A story about a man who lost his heart. And what he gained in its place.

On this episode, we meet Randy Shepherd, one very unlikely runner. Randy is 42 now, and never enjoyed running very much. He was more of a team sports guy. But beyond that, he had a rock-solid excuse for staying on the couch. Back when he was in his 30s, Shepherd’s already compromised heart rapidly began to fail. There was no time to match him with a transplant donor. Certain that Shepherd could die at any moment, surgeons removed his heart and replaced it with a machine called a total artificial heart. Right out of the surgery, he faced difficult questions. What happens when you lose such an essential part of yourself? What can you physically do (and not do) when a machine powers your body? His choice ultimately transformed his life. 

Episode Credits:

Host: Rachel Swaby
Producers: Rachel Swaby, Audrey Quinn, Christine Fennessy
Editing help: Brian Dalek, Chris Kraft, Sylvia Ryerson
Theme music: Danny Cocke
Human Race editor in chief: David Willey

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Episode 1: Tin Man

Human Race is a podcast from Runner's World. Hosted by Rachel Swaby, Human Race focuses on long-form storytelling. It brings the depth and reporting you’ve come to expect from ambitious features in the magazine—but with the intimate and immersive aspects only audio can provide. Each week, we share a story about runners and the world of running.

Sports

For Human Race's final episode, we share several of your stories. 
This episode of Human Race is brought to you by Brooks. Sign up for the Brooks Big Endorsement and become a sponsored athlete at www.BrooksAthlete.com/rw.
Credits:
Host: Rachel Swaby
Producers: Rachel Swaby, Brian Dalek, Christine Fennessy
Theme music: Danny Cocke
Human Race is a proud part of Panoply
Special thanks to:
David Willey, Christine Fennessy, Brian Dalek, Sylvia Ryerson, Audrey Quinn, Mervyn Deganos, David Weinberg, Danielle Thomsen, Kit Fox, Casey Martin, Willow Belden, Tennessee Watson, Scott Carrier, Karen Given, and Cindy Kuzma. 
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Episode 29: See You on the Road

In his 20s, after running cross country in high school and college, Tim Manzer swore off running completely. Then, in his early 40s, his doctor told him that running would not be a part of his future. “I wasn’t running anyway!” Tim laughed. 
In 2010, Tim was trimming some apple trees in a little orchard right next to his front yard, when he backed up into a wasp’s nest. “They're after me. I'm zigzagging across my yard and over in the neighbor's yard.” After 10 or so stings, Tim finally loses them. As he recovers on his front porch, he thinks to himself, “You can run. You just need the right motivation, but you can run!”
Tim’s is an unbelievable tale: it has a summer camp, a motorcycle club, poop, and wasps, of course. Oh, and love.
This episode of Human Race is brought to you by Brooks. Sign up for the Brooks Big Endorsement and become a sponsored athlete at www.BrooksAthlete.com/rw.

Episode Credits:
Host & producer: Rachel Swaby
Editing help: Brian Dalek
Theme Music: Danny Cocke
Human Race is a proud part of Panoply. 
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Episode 28: Crash & Return

​When Amy Downs thinks about her life, it splits into two distinct sections: before the bombing and after the bombing.
Before the bombing, Amy’s life had fallen into a predictable pattern. She went to work, came home, ate dinner, watched TV and went to bed. After she moved away from her hometown and gotten married a few years earlier, she’d gained weight quickly—100 pounds in one year. “And I was too embarrassed to come home,” says Downs. “This was before cell phones and email and all of that.” Relationships with her friends and family suffered.
But then, one spring day, when Amy was 28, a tragedy ripped Amy’s life in half. She vowed to change her life completely.
This episode of Human Race is brought to you by Brooks. Sign up for the Brooks Big Endorsement and become a sponsored athlete at www.BrooksAthlete.com/rw.

Credits:
Host and Producer: Rachel Swaby
Editing help: Christine Fennessy, Brian Dalek
Theme Music: Danny Cocke
Human Race is proud part of Panoply
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 27: From The Rubble

In 2011, at the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run, Noe Castanon Mendez was a pacer in need of a runner. Thomas Wong was a runner in need of a pacer. They were strangers when they met and decided to pair up with more than 30 miles still to go.

But the meeting got off to a tense start. Thomas was in pain and exhausted, close to the cut off time, and uncertain he could finish on his own. Noe, on the other hand, still had fresh legs. He was cheering on runners with a cowbell and excited about the prospect of hopping onto the course. They weren't on the same page, and it wasn’t clear that they’d get there.
This is the story of a self-professed odd couple. It’s the story of what happens in the dark of night, through pain and doubt, when a runner is at their worst. And the unique relationship formed in extremely challenging circumstances.
Episode credits:

Host & producer: Rachel Swaby
Editing help: Christine Fennessy, Brian Dalek, Kit Fox
Theme music: Danny Cocke
Human Race is a proud part of Panoply
This episode of Human Race is brought to you by Brooks. Sign up for the Brooks Big Endorsement and become a sponsored athlete at www.BrooksAthlete.com/rw.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 26: Pacers

I'm taking this week off. But you'll get a new episode of Human Race next Tuesday (8/8). In the mean time, I want to hear from you. Email me stories about why you started running and you could be included in a future episode. You can email me at RWaudio@rodale.com.
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Episode 1: Tin Man

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