This story appears in the Dec. 12, 2011, "Interview Issue" of ESPN The Magazine.

Howard: What does it feel like to run at a speed that no human being had ever achieved before?

Bolt: You can't really tell; it's just very smooth. But I do like to see the slo-mo. When they zoom in on the legs, the amount of time you spend in the air is like a couple of seconds -- you're flying and it looks so good. But you can't really tell how you're feeling; you're just focused on getting to the line.