It's high risk, high reward at WS

The Western States 100-mile Endurance Run doesn't need a warning label. The name itself is enough to filter out all but the most fine-tuned athletes daring enough to take on the race from Squaw Valley to Auburn, up snow-covered mountains and through scorching canyons.Gordon Ainsleigh's historic trek alongside the horses in the 1974 Tevis Cup ride was considered almost a supernatural feat, even by those who witnessed it."I didn't think I'd see it done again in the 20th century," said Dr. Bob Lind, who has served as the official medical director at Western States for all 30 years of the race. "I was skeptical that the human body could do that."Since Ainsleigh's inaugural venture, more than 6,000 runners have completed the Western States journey, defying medical odds that pushing the limits of the human body. Even the most disciplined athletes are susceptible to injury and breakdown. The 2006 race provided the most dramatic example as Brian Morrison collapsed on Placer High's Stacy Dragila Track, just 300 meters from winning the race.Morrison suffered from both dehydration and dilutional hyponatremia - a lack of sodium - causing his body to shut down. It's among the most common ailments at the WS 100."The runners should be drinking about 30 percent of their body weight throughout the day," Lind said. "The main thing we do is watch their weight. If they can maintain their weight level from start to finish, they're doing pretty good."The incredible pounding of 100 miles of rugged trail on the knees, ankles and feet cause most weekend warriors to cringe. Auburn's Tim Twietmeyer completed his 25th straight WS 100 last year, but opted to take this year off to let his body regenerate. He ran into a slight knee problem late last summer, but he said it's feeling good these days."What knocks most people out is dehydration, followed by knee problems," Twietmeyer said. "Your body gets more and more edgy the further into the race you get and if your stomach goes, then your performance is probably going to suffer as well."To the average man or woman, the impact of running stride after stride for upwards of 24 hours is too much to bear."Running 100 miles is a lot of wear and tear on the joints," said Judd Van Sickle, a biomechanical engineer in the UC Davis sports performance department. "The body is obviously not designed to handle that much impact. I would say (Twietmeyer) is a genetic abnormality. If you take 99 percent of the people in the world, their bodies would not be able to take doing that once, let alone 25 times."Ainsleigh, who has the second-most WS 100 finishes (21), is still running strong at age 60. He credits his longevity to a healthy diet and his unusual training habits."I don't pile on the distance like everyone else does," he said. "A lot of runners train every day and run 80 miles a week, or more. Every week or two, I'll run 40 to 50 miles and I never run on consecutive days. I think that's why I'm still around."Ainsleigh's record is even more impressive considering he is unusually large for an ultrarunner. "He's a big guy, but he's never really had any knee problems," Lind said. "He's got a long stride, a gliding style and a very even pace."Lind, who will care to his 10,000th runner this weekend, said taking smaller strides when running downhill helps minimize the pounding on the joints. He said most of the runners who get to the WS starting line are wise to the ways of the trail, especially when it comes to caring for their knees and ankles."Most of these runners are pretty sophisticated," Lind said. "You run into a fairly high strata of knowledge among the runners. If you're out there for the first time, it's a new experience, but they usually bring a wealth of information with them."But even the most experienced runners are susceptible to the medical dangers of running great distances. Veteran ultrarunner Joel Zucker died in 1998 after completing the Hardrock 100 in Colorado after suffering "brain bleed," a condition brought on by high blood pressure, high altitude and overexertion.Colorado ultrarunner Mark Heinemann was found dead in his hotel room after competing in a two-day run in Phoenix in 2003. The coroner's report found that the 46-year-old died of bacterial double pneumonia.Lind said the runners are prone to sickness and infection during and following the race."About 25 percent of the runners come down with upper respiratory infections within two weeks of the race," he said. "If their mucus membranes are dry and they're not hydrating enough, they're more susceptible."For those able to fight through the physical and mental strain of the run, the reward is an unmatched sense of personal achievement. Ainsleigh did not finish in 1991, due to a strained retanaculum in his foot that he said could have threatened his running career."I made it 57 miles before I finally ground to a stop," said Ainsleigh, who serves on the Auburn Recreation District's Board of Directors. "I was sensible enough to say, 'No,' I'm not going on."Most runners understand the inherent risks and also believe that enduring the Western States trail is a healthy aspiration when the runner is prepared and trained properly."The orthopedics doctors told me I could have worn my knees out just working in the yard, just from general wear and tear," Twietmeyer said. "I've always thought of (WS) as something that was good and healthy in the long haul."