In March 2018 Nancy Herron, an avid runner, completed the Couve Clover Run 10-mile course. She currently has her eye on the Boston Marathon in 2020.
Nancy Herron (right) and daughter Kelly Herron will be attempting to qualify for the 2020 Boston Marathon by running Blooms to Brews this April.
Battle Ground resident, Nancy Herron, recently celebrated her 69th birthday by completing the 323-mile Way of St. Francis, which ends in Rome.
Groundhog Day-esque movies have a mass appeal for the simple fact that so many of us can relate to the desire to hit the reset button and be granted a do-over. It doesn’t always have to be that dramatic or unattainable. In fact, Nancy Herron decided to do just that by simply putting one foot in front of the other.
A Battle Ground resident, Herron recently celebrated her 69th birthday in Italy by taking a 323-mile walk.
“It’s kind of a message for people over 60 to not just shut down. People look at me now and think ‘Oh, you were always an athlete’. When I turned 64, I was 40 pounds overweight, had knee problems (and) was always a yo-yo dieter,” Herron said.
A month before her 64th birthday, Herron joined Weight Watchers, a local Jazzercise group and started a walking/running program.
One year later, she completed the 490-mile El Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James) in Spain. Along the trek, she celebrated her 65th birthday. Since then, there has been no stopping her goal-setting and globe-trekking mentality.
In 2015, she signed up for a wine and gastronomy tour of Spain with Emanar Cellars. The familiar yellow, shell-shaped markers that guide pilgrims along The Way taunted her as she strolled the streets of San Sebastian. She knew right then that she was coming back for more.
“I looked at those signs in San Sebastian and couldn’t think of anything better than walking four to five weeks along the coastline of Spain,” Herron said. “I came home and booked my ticket.”
El Camino has many paths but at its core is a well-worn journey that dates back to the Middle Ages. The final destination, the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, is said to house the remains of the Biblical apostle, St. James the Great.
Herron has now ventured along the Camino Francés, which begins at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Porte, and Norte — a 507-mile route that is less supported, less populated and more physically challenging. Marking her 67th birthday along, literally, the road less travelled is befitting of this inspiring lady who has been a widow for nearly two decades.
“When my husband died in 1999, the kids had started college and we were living in North Idaho,” Herron said. “I am very blessed that I feel comfortable being alone. I do have great empathy for women, or men, who have lost a partner and are totally lost. My relationship with my husband and our strength together gave me that confidence. I still want to pick up the phone and tell him about all the great things that have happened. I have a great circle of support so that makes the difference.”
Continuing to be active in between milestone hikes keeps Herron ready for the next adventure. She trains with an 18- to 20-pound backpack and, between running, jazzercise and yoga, she moves with intentionality every day. On the pilgrim routes, she carries a 12- to 14-pound pack depending on her water needs for that day. Her treat along each journey is overnight accommodations at a cozy inn, so she doesn’t carry camping equipment. She swears by trekking poles but keeps her pack minimalistic, as though she’s going on several long day hikes in a row, with a change of clothes and a skort to be prepared for a dressier evening meal.
Herron recently returned from Italy, raising a glass to her 69th birthday as she made her way from Florence to Assisi to Rome along The Way of St. Francis. She speculated that the challenging mountainous terrain and harder-to-locate signage were the top reasons that she found herself alone for eight days before meeting up with another hiker. It is not the route she would recommend for a first-time “way walker,” but Herron was quite comfortable and felt safe throughout her journey.
Back at home, she laced up for the Scary Run Half Marathon in Washougal on Oct. 28 with her daughter and fellow runner, Kelly Herron. The two ladies will be attempting to qualify for the 2020 Boston Marathon by running Blooms to Brews this April. Nancy began her 18-week training program in December which includes runs with North Clark County Running Club and the Ditzy Chicks — a group of about 10 female runners who are 60 and over.
Looking ahead to 70, Herron is slated to walk through Portugal next year on the Camino Portugués with long-time friends Lee and Sue Sayers. At less than 300 miles, the pace will have a more leisurely vacation feel, undertaken by a lady with an unabashedly thankful heart.
“I was right on that ledge, I’ll tell you, but by the grace of God, I got pulled away from it,” Herron said. “I do look at my peer group and feel sad. We have a lot of life left to go. I would hate to see my peer group shut down.”
