Hiking the hills of the Wimberley Valley

Don Hauk is looking for a few good runners.

Actually, you don’t even need to be all that good. You have to have an interest in running, maybe want to shed a few pounds or elevate your running to the next level.

Last spring, Don, along with his friend Matt Kulhman, started Wimberley Valley Running. So far, about 20 people have signed up.

“What I am most excited about with Wimberley Valley Running is getting to meet people,” Don says. “We want to provide some inspiration for people who like to run. Maybe offer some tips and guidance.”

Don, who started serious running in 2012, has gone all out. He’s what they call an ultra runner.

To celebrate his recent 50th birthday he entered two 50-mile trail races. In the past, he has done a couple of 100-milers.

Says Don: “I hadn’t run a mile since high school. I guess I just kind of wanted to get healthy. Then I learned people were running 100 miles. I had no idea people were doing that.”

He started with a 25 kilometer (15 1/2 miles) race, moved up to 50 kilometers and just kept on going.

Dropped 50 pounds

Along the way, he dropped from 230 pounds to a trim 180. His finish times kept getting better as well. He recently won a 50-mile event at Rock Springs, Texas — one of his birthday races.

So what is it like to run in an ultra race, say 100 miles?

For one thing, it’s pretty much non-stop. The runners go day and night with a few short breaks every 6-10 miles for snacks and water. Don completed his 100-milers in 25 hours and 22 minutes. “Generally, if you finish under 24 hours, that’s considered a good time,” he explains.

Don says that running 100 miles “is not really good for you.” The trails he runs on are uneven and rocky. It’s easy to lose your concentration and take a spill. Ultra running also causes a lot of wear and tear on joints.

Don hasn’t suffered any major injuries, just “aches and pains.” “When you are 50 miles into a race,” he explains, “you can get sloppy. You lose your concentration. You trip. You fall. Your race is done.”

It takes him 2-3 days to recover and he likes to have at least a month between 50-mile or more races.

Of course, on the trail he runs into snakes and other critters. “The first guy usually runs past the snakes. It’s the second guy who re ally has to watch out,” Don says.

Don points out that trail runners tend to be more laid back than the ultra-competitive triathletes and marathoners.

There are a couple major races in Central Texas, one in Bandera and one in Huntsville. Both of those races feed into the annual Texas Trail Championships.

Premier events

The marquee events for ultra runners are the Western States Endurance Run, a 100-mile race that takes place in June in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, and the Badwater 135, a 135-mile race that starts below sea level in Death Valley National Park and ends at the 8,000-foot high Mount Whitney trailhead. For good measure, that race is held in July when temperatures often top 120 degrees. “I have heard of runners running on the white strips of the road so their shoes don’t melt,” says Don.

The Western States 100 — where thousands apply but only a few hundred are accepted — is Don’s ultimate goal.

Wimberley Valley Run ning has less lofty goals. Mostly, it’s about exercise and camaraderie. “A few of us have gone down this ultra path. But some members just run a few miles at a time.”

All ages are welcome and most of the runs are done locally. There are good trails in the Wimberley/Woodcreek areas. Sometimes, the members will do laps around Blue Hole. They try to stay off the roads with vehicles zipping by.

You don’t need a lot of equipment to get started. Shorts and a t-shirt, maybe a pack for longer runs, and a good pair of shoes. Don figures he gets 400-500 miles out of a pair of shoes.

Don and his wife Helena own and operate the Creekhaven Inn and Spa at 400 Mill Race Lane here in Wimberley. Don also works remotely as an analyst and a business development officer for a bank in Nebraska and Helena does most of the “heavy lifting” at Creekhaven. They have two children, Hudson, 7, and Hayden, 4.

Questions about Wimberley Valley Running? Email Don at don@ creekhaveninn.com.