Dede Griesbauer smokes world-class competition at the Harpoon
Indoor Time Trial in February 2009. Photo courtesy Dede Griesbauer
It's a feeling that many Boston-area cyclists and triathletes have fallen victim to: you think you're a pretty crack cyclist, and then Dede Griesbauer shows up in her Team Psycho gear to school you. At the Plymouth Rock Tri Festival this year Dede took first place in the women's aquabike, beating all but one of the men to the finish line. At the Harpoon Indoor Time Trial last February, Dede beat local elites–including her coach, former Ironman World Champion Karen Smyers–by pushing an astronomical 282 watts over the 15K simulated computrainer course. At the weekly NEBC Charlie Baker Time Trial in Concord, Dede and Karen are in a class all their own. While Smyers holds the record, Dede is a close second with a 25.4mph average over the 9.75-mile rolling course.
Dede shows her glee after winning Ironman Brazil
in May 2009. Photo courtesy Dede Griesbauer
Griesbauer's phenomenal talent extends beyond Team Psycho's Boston-area reign of terror. In 2006, she took first place at Ironman UK. This year she won Ironman Brazil, taking down five-time Ironman winner Heather Gollnick among others. With her Kona slot in her pocket early, Dede has had the whole summer to hone her fitness in preparation for the World Championships.
In recent years Dede has had a streak of strong performances at Kona, being the only pro female besides Chrissie Wellington to place in the top ten in both 2007 and 2008. Clearly, Dede knows how to target Kona better than other athletes who shine at local Ironmans, then fizzle on the lava fields of Kona.Could it be the sweltering summer heat in New England that prepares her for the Hawaiian humidity? Perhaps it's the discipline of training through long New England winters that gives her the mental toughness to keep going when others lay off the throttle.
While Dede is a monster in a race, she is an intelligent and generous woman off the road. Whenever she gets the chance, she shares her spotlight with other local pro's like 2008 Ironman Lake Placid champion Cait Snow and coach Karen Smyers. Her sense of humor shines through on her web site where she uses numbers to explain her move from a successful career on Wall Street to the risky investment in a pro triathlon career:
1377: Number of days since Dede quit her otherwise well paying job on Wall Street
2,165.99: Number of points the [Dow Jones Industrial Average] has declined since Dede quit her otherwise well paying job on Wall Street
53: Number of seconds Dede’s parents sat, mouths agape before regaining ability to speak when Dede broke the news that she was leaving Wall Street to race as a professional triathlete.
While we should hope that Dede returns to Wall Street to save the world, we also wish her success in the career that makes her happy. And happy she certainly is, as one look at her finishing photo above from Ironman Brazil shows. When she brings a Kona title back to Boston with her, local athletes can brag about getting their butts kicked by the Ironman World Champion next door. The Boston Triathlon Examiner will be watching Dede's progress closely on October 10.
Dede Griesbauer's Statistics
Nationality: American
Pro since: 2005
Career highlights:
- 1st place Ironman Brazil 2009
- 1st place Ironman UK 2006
- Two-time top ten finish in Hawaii
- 1st place Plymouth Rock iron-distance Aquabike
- Kicking the Boston Triathlon Examiner’s butt every time they have participated in the same race (this is surly high on Dede’s list of achievements)
What she rides: Kestrel Airfoil Pro SE
Sponsors: Saucony, Kestrel, Zone Labs, Team Psycho, Fuel Belt, Blue Seventy, Oval Concepts, InfiniT Nutrition, Vasa Trainer, Computrainer
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