Ronak’s #Runspiration

My name “Ronak” means someone who brings light with them when they enter a room. It is of Indian origin, and my parents chose the name due to its meaning. I have been told that my name truly reflects my personality. However, in life we sometimes experience obstacles that almost extinguishes our light. This happened to me in 2009, but running enabled me to overcome obstacles in my life and find my light again.

The year 2009 was a particularly difficult time for me both personally and professionally. However, in order to curb all the negativity and darkness in my life, I needed a positive outlet. Living in Chicago, and close to the lake, I would always see people running. I had always been interested in running, but never took it up as a sport. However, I read that running assists in clearing your mind, so I started to go for runs along the lake.

Since I am a goal oriented individual, I needed to work towards something tangible beyond finding my light again. With that in mind, I set my eyes on the 2010 Chicago Marathon. I had been living in Chicago for 9 years at that point, and it was something I always wanted to attempt. Over the next year, I focused all my energy training for it. During that process I slowly became myself again. Ultimately, being true to my name.

During the 2010 Chicago Marathon, I sustained a stress fracture at mile 20. Even though I was advised that I should not complete the race by the medics, I ran, hobbled, and walked the remaining 6.2 miles and completed the marathon in 6:01 hrs. I saw it as a challenge. . . a test to see if I had it in me to conquer this obstacle. What enabled me to finish the race was the light that I carried within me. It is what I held onto and focused on while I was completing the marathon through the pain. It was almost a metaphor regarding the reason why I began to run in the first place.

Now, I run to live. Running gives me energy, positivity, and focus. As a runner, I have learned a lot about myself and this 8 year journey has taught me that I am my best self due to the sport of running in my life. I am so excited to run the 2017 Berlin Marathon at the end of September and receive my Six Star Finisher Medal. This has been such a wonderful and rewarding journey for me. I can’t help but look back on the past 8 years and see how far I have come while conquering all 6 World Major Marathons. It signifies that I can achieve great things in my life with hard work, determination, and just a little bit of light.