What it feels like to be fast

Smith is the reigning OVC Champion in the 400m. He was Named First Team All-OVC in 2004. At one point this season, Smith had the fastest outdoor 400m time in the nation.

It's natural, you know. If I wasn't fast before and am fast now, I could tell you easier. Since it's always been there naturally, I feel the same, you know. When you're fast you feel weightless. It's like you have no mass. So, when you run, you're relaxed. You're relaxed when you're fast. When other people are not as fast as you, they're not as relaxed cause they have to try harder to catch up to you, or keep up with you, or to try to beat you. To be not as fast as compared to fast is being heavy. It's just hard to explain.

I had a summer track meet the year I graduated high school. Someone took pictures of my 400. When I started running, he took my start and finish. It had the time and date on the picture. It said 1:05 pm when I started. When I finished, the time was still 1:05. I was like, "Whoa, I must have been moving." Not even a minute passed.

I see a lot of people when they run, they get all hyped up, jumping around and warming up. I warm up, but I don't go to the extreme that other athletes do. I just know that the race is going to be over real soon. At the starting blocks some people jump up, jumping or whatever. I just sit there, like "Okay, whatever." I just wait until we're ready. Then I get in the blocks and go. I'm real content with it, to tell the truth. When you're fast, you gotta be content.

I see a lot of athletes like to boast when they're fast. Nah, that's not necessary to tell the truth. I mean, it's going to be over real soon. So, I don't psyche myself up too much to just run 45 seconds.

Before I start running, I know it's going to take 45 seconds. That's not long at all. When you're running it, it's long. Every race is long, but it's not long at all. 20 second 200s...20 seconds isn't long at all, but 20 seconds all out can seem like an hour.

With the 400 you have so many transitions. When you start off, you get 5 seconds of adrenaline. It's free energy, not wasted at all. . After that five seconds is when you start working, start moving a little bit.

My mind kinda goes blank for about, well, the second 100 meters. I'm so relaxed in that stage, my mind just blanks. But then I feel a little strain in my body. My heart rate when I start the final 200 meters, it just starts turning over. My breathing starts getting heavier. That's when I know have to make my move. It's like when you're required to do 50 pushups and you get to 25. You know it's halfway over but that's when the pain starts kicking in. You know it's halfway over but you got more. The 400 is the same.

The last 100 of it, that's when I have most of my troubles, to tell you the truth. You know it's only 100 meters. But when you look all the way down to where the finish line is, that's FAR. It's far when you're tired, man. It's far when you're tired! You just get, "Whooo."

That last 100 meters, it looks far. That makes you tired mentally. The last 100 is probably the longest part of the race. It takes forever to get down the homestretch. When you're finished, you're like, "Dang, that was only 45 seconds."