If you know about the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, then you probably know about Tim Twietmeyer, the five-time champion of the famed course that runs through the Northern California wilderness from Squaw Valley to Auburn. He has run the race an unprecedented number of times and serves as president of the event’s board of directors.

Tim Twietmeyer at the RRCA convention.

For all of you who are getting ready for the 2009 edition of the WS100 on June 27,  and for anyone else interested in tasting some of the flavor of Western States, I made the following podcast from remarks Tim made earlier this spring at the Road Runners Club of America convention in San Francisco. Listen and you’ll hear a couple of his memorable stories from the trail, along with some training advice. (Working with audio is new for me, so please excuse the rough edges in this production.)

I know several people who have suffered through the Western States 100 and who are training for it again, and I regard them with the same admiration and fascination I feel while watching documentaries showing nearly-frozen, oxygen-deprived climbers shuffling toward the summit of Everest: I’m utterly impressed, but glad it’s them up there and not me!

I hope you enjoy this audio piece — let me know what you think.