Faces of Long Island celebrates the uniqueness of everyday Long Islanders. In their own words, they tell us about their life experiences, challenges and triumphs. Newsday launched this social media journey into the human experience to shine a light on the diverse people of this wonderful place we call home.

‘I said, “Ronald, if you’re going to run your first marathon, do the biggest, the NYC Marathon.”’

Centerport

“You have 45 good years; I call that youth. Then you have an option, depending on your genes, of going downhill or, depending upon your decisions, going uphill. When I hit 45, I decided I had to start doing something for my body and health. I went up to the beach parking lot and started running. I found out two things: I was not very good at it, but I enjoyed it. So I bought running shoes, and I followed a program to be able to run 30 minutes straight — and I loved it. I found there was a spiritual component where running put me into a different zone, and the kinds of issues that come up in life fade out and the ambience starts to take over.

“When I turned 67, I started to really challenge myself. I joined a running club. I started to run short races. Then something happened. I fell. I face-planted and broke my neck. I broke the same bone the actor Christopher Reeve broke, who became paralyzed. The neurosurgeon saved my life.

I had my name on my chest and my back and people were yelling out, ‘Go Ron!’

“I didn’t run for a year. On top of all that, I found out I had a very virulent cancer growing in my right kidney. I lost my kidney and I lost another year. Then I got back into running, but I was extremely slow. When the pandemic started, I couldn’t go to the gym, so I started running six miles on a regular basis. By May 2021, I could run 20 miles. A light bulb went off: If you can run 20 miles, you can run 26.2. I said, ‘Ronald, if you’re going to run your first marathon, do the biggest, the New York City Marathon.’

“So, the Sunday of the marathon came, and it was everything you see on TV. I had my name on my chest and my back and people were yelling out, ‘Go Ron!’ I ran it under 9 hours. The conventional wisdom is when you run a marathon, rest for two weeks to a month. But I went out three days later on Wednesday. I said, ‘I’m just going to walk.’ After two miles, I started to run. I felt stronger than I did the week before the marathon.

“I have to figure out what to do as an encore. Maybe I’ll start to take swimming lessons and do a triathlon. I’m 76. I always used to think in terms of 10- and 20-year plans, but in 20 years I’ll be 96. There is an end somewhere down the line. But as long as I can keep pushing, I’m going to keep pushing.”

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