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Mt. Dickens, my Final Peak to become a Compleatist in the Bagger Challenge.

Run and Become - 20 October, 2013 - 23:38

On Saturday morning Neil, Dave and I converged at 7am in the dark of dawn at Cates Park Marina, North Vancouver to meet the Captains of the good ship Green Dog. Ken and Tom. We were joined by fellow passengers David and his son Harry. After successfully loading and launching the boat we headed out into the murky and very misty waters of Indian Arm and set course for the Wigwam Inn where we would moor the boat and head up the trail to summit Mt. Dickens.
 It's going to be a good good day!  It was perishingly cold on the boat, particularly for Dave and Neil who drew the short straws for the seats at the back of the boat. However, it was exciting for all as we really couldn't see very well and the navigational skills of the Captains and David became key to keeping us on track.
Captain Tom Captain Ken David and Harry keeping a watchful eye for land masses.  We made it to the end of Indian Arm, and unloaded onto dry land at the creek bed that has become our entry to the steep east side of Mt. Dickens. Historically, Mt. Dickens seems to have enjoyed some popularity as a local peak frequented by guests of the Wigwam Inn in the early part of the 20th century.  Documented reports talk of Victorian ladies in summer dresses making their way to the top. This strikes me as somewhat questionable, particularly from the eastern approach, given the fact that the journey is essentially a steep bushwack from sea level to the summit at 4,225 feet!
Anyway, off we went following on what is now becoming somewhat of a recognizable trail up Mt. Dickens. There were a few dead salmon lying around (spawning season) that were a bit frightening, they camouflage well with the rocks - only the smell of dead fish gives them away!

 Certainly, we Baggers have done much to open this route up.  It is considerably shorter going the water route than coming in the traditional route on the other side of the mountain.
It was steep.Typical West Coast forestIt was about 4 hours up. And so after a few hours we burst out onto the Indian Arm trail some short distance from the summit.  The Indian Arm trail runs south to north over the ridge summit of Mt. Dickens.  It is an infrequently hiked long distance route established some years ago by local outdoors enthusiast, Don McPherson.  So we gathered as a group there and made our way to the summit for a special celebration of Bagging success and trail camaraderie.
 Dave and I celebrating Completing the Peaks in the Bagger Challenge with this climb of DickensTom, Neil, Harry, myself and Dave.The first female completest and the Baggermeister of the competition.  We had a great celebration on the top, a tea party! Ken made very good Chai Tea on his camp stove
Plenty of celebrating and good reminiscing.   David and Harry enjoying the viewsMore tea, biscuits and laughter.On our descent, the fog remains belowHere comes the Green Dog to pick up the weary baggersBundled up on the boat - we enjoyed the views with the lights along the shore Neil and Dave braving the return journey. 
 This was the final peak for myself and Dave in the Bagger Challenge list of all peaks.  Neil completed a few weeks ago. This makes me the first female compleatist.  Quite an achievement for Team Dodgy!

We had fun at the top and enjoyed beautiful skies and warm temperatures while those at sea level were still in the fog.  After some toasting of achievements all round  - as well as peak success, Ken celebrated a landmark birthday recently, we made our way back down to greet the Green Dog.  Reaching the water just as dusk approached we loaded ourselves back onboard to a feast of salty chips, 7 layer dip and refreshments. The Green Dog does a great job of catering to it's guests.  It was a memorable journey back to Vancouver as darkness fell and the lights in homes along the coastline turned on to shine brightly along the waters edge.

 It was a great day out and many thanks to Ken and Tom for supplying the watercraft transport.  Thanks also to David for "inventing" the Bagger Challenge which has kept the last five years full of fantastic memories of adventures in the local mountains. Lastly, congratulations to Neil, Dave and myself on completion of all peaks.  Well done team and I hope you have enjoyed all the trail tails!  I look forward to some new adventures and challenges but a return to Mt. Dickens would certainly be entertained - it's a classic and an awesome way to finish the peaks in the Bagger Challenge. See you fellow Baggers at the upcoming banquet!
 

2013-10-20 Get Off The Couch (9)

Club Fat Ass - Photos - 20 October, 2013 - 19:05

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2013-10-20 Get Off The Couch (7)

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2013-10-20 Get Off The Couch (6)

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2013-10-20 Get Off The Couch (5)

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2013-10-20 Get Off The Couch (3)

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2013-10-20 Get Off The Couch (2)

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Making Stuff: Faster - New PBS Special Explores Our Limits, Including Running

A Trail Runners Blog - 19 October, 2013 - 07:52
This week PBS began a new NOVA series called "Making Stuff: Faster" that I think many of you would find interesting. Host David Pogue (the talented  NY Times technology writer) speaks with experts that push the human limits of speed in a number of disciplines, including running, cycling, sailing, driving, and more. It's highly entertaining to watch him try them all.


In the segment about running, Pogue speaks with Peter Weyand, Ph.D., associate professor of applied physiology and biomechanics at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, whom some of you may remember as the guy who successfully argued against the ban on double amputee Oscar Pistorius running in open competition. In the interview, Weyand explains the dynamics of force and how it relates to sprint speed, and even gets Pogue to go all out on a treadmill.

You can stream the special at PBS Online, or check your local listings for the Wednesday shows.

Now get out there and apply some force!

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim

Trainharder - 18 October, 2013 - 16:16

Amazing how a random post on our running group’s facebook page at the beginning of the year, asking who wanted to do the Rim 2 Rim materialized into the Thanksgiving weekend’s epic adventure! Cool idea!  Obviously I wasn’t the only person who thought so, as the likes and comments kept growing, and a group of 20 of us opted in!

The plan was to rent cars from Las Vegas airport and for half the gang to start from the North Rim and the rest from the South, meet somewhere in the middle and swap car keys, and then drive back to Vegas that evening and meet up for a beer.  Driving time from the south to the north rim is about 4.5 hours, so having cars at both ends makes total sense although I believe there is a shuttle as well during peak season.  We had cabins booked on the North Rim, hotel rooms on the South and we were ready to roll .. or so we thought!

The big trip drew close … and can you believe it, the US Government shut down the national parks, including the Grand Canyon!!  We were watching the news every day, crossing our fingers, sending out positive vibes to the Politicians .. but it didn’t look promising, so we came up with Plan B .. Flagstaff.  By mid-week, we had all but given up, cancelled our Canyon accommodation and resigned ourselves to Plan B.

Ambling along the Vegas strip on Friday night, suddenly a facebook post came through: ‘The Canyon has opened’!  Yay – back on track!  We frantically re-booked our Canyon reservations as soon as the park opened at 8am on Saturday, and were off to the airport to meet up with the rest of the gang flying in that day, and pick up the rental cars.

We arrived at the South Rim on Saturday evening, just in time to carbo-load in the restaurant, enjoy a beer or two and check into the hotel accommodation.  The South Rim is the usual rim visited by tourists, and the Bright Angel Trail (the route we took down) starts close to the lodge. We were planning to leave at 5am before the mule trains, but apparently they left earlier, so we left at a leisurely 7.15am.

The cabins on the North Rim are more basic (be prepared to share with mice), with limited facilities and is only open from mid May to mid October.  At 8,800 ft of elevation, this side of the canyon is a tad chilly and there was even snow at the top.  Our North Rim team left at 6.45 am from this side.  Communication between our two groups was almost impossible as cell coverage on the rims was sporadic at best, and non existent in the canyon.  We had no idea what time the other team was leaving, so we hoped for the best, and by some miracle, we reached Phantom Ranch, the designated ‘key swap’, at exactly the same time, around 3.5 hours into the run.

The trails are well maintained, and not really technical or that steep (compared with our North Shore trails) – having said that, it’s definitely not a walk in the park and the last section of uphill on the North Rim seemed to go on FOREVER!  We managed to run the downhill and most of the gentler inclines, but the last 7 miles was a slow slog to the top.  We were pleasantly surprised to find outhouses and water taps along the route.  The North Kaibab trail is the only trail to the North Rim and the scenery is dramatic, with a few drop offs (don’t look over the edge if you are scared of heights).  Also, watch out for rattle snakes sunning themselves on the path – we had to tiptoe around one, which was curled up on the path, ready to pounce.  Both rims are spectacular, but the North Rim is a little quieter, and more forested.  At least with the Rim to Rim, you get to see both in one day!

It was an epic trip, but I have a new admiration for runners who go one step further and decide to do the Rim to Rim to Rim (80 km!).  Here’s a trip report from a Rim to Rim to Rim for anyone considering this.

Facts:

  •  Best time of year for the Rim to Rim: April-May or Sept-Oct
  • Distance: 40km if you take the Bright Angel Trail from the South Rim; if you take the South Kaibab, trail, 35km
  • Time: it took us just over 8 hours
  • Elevation: 4,000+ descent; 6,000+ ascent going South to North
  • Driving time from Las Vegas to the Rims – 4.5 hrs approximately

 

 

Run for the Toad - 2013

Exploits of a Mid-Packer - 17 October, 2013 - 21:31
Well, once again Race Directors George and Peggy Sarson put on one hell of a race. No detail was too minute and no idea or request impossible; the Run for the Toad is an event that gets better every year. If you're looking for a well-organized race it really doesn't get any better than this.
Ryne and I arrived in Toronto on the thursday and drove straight to Pinehurst Conservation Area to visit with George and Peggy before the race chaos began. The next afternoon was spent at the park as well. Ryne, who was the elite athlete coordinator and co-MC this year, hosted a press conference interviewing the elites and introducing the RD's and park officials. We met up with old friends and met new ones over lunch. There was a gang from the UK as well as a couple groups of guys from Ohio and Maryland. We all chatted and introduced ourselves. After lunch I took Stacie Carrigan on a run through the last half of the course.
The Royal Highland Fusiliers Pipe & Drum Band of CanadaRace morning dawned early as Ryne was out of the hotel to get ready for a full day of officiating. I took my time getting ready, eating breakfast and putting on my race kit. I was sleepy, but alert. I'd spent the previous evening visualizing the course with me on it. I felt prepared. Stacie and I drove to the park with Stacey & Dave Cleveland, friends from back home who were also running the race.
"Tent City" was packed with over 1000 runners, volunteers and crowd supporters. We lined up for the Opening Ceremonies and watched as the Royal Highland Fusiliers marched in. They proceeded to play various songs as well as the national anthem as the Canadian and American flags were raised and a moment of silence honoured for our military personnel. It was a really moving and personal touch.
The 50km runners lined up. We shared some jittery banter and there were calls of 'good luck' all around, and then we were off.
The race start
(Photo Credit: Ryne Melcher)
I always go out like a shot before I settle into my stride. It was fun going out with the leaders and then watching as they peeled away. Dave Riddle, Verelle Wyatt and Tom Cornwaithe, all new friends were off to the races. I cheered Glen Redpath on as he went past and then Scott Myers snuck up behind me to say hello. "The Stacey's" were off as well. It was a fun and social atmosphere. It took me awhile to find a rhythm--almost a full 12.5km lap in fact. However, I did manage to run the lap in 1:07:12, well under the 1:10-1:12/lap I'd allotted myself. The course was in amazing shape, all the leaves and rocks raked away and noticeable trail maintenance from last time I was there in 2011. The rains that had been falling the previous day were holding off and it was a relatively nice autumn morning.
The 25km runners had caught up during the second lap and I saw Josh and Di from the UK roaring through like freight trains in the lead. I felt fine on the second lap, but slowed by about 7 minutes. When I came into the start/finish I knew I would have to really kick it up a notch to get my time goal, but I also felt the tiredness in my legs creeping up on me. Running just over 63km at the fixed time race two weeks before was not working in my favour.
At the top of Skeleton Hill
(Photo Credit: Ryder Photography)
The third lap was my slowest; the toughest slog and I walked some of the hills that are so constant. I really had forgotten how incessantly rolling the course is. It's hard to prepare yourself for constant up, down, up, down for 50km when you come from a terrain that is a long slog up and then a long slog down. But I kept on trucking. I was enjoying the course and the scenery. The neat thing was that as I started my third lap, Verelle was leading his way into the final lap. I saw him just flying along the course like a gazelle, nevermind the fact he was almost 40km into it. Then I saw Dave Riddle go by and cheered him on. I knew Ryne had some beer bets on this match-up!
View from the course
(Photo Credit: Mark Godale)
This race didn't go badly, it just wasn't great either. I made it through the fourth and final lap faster than the third despite tired, achy legs and some knee and hip niggles from the 7-hour race two weeks prior. I finished in 5:10:53 and 14th female. Not the top ten, 4:45 finish I'd be dreaming of, but not terrible either. It just gives me more reason to go back next year!
I took a dip in Kettle Lake after the race. I did the duathlon :) 
I had a blast and so enjoyed the family reunion-like vibe at the race and throughout the weekend. It was exciting being able to race and watch a bit of the race as well as there are a few places in the course where you can see runners farther along. A huge congrats to Stacie Carrigan and Stacey Cleveland who took 1st and 3rd, respectively. Congrats too to all the men, too many to name.
My finisher's medal is solid and beautiful; another sign of the quality of the race. The post-race meal was delicious and George even went around handing out toad-shaped chocolates. At the awards ceremony he must have had about 50 toad toques as draw prizes along with other goodies and swag. The volunteers were great; so cheerful and supportive. Aid was never an issue. A MASSIVE kudos and thank you to George and Peggy who pour their hearts and souls into this race, with all the proceeds going back to Pinehurst Conservation Area. It is a true labour of love and they make it look easy.

Gear:
-Montrail Bajadas
-Asics 2-in-1 shorts
-Columbia Freeze Degree short sleeve
-Moving Comfort "Charity" sports bra
-Injini toe socks

The Healthy (But Practical) Plant-Based Diet — A Typical Day

No Meat Athlete - 17 October, 2013 - 10:03

Two and a half weeks into my book tour, things are finally becoming routine.

I’ve mastered the last-minute hotel search, figured out how to eat healthily while traveling, and gotten used to answering many of the same questions over and over in interviews and Q&A sessions.

One of the most common questions: What exactly do you eat during a typical day? 

Several people have expressed surprise that I didn’t include this in my book. The reason? Mainly, I didn’t include my typical day’s diet because the book is not about me. There are so many ways to “do” a plant-based diet; my way is just one of them. The book provides a framework and my favorite recipes, but there’s plenty of flexibility for the reader to swing towards raw or oil-free or even a vegetarian-but-non-vegan diet. I think of No Meat Athlete as a “gateway book” that gives people the tools to try out a healthy, practical plant-based diet, so that once they’re on board, they can take it in the direction that works for them.

But since people are curious, I’m happy to share here what I eat most days (when I’m at home, not on the road).

My Typical Day’s Diet

I eat according to a few simple guidelines (e.g., until I feel mostly full), and of course my meals and snacks vary, day to day. My focus is on practicality and health, and one of the amazing things I’ve found since going vegetarian and then vegan is that as I get further and further away from the processed-food world, my palate has adjusted so that those two aims coincide amazingly well with the goal we all have of eating food that tastes good.

7am — Just about every day, I start with a smoothie. The Perfect Smoothie Formula is the template I use, but not super-strictly. My smoothie starts with a tablespoon or so each of chia seeds, flax seeds, raw walnuts, and pumpkin seeds, and usually includes frozen berries, frozen broccoli, spinach or baby kale leaves, a banana, ice, and water.

I used to add flax or coconut oil and hemp protein powder to my smoothie, but this year I’ve shifted heavily towards whole foods and I’ve found that I do just fine without any of those supplements. I make the smoothie in my Blendtec, which does a good job of grinding all the nuts and seeds at once with everything else (if you don’t have a Vitamix or Blendtec, you can grind the nuts and seeds into a powder in a coffee grinder, then add that powder to your smoothie).

8am – An Ezekiel sprouted whole-grain English muffin, usually cinnamon-raisin, spread with a tablespoon or two of raw, homemade almond butter. With this, I drink one 10-ounce cup of coffee, usually Counter Culture, ground in a hand-crank grinder and prepared as a pour over. I go through phases where I switch to green tea, and I think this is healthier than coffee, but I like coffee and always find myself coming back to it, even after weeks or months without.

10am – Fruit, usually an orange but occasionally an apple, a banana, or berries. Often I’ll have a few handfuls of raw-nut trail mix (“Strider’s Snack” from Whole Foods).

12pm – With few exceptions, my lunch is leftover from previous night’s dinner, reheated in a pan or steamer depending on what type of food it is (we ditched the microwave last year). See the 6pm meal for examples of what typical dinner/lunch might be.

I don’t know where my wife and I would ever find the time to actually cook lunch from scratch, so we always make a double recipe for dinner to make sure there’s enough for lunch the next day.

3pm – Along with the morning smoothie, an afternoon salad is pretty much a constant in my diet. I blend baby kale, spinach, spring mix, arugula or whatever else we have around and top with some combination of fresh tomato (when it’s in season), avocado, green onion, celery, carrot, hemp hearts, and sunflower seeds. Sometimes I add chickpeas or black beans, but not always. For dressing I used to always use a little bit of olive oil with apple cider or balsamic vinegar, but recently I tend toward oil-free dressings based on tahini or nuts (often using one of the recipes in Joel Fuhrman’s Super Immunity).

If I’m not in the mood for salad in the mid-afternoon, I eat homemade hummus with either a whole-grain pita or some broccoli or other raw vegetable that we have on hand, and save the salad for right before dinner — and sometimes, the salad is the dinner!

4pm – I usually run in the late afternoons, and depending on how I’m feeling, I eat some fruit, drink some fruit juice, or pop a few fresh dates for a quick boost of energy a few minutes before I head out the door. If the run is less than an hour, as most are, I don’t eat anything during it. When I get back, I eat more fruit or perhaps some hummus as a quick-post workout snack.

6pm – Dinnertime. We like to try new recipes as often as we have the time for, and mostly we cook from Thrive Foods, Appetite for Reduction, Clean Food, 1,000 Vegan Recipes, and Let Them Eat Vegan. (See this list of my favorite cookbooks.)

We choose meals that are fairly quick, based on whole foods, and kid-friendly. Dinner could be lentils and rice, a hearty soup, a pasta dish with beans and greens added to the sauce, tempeh or tofu stir-fried with vegetables, black bean tacos or burritos, or a simple Indian or Thai dish. Some nights when we’re short on time, dinner is just a huge salad with beans (usually crisped in a pan). Our son won’t eat salad yet, so on these nights we heat up a few Gardein tenders for him or give him a sandwich of almond butter or hummus on Ezekiel bread. (You can find recipes like these and many more on my recipes page — some are from the early days so they don’t necessarily represent how I eat now.)

Side note: Though I try to eat most meals with my wife and kids, dinner is the one time when we always eat together. We’ve also been doing the whole “go around the table and everybody say what they’re grateful for” thing before we eat, which is fun with our toddler, and a good thing for us grown-ups too.

7pm – A beer or glass of wine. Almost always just one, and when it’s beer, I try to keep it low ABV. That’s not always easy, because the beers I tend to like are usually 6-7% alcohol.

Although we as a country are fond of sharing articles that say alcohol is good for us, I don’t believe it. I think alcohol is the most unhealthy part of my diet, but it’s a small indulgence and I don’t think the harm from one drink a night is much. Barnivore is what I use to determine if a beer is vegan.

9pm – Dark chocolate. Just a small piece, usually 85 or 90 percent cacao. You’ve got to check to make sure it’s vegan, but most brands of chocolate this dark are.

Also check out a post I wrote a few months ago called 10 Foods Worth Eating Every Single Day for a few other small things that I try to include each day, like Brazil nuts and a B12 supplement.

The Key to Lasting Change

If you’re new to a plant-based diet, or just trying to make yours even healthier, then I hope this is helpful! Coming up on five years as a vegetarian and three as a vegan, my diet is still evolving, and looks drastically different than it did when I started. The key for me has been extremely slow, gradual change. Rather than trying to suddenly cut out a bunch of bad foods and add a bunch of healthy ones all at once — which so often results in failure — make just one tiny change at a time (assuming your health situation isn’t dire, of course), and you’ll be surprised at how quickly these tiny changes stack on top of each other to move you toward whatever “ideal” is for you.

Being on the road has changed my routine, for sure, but not by all that much. I’m working on a post about how I’m managing (and honestly, eating more raw food than I even do at home!), so look for that soon.

PS — If you’ve had a chance to read the No Meat Athlete book, I’d really appreciate it if you would leave a review on Amazon. Thanks so much!

A Beautiful Day on the Howe Sound Crest Trail - Thanksgiving Weekend!

Run and Become - 14 October, 2013 - 21:25
Sunday morning Dave, Craig, Neil and I were on the Lions Trail by 8:30 am. Craig was in town for the weekend to participate in some final bagging of the season (and of course to spend time with his family). It was great to have him along on the journey to make team DODGY almost complete. Liza has moved to Calgary so we were team DODG for the day. It was a beautiful fall morning. The small parking lot at the trail head was full so we parked back at the school parking. This allows for a walk up the steep road to view the homes of the residents of Lion's Bay. The trail starts as an old logging road, we met a few people heading out for their adventures for the day. One hiker was on his own and was going up Mount Harvey. I gave him the "be careful" warning as I have had (x2)moments coming up the back side myself.Once we branched off the logging road onto the Binkert Trail (the Lions Trail)  we were greeted with this sign.:) Team DODG had plenty of fluid with us and we have the art of water treatment down pat to reduce our risk of having to take water from any creeks.   Crossing the bridge over Harvey Creek. There is a plaque on the bridge (next to the unfortunate graffiti) that dedicates the foot bridge to Lions Bay Search and Rescue co-founder Marcel Andrie. Once out of the trail that climbs up through the woods (about 2 hours up) you come upon boulder fields with stunning views below. There were patches of ice on the rocks which can obviously be very dangerous.On our way to up to the gathering place at the base of the West Lion. We peaked over the edge, looked way up and ran into some familiar faces. Team DODG decided to carry on to Enchantment Peak and for those who were keen could go up the West Lion on our way back. View back to the Lions from Enchantment. The East Lion, a massive rock formation. The Lions are a very prominent feature on the North Shore skyline. It was quiet surreal that we were playing around at their base. Every time now, when I look up at them I will always remember having been there. That pretty well summarizes the reflections we are having of the North Shore mountains as we close in on completing all the peaks on the Bagger Challenge. The "back view" of Cathedral Mountain (where we were a few weeks ago).Coming back on the Howe Sound Crest Trail - this section really is a ledge with room for a piece of your foot with a shear drop off - I don't like this type of exposure. That's me in the middle with Dave leading and Craig contemplating from behind.  Ah - the leap of faith - thanks Dave for catching me and not letting go! I see now in this photo that you were really on the edge yourself. I recall you saying along this section - don't push me when you land! I get it now. Last night in my sleep I had a few flash back moments - perhaps you did too!   Once back at the base of the West Lion, in the interests of time and family, Neil and I opted to leave our team members and carry on back down the trail. Craig was determined to climb the West Lion and so he should having lived on the North Shore all his life and now having the opportunity to summit on such a glorious day. Dave phoned Helen who agreed to pick them up in Lions Bay and so Neil and I wished them well, said our good byes and headed back down the trail, making it back to the truck just before dark. The Thanksgiving Turkey dinner tantalizing smells were incredible going through the Lions's Bay neighbourhood prior to reaching the truck. We were hungry! I stashed Dave and Craig's bags they had in our truck in the woods and texted where they could find their bags. We were anxiously waiting a text from Craig and Dave to say they were safely off the West Lion. We knew they had headlamps and it wasn't a first for a journey out in the dark for team DODGY.  Congratulations Craig on climbing the West Lion and #3 for Dave! The West Lion is not a difficult climb but involves significant exposure for us part time rock climbers.  I must end this blog by admitting our timing was off for the day and we were 2 hours late picking up Fergus (dog) and 2.5 hours late for our own family Thanksgiving dinner. (Give thanks for microwaves and forgiving family!).  Next weekend we plan to climb Dickens Peak which will make Dave and myself "completeists" in the Bagger Challenge, to join Neil who finished a few weeks ago. We are very thankful for the high pressure ridge of fine weather that is allowing great bagging opportunities for another week! Happy Thanksgiving! 

Frederik Van Lierde and Miranda Carfrae Crowned 2013 Ironman World Champions

A Trail Runners Blog - 12 October, 2013 - 18:03
Belgian Frederik Van Lierde and Australian Miranda Carfrae were crowned the 2014 Ironman World Champions in Kailua-Kona, HI, just a few minutes ago. Madam Pele presented fast conditions this year, and it was the fast bike/runners that took advantage to bring it home.

(Miranda Carfrae wins the 2014 Ironman World Championship in a new course record, photo by chicrunner) Miranda Carfrae wins her 2nd Ironman world title, this time in a course record 8:52:14 (she also scored a marathon course record of 2:50:39, beating all but two of the male pros). She used a personal best bike split here and an amazing run to hold off the UK's Rachel Joyce, and Liz Blatchford who sprinted in a very close race for 3rd. Carfrae's fiancee, Tim O'Donnell, took 5th in the Men's.

(Frederik Van Lierde takes the win at the Ironman World Championship, photo by chicrunner) Frederik Van Lierde was an early favorite, and used a strong run to catch Australia's Luke McKenzie at the Energy Lab (mile 20'ish), and German Sebastian Kienle who took third.

Men's Top 10 (Finish Time, Time Back, #)
-----------------
1 8:12:29 6 Frederik Van Lierde BEL
2 8:15:19 2:50 49 Luke McKenzie AUS
3 8:19:24 6:56 2 Sebastian Kienle DEU
4 8:21:46 9:18 55 James Cunnama ZAF
5 8:22:25 9:57 7 Tim O'Donnell USA
6 8:23:43 11:14 33 Ivan Rana ESP
7 8:24:09 11:40 44 Tyler Butterfield BMU
8 8:25:38 13:10 9 Bart Aernouts BEL
9 8:26:32 14:03 25 Timo Bracht DEU
10 8:31:13 18:44 15 Faris Al-Sultan DEU

Women's Top 10 (Finish Time, Time Back, #)
---------------------
1 8:52:14 111 Mirinda Carfrae AUS
2 8:57:28 5:14 131 Rachel Joyce GBR
3 9:03:35 11:21 112 Liz Blatchford GBR
4 9:04:34 12:20 118 Yvonne Van Vlerken NLD
5 9:09:09 16:55 103 Caroline Steffen CHE
6 9:10:12 17:58 124 Caitlin Snow USA
7 9:10:19 18:05 108 Meredith Kessler USA
8 9:11:13 18:59 119 Michelle Vesterby DNK

It's going on live right now if you want to come check it out!

- SD

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