Member Profile: Lynn Hermanson

Lynn Hermanson (W70) running strong at the Masters National XC Meet last Oct in Boulder.

It’s Never Too Late to Get Fit (and Fast!)
By Marcey J. Cote

She ran nearly as fast at last year’s BOLDERBoulder 2022, as she did when she ran the race back in 1980. She owns multiple All-American titles. And she consistently wins her age group in local 5ks. Remarkably, Lynn Hermanson is excelling at running like never before – all at age 71.

“I’ve arrived at my best life,” she says with confidence and a smile. “I never expected to be more fit at 71 than I was when I was 30, relatively speaking.”

Sure enough, Hermanson was fit enough at the BOLDERBoulder last May to not only win her age category by a monstrous 20 minutes but also to notch the fourth all-time fastest record (56:13) for women her age, on the race’s notoriously challenging 10k course.

“The BOLDERBoulder is my favorite race, but also my hardest. It takes the most mind preparation. I have to be ready for every corner, every hill, every straightaway,” she explains thoughtfully.

Yet Hermanson wasn’t always so fit, nor accustomed to crushing the competition. After a brief running stint in her 30’s, she slid into being a self-described “couch potato” (other than riding her bike to work at Ball Aerospace every day). Later, in her early 60’s, she sustained a major back injury. For recovery and rehabilitation, she walked on open space trails daily.

Then, at age 63, retired from work and feeling healthier, Hermanson made a pivotal life decision: It was time to get really fit. She started from scratch as a “beginner”, running just fifty yards at a time. Getting stronger, she joined a running club, which she deems the “best decision of my life”.

By age 65, in 2017, Hermanson was making good progress. She was able to run six miles without stopping. So, she entered the BOLDERBoulder. Surprising herself, she ran 53:17, placing second in her age. After that unexpected success, she says with a small chuckle, “The competitive bug took over”.

Indeed. But competitors beware: Hermanson’s demure disposition belies her inner fire to run well. It seems there’s an irrepressible, ardent competitive streak that drives her to run, and to run faster than her peers, consistently.

“If anyone else is being competitive, I can’t help but get in there and go with them. It triggers me, and I jump into action!”, she says with a spark in her eyes.

Perhaps just as inspiring as her quick physical speed, however, is Hermanson’s strong mental game. While some runners might like to claim they are “all muscle”, Hermanson is most proud of being “all brain”. Her mind is always thinking about her run health – how far, how fast, what fuel, what recovery. But her racing mindset is another story. When she’s in race mode, Hermanson takes her mental strength to another level.

“Racing is 100% mind work. Beforehand, I do my homework, and I do visualization. Then, if I can get the rest of my body to channel an animal, like a gazelle, I feel content. And my racing feels good,” she explains.

Fortunately, Hermanson has peers who also enjoy racing. Last summer, she and three Boulder Road Runner teammates took to the track for the 4×800 relay. These strong, inspiring women joined forces, put themselves out there, and blazed to an Outdoor American Record. Clocking 16:54.93, Hermanson, Nancy Antos, Linda Yarr, and Lynne Kidder smashed the previous record by over five minutes!

“It was so much fun. It was like going in a time machine. We felt like college athletes on a team!” Hermanson says.

Recently, a similar team with Hermanson, Antos, Yarr, and Gisela Bennett broke the Indoor American Record in the 4×800. All ladies made their indoor track debut, each running four laps on the 200-meter indoor track in Colorado Springs.

Outside of racing, though, like many avid runners, Hermanson loves the simple joys that come with the sport – the fitness, the efficient exercise, the runner’s high, her favorite post-run drink (a can of Coke), and of course, the social community. She’s especially appreciative of her run club, Revolution Running, her coach Ewen North, as well as the Boulder Road Runners.

“Ewen makes me, and many others, feel like we’re young again”, she beams. “And the people at Boulder Road Runners are my heroes because they create these wonderful running experiences, and it makes my life great!”

For anyone seeking better fitness through running, Hermanson’s advice is simple: “Be patient, be gentle, listen to your body, go by feel, and run with other people. Before you know it, your body will adapt to running as just a normal thing you do!”