Hey, hey shortwavers. So I am a runner, not a fast one, but I do run. And a few weeks ago,

I took a little detour and wound up on NPR's life kit to report out something

sciency and a bit longer than our usual fare. Life's a marathon, not a sprint, right? We think

you're really going to like this episode. Okay, on your marks, get set, go.

You're listening to shortwave from NPR. So last year for the very first time, I ran a marathon.

Yeah, 26.2 miles. These two feet carried me across the finish line, hand in hand with my little

sister Amanda, who has run 10 marathons. I promised her some time in my lifetime I do one with her,

and when the pandemic hit seemed like a good opportunity to train. Amanda is my best friend and

kind of my running coach now. She told me, Emily, you can do this. Oh my god, we did it.

Amanda Kwong is a legend. Me, one of the slowest kids in gym class is now a marathoner.

How many people in the world can say that? I ran a few times a week before, but three to four

miles at most. This time last year, 26.2 miles seemed impossible for us mere mortals. It reminds me

of that one scene in Captain America. On your left. On my left, god. You know, when Steve Rogers is

running around the national mall, around and around, and he just keeps passing Sam Wilson,

lapping him. For so many years, I thought I had to be like Captain America to run a marathon.

Like really fit, really skinny, a dude, things I am not. But let me dispel that myth for you real

quick. Because on the course at the Baltimore Running Festival, I saw all kinds of people running

and wheelchair racing their way through the marathon, putting months of training to the test

before cheering crowds and volunteers who were keeping the gatorade refilled and the oranges replenished.

There's something about a marathon just seeing humanity come together in this powerful way,

striving for something physically difficult, but not impossible. You know, I see runners of all

body sizes, all ages, all socioeconomic backgrounds, running marathons. If you have the will and

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