I Did It. Another Big Goal Down.
I set out to run 400 meters in under a minute before turning 51—and today, I did it.
57.74 seconds.
Recorded at the Kerry McCann Athletic Centre.
The 400 meters is brutal. One of the hardest races you can run. I was so nervous I barely slept the night before. But I woke up feeling good—the best my body has felt before any of the three race meets this year.
At the crack of the gun, I felt powerful. Flying. Smooth and fast, everything clicked. I caught the runner inside me within the first 40 strides. The first bend felt almost effortless. But somewhere around 250 meters, the track began to tilt. Suddenly, I was running through wet cement. My legs started to shrink. My lungs felt like water balloons. Every step was a mental war.
My body begged to slow down. But deep down, the memories of running this race 29 years ago whispered the truth: this is where the 400 begins. Not just a sprint—but a battle. A test of who can suffer and keep going.
That last 100 meters? Pure survival.
I crossed the line wrecked. Hating every stride and loving it all the same. There was something raw and real in it—that’s fo sho.
Yes, chasing this sprinting goal has come at the cost of not progressing the remaining 37 50by50 goals. But honestly, I’m good with that. The whole point of these goals is to keep me moving, extend my healthspan, stave off CTE, and keep me feeling young and happy. Sprinting ticks all those boxes.
It hasn’t been easy. I had to rebuild my body from the ground up. To get to a point of racing in spikes on a synthetic rack, I’ve trained almost daily and committed to a process that demands everything. But I’ve grown to love it.
This year has tested my patience. I’ve battled constant muscle strains and lingering post-viral fatigue that set me back from May to early July. My diet and self-care routines have had to be nothing short of revolutionary.
I began this campaign in March 2023—and that included going backwards before going forward, deciding not to take a single running stride for over a year until my body was ready.
Today, all of it felt worth it.
I said in a former blog post dated 17 May 2023:
I’m going to achieve a handful of goals that require an extremely high level of physical health; some of my running goals depend on exceptional musculoskeletal health, which I currently lack.
As a school athlete and rugby player, I did so much running that overuse and poor maintenance have taken a serious toll on various bones, tendons, ligaments, joints, and cartilage……….
After listing all of my serious injuries and current body issues, I went on to say:
Suppose I were to rate my ability on a scale from 1 to 10 to train for up to six months and compete in a marathon, with 0 being unable to run at all and 10 being 100% capable. I am currently a two.
The good news, though, is that I’ve managed to increase my score from zero to two in three months, mainly due to a significant amount of self-care. Staying off my feet; swimming, riding, and rowing instead of running. Ice baths. Feet therapy. Lots of stretching, and the most significant contributor to improvements in my musculoskeletal health has been my 32 classes of Pilates since February. *(well over 200 Pilates classes at the time of this post)
The goal is to improve my musculoskeletal health from a two to a seven by the end of the year, so that I can run next year in 2024.
I heard a great quote on a podcast last week that sums up any ambition I have to enter into a triathlon, a marathon, or run around an athletic track, and that is: “Be Consistent Before Heroic.” (Kelly Starrett)
And here I am, heroic! Running around an athletic track and running pretty fast for an old man, an old man getting younger by the day.
Next stop – The 100-meter dash in 11.99 Seconds