I was browsing through some sports news the other day, and I stumbled upon an article discussing Michael Gallup’s 40-yard dash time. It got me thinking, “Hey, I wonder how fast I can run that?” So, I decided to give it a shot and document my little experiment here.
First, I had to do some digging to see what Gallup’s actual time was. Turns out, at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine, he clocked in at 4.51 seconds. That’s pretty quick, but I’m not an NFL player, so I set a more realistic goal for myself. I don’t know anything about the 40-yard dash, but 4.51 seconds seems fast to me. I thought if I could hit anything under 6 seconds, I’d be happy. Or maybe 7 seconds? I don’t know how fast I can run.
Next up was finding a place to actually run. I didn’t have access to a fancy football field, so I just headed to a local park with a relatively flat, open area. I measured out approximately 40 yards using a measuring tape I borrowed from my neighbor – not exactly high-tech, but it did the job. Also, I marked the start and finish lines with a couple of rocks.
Before I started, I did a bit of a warm-up. I jogged around a little, did some stretches, you know, the usual stuff to avoid pulling a muscle. I’m not as young as I used to be! Also, I don’t want to get hurt.
Then came the actual running. I had a friend time me using the stopwatch on his phone. Again, not the most precise method, but it was all I had. I took a deep breath, got into a somewhat athletic stance (I think), and took off.
- Attempt 1: I felt like I was flying, but the stopwatch told a different story – 7.8 seconds. Ouch, that was slower than I expected.
- Attempt 2: I tried to push myself a little harder this time. I focused on my form, pumping my arms and legs as fast as I could. Result? 7.5 seconds. A slight improvement, but still not great.
- Attempt 3: By this point, I was starting to feel it in my legs. But I gave it one more go, determined to at least break the 7-second mark. And… 7.2 seconds. Okay, that’s a little better.
Conclusion
Well, I didn’t come close to Michael Gallup’s 4.51 seconds, but that’s okay. I had fun trying something new, and I got a little exercise in the process. It really puts into perspective how athletic these professional athletes are. I also have a new appreciation for the 40-yard dash. It’s a lot harder than it looks! This was a fun little experiment. Maybe I’ll try it again sometime, but for now, I’m happy with my 7.2 seconds.
