could miss the opportunity to make a wonderful friend along the way.

So to my homestay – “YOU ROCK”. And “WOO-HOO” and all that good stuff. Your incredible kindness and hospitality can never be repaid. Homestays are every bit as much of our success as athletes as the sponsors and coaches and training partners who support us. So cheers to the unsung hero of my Austin training stint.

(I’d tell you all his name but I don’t want you to steal him from me!)

That's My Team!

nospam@example.com (Dede Griesbauer) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 17:31:37 -0700

It’s been a busy weekend. Of course, there was the “typical training” load (17+ hours from Thursday thru Sunday….thank you Coach Jesse, may I have another?), but around that, the big hype was the Trakkers Pro Team launch.

For those who don’t know it (Mom and Dad, pay attention…..) Trakkers is a real-time GPS tracking device. The initial Trakkers product launch will be at the Rev3 Quassy event in June. What Trakkers does, essentially, is give your friends and family the ability to track you real-time as you make your way thru a race course. No more Mom, Dad, husband, wife, kids, and / or dog waiting curb side for you to show up, wondering if it’s safe to go have a pee or grab a soda and escape the hot sun for fear they will miss the 10 seconds of the 10 hour race they actually get to see you. Now they can know within seconds of when you will arrive at their spot so they can cheer you on.

Future generations of the device will allow you to use it in personal training so your DaveyG-equivalent won’t wonder if you’ve been hurt, lost or broken down during that 5 hour ride that has suddenly become 6.5 hours long. Pretty cool stuff. Generations beyond that will do even more super cool things, but I was sworn to secrecy so I could tell you and then I’d have to kill you and since I don’t have that many blog readers, I don’t want to have to kill the couple of you whose attention I inexplicably have. So don’t make me tell you. But bet your butts, it’s pretty cool stuff. So Charlie Patten and the entire Trakkers team? Nose to the grindstone! Get that product a-rollin’!

Back to my point…Trakkers has launched a pro team(@TrakkersElite on Twitter) in conjunction with team sponsors, Saucony, Kestrel and First Endurance. The list of outstanding sponsors and the list of outstanding professionals who are associated with this team made my decision to accept the invitation to join such an elite group an easy one.

With team sponsors like Kestrel, who I know to make the fastest bike out there (Sally, you da’ man!) and Saucony with whom I’ve been partnered with for years because they make the best shoes ever (for those who haven’t tried the Kinvara, it will change your life……May 1 available retail or on line….TRY THIS SHOE!), becoming a TrakkersElite was a no brainer!

Add to a top-shelf sponsor list, TrakkersElite has a list of pros who are second to none. My Trakkers teammates include my very dear friends, Amanda and Michael Lovato. I refer to Michael as “Oh, Captain, My Captain” as he is the heart and soul of TrakkersElite. Together with Trakkers founder Charlie Patten, Michael built this team with his heart and soul, his blood, sweat and tears. Also on the list of TrakkersElites is my second favorite red-head in the world, (sorry Richie…my mom’s got red hair too, so she keeps ‘favorite red head’ status) Richie Cunningham. Richie is a former Boston-ite, though his stay there was temporary and was just long enough to woo his girlfriend, the better half of Team Shermingham, to move to Austin permanently. Richie and I have done countless rides to and from Cape Cod together. In that time, I have both memorized the shape of Richie’s bum, but also had a lot of laughs, so having Richie on board with TrakkersElite is also a huge bonus.

Other A-listers include Jacqui Gordon; fearless mother of 2 who juggles training, motherhood and wifehood and does so with grace, grit and style. Speed demons Brian Fleishman, and Mary Beth Ellis. And Carole Sharpless, our comeback kid who is clawing her way back after some pretty nasty injury setbacks.

So that’s our roster; sponsors and athletes. We all gathered in Austin for a big bang celebration, a bit of great training and a lot of laughs to get the ball rolling on what will prove to be the greatest triathlon team of all time. I just know it. Look for Trakkers athletes near you aboard their Kestrel’s, sporting Saucony apparel and footwear, popping First Endurance Optygen HP and Multi-V on the side! After the Trakkers product launch in June, we’ll be easy to find!

Peace out. GO TEAM!

Photo by Jay Prasuhn, Senior Editor, Lava Magazine.