As astudent, Steve Magness was a successful middle-distance runner. While competing for the University of Houston in the Don Bowden Mile, which was created to commemorate the first American to break the four-minute mile barrier, Magness underwent an experience that shaped his life.
After the starting gun, Magness quickly slotted himself into third place behind the pacesetters in a field of seven runners. His tactics were simple: get near the front from the off, lock his gaze on the runner in front and then zone out until there was a little over a lap to go, when he would reengage, dig deep and use his mental strength to help him overcome the pain and fatigue to get himself over the line.
Around the 900m mark, though, Magness felt himself tightening and straining. His breathing became a high-pitched gasp and even though his legs felt fine, he started to have what he describes as an “internal freak-out”. Magness tried to ignore what was happening to him and grind his way through the experience. He was tough, after all – that’s why he was such a successful runner. There was only a
