I have just come out of the gym after my first proper session in a while. Last week was a family trip to London, which was brilliant, but it knocked me out of my routine.
This morning was one of those days where I really did not fancy going at all. WHOOP had my recovery in the yellow. Sleep was fine, stress and strain yesterday were nothing dramatic, but I still felt flat. It would have been very easy to decide that today was not a gym day and leave it at that.
Instead, I tried the new approach I have been talking about. I took my WHOOP numbers and dropped them into ChatGPT. In return, I got a clear session plan with target figures that matched how my body was supposed to feel on a “medium” day.
The structure was simple. Five minutes of warm up at a set pace to get moving. Then three blocks of 2,000 metres on the rower, again at a set pace. Nothing heroic. Just long, steady, repeatable work.
On paper it looked almost too easy, especially with that “you should probably train” yellow score. In reality it was exactly what I needed. Each 2,000 metres felt long and cruisy. Hard enough that I knew I was doing something, nowhere near the point of blowing up. By the end of the third block I felt like I had trained, but I did not feel broken.
The bigger difference was in my head. I walked into the gym tired and not really in the mood. I walked out feeling lighter and quietly pleased with myself. The combination of WHOOP data and ChatGPT as coach gave me just enough structure to get over the hump of not wanting to start.
It is early days for this experiment, but right now it has promise. If this is what a “didn’t want to go” day can look like, I am curious to see what happens on the days when I actually feel ready.
It feels like I have a new coach. You might remember that I’ve been asking ChatGPT to prepare workouts and coaching advice to help me row 2,000 metres in under seven minutes. That is the whole point of The Sub-7 Experiment. Can I use AI to help me achieve a fitness goal.
When I first tried this, the model available to me was GPT 4.0 and it was good. I set up the role, gave it the context, kept the conversation alive, and each day I told it how I was feeling. It responded with the workout for that day. That simple rhythm worked well.
Then 4.1 came along. The improvements were small but noticeable. It held context better, got confused less often, and could handle my slightly lazy and vague questions more easily. As with most tech, each release pushed things forward.
Earlier this year GPT 5.0 arrived with a huge amount of hype. It was supposed to push ChatGPT into a whole new league. PhD-level reasoning. Better accuracy. A genuine step up.
The reality was mixed. Yes, it produced better code for a different project I was working on. Yes, it had more “thinking” capacity and could reason more deeply without me having to explicitly tell it to think. That part was a massive improvement.
But as a conversationalist it was a step backwards. It forgot things. It lost context. It got confused about tasks. The backlash was so strong that OpenAI reinstated version 4.1 as a choice because so many people preferred to keep using it. It felt like my coach had left the building.
I worked around it with careful prompting, but it was frustrating. The Sub-7 Experiment relies on continuity and rhythm, and something was always slipping.
Which is why it now feels like I have a new coach. GPT 5.1 has arrived and it feels different in a very good way. The tone is consistent. The help it offers is actually useful. It anticipates the next step instead of fumbling it. It feels like an upgrade in the true sense of the word.
Let me explain why this matters.
I have a WHOOP device and I’ve used it for almost two years. Before ChatGPT became part of my training, WHOOP was my only guide. It sits on my wrist and picks up all sorts of measurements: heart rate, skin temperature, strain, sleep quality and plenty more. Every morning the app shows three dials. Yesterday’s strain, today’s recovery level, and last night’s sleep. When you start a workout you tell WHOOP what you’re doing and it gives you a target strain. When you hit it, the band vibrates and tells you to stop. Simple. Clever. And it worked well.
But in the last few months I’ve been questioning the value. The subscription model has changed. The promise of free device upgrades for active subscribers has been replaced by an “uplift fee”. My renewal is in February and it will cost a lot more to keep going into my third year. And that makes me ask what I actually need it for.
Most of the data WHOOP collects I don’t really use. I know how well I slept because I was there. What I actually value is recovery guidance and strain targets. And there are other devices out there that do similar things for a simple one-off cost. Polar Loop is one I’m looking at seriously.
So I turned to ChatGPT 5.1 for help. Reviews. Recommendations. Thoughts based on my training. And one of the threads pointed out something obvious: I have not been using most of WHOOP’s data anyway. Not deeply. And the only thing that truly matters is the workout planning, which comes from CoachGPT.
I asked if there was any way for ChatGPT to access WHOOP data directly. It said no, the APIs are not available yet. But then it made the suggestion that genuinely impressed me.
It told me exactly which two screens in the WHOOP app to screenshot each morning. It told me to upload them, and it would analyse everything it needed: recovery, sleep, strain, HRV, and readiness. It would then produce a fully tailored workout for that day. And if it thinks I need a rest day, it will tell me that too.
I have used this new process for the last few days and it is genuinely brilliant. Two screenshots. Upload. Instant plan. Clear reasoning. Exactly what it expects from me. Exactly what to avoid. Exactly how hard to push.
And it works. The coaching is better. The structure is better. The whole system feels like something new.
Well done, ChatGPT 5.1. This is The Sub-7 Experiment. Recovering using structured data.
And we’re back. Thirty minutes on the rower, steady pace, light resistance, just finding rhythm again. Nothing heroic, just movement with purpose.
After that, some strength work: sled pushes at 80 kg, solid but controlled, then farmer’s and suitcase carries with 20 kg in each hand. Nothing fancy, just the foundations.
It feels good to move with intent again. Each session adds a little more confidence, a little more strength. The engine’s coming back online.
Tuesday, and it’s been a good couple of days. Yesterday I saw the doctor and got the all-clear after both procedures, signed off, back to normal life, and very happy about it.
So today I went to the gym, mostly to reconnect with the rowing machine and see where I’m at. Knocked out 7,000 metres in 31 minutes, lower intensity, low drag factor, but smooth and steady. The old me would’ve jumped straight back in and pushed too hard, too soon. This time, I’m not doing that.
Coach ChatGPT’s advice is still in my head: take it easy, rebuild properly. I might’ve gone a little harder than planned, but it felt great. The legs worked, the form felt good, and more importantly, the head was clear.
So, we’re climbing back into the fast lane, not quite there yet, but picking up speed. And that’s enough for today.
This is The Sub-7 Experiment — recovery mode disengaged.
Second time back in the gym since the surgery, and it felt good just to move. I sat on the rowing machine for 30 minutes, kept the resistance low, and rowed an easy 6,000 metres. No pressure, no chasing numbers, just movement.
Normally I’d be pulling harder, aiming for pace and power, but not today. Today was about giving myself permission to ease back in. About listening to my body instead of trying to prove something.
I did a 5k walk yesterday, so this was the next step, gentle, deliberate, and calm. I’ll see how the leg reacts later, but right now my head’s in a good place.
It’s funny how something as simple as half an hour on the rower can feel like a small victory. But that’s what this part of the journey is, not big leaps, just steady steps.
This is The Sub-7 Experiment. Currently in the slow lane.
It’s been a while since I’ve written one of these. The last big thing was the 150km cycle — a brilliant day out. But not long after, I came down with a cold. Headachy, wiped out, all the usual. And just as that started to ease, I went straight into leg surgery two Mondays ago.
Today was my first time back in the gym in weeks. Literally weeks. I’m nowhere near full power. I did some rowing (even though I’m not really supposed to) and a few light weights — nothing heavy, just enough to move, to feel like I’m doing something again.
And I do feel weak. Underpowered. Off. But I know this isn’t a new baseline. This is a blip. A temporary stop on a longer road. I’m grateful more than anything — grateful that I’m on the mend, that I have a gym to go to, and that I can move at all.
I’ve got another surgery in two weeks, so I know I’m not fully back yet. The sub-7 experiment is still very much alive, but realistically, it’s not going to happen this yar. And that’s okay.
What I need to hold onto now is patience — something I’ve never been great at, especially with myself. But recovery takes time. Push too hard, too soon, and I’ll just end up further back. So this is where I am: moving, mending, grateful, and trying to let time do its job.
This is The Sub-7 Experiment. Slow for now, but still moving.
Last Sunday was the big cycling day, the 150km sportive, and what a day. It was tough, one of the hardest rides I’ve done, and yet one of the best.
I’ve gone further before. A couple of years back I managed 205km in one day. But Sunday had its own sharp edge. The route was testing, the climbs were long, and the pace was relentless. What made the difference was the two friends I rode with. My cycling buddies. They’re both strong riders and very kind, and they led the way all day. The slipstream effect on a bike is huge, and they pulled me along when I needed it most.
The number seven keeps showing up, in rowing goals, in timings, now in cycling. I didn’t plan it that way, but perhaps it’s a reminder that some patterns are worth paying attention to. We set out aiming for seven and a half hours moving time. That would have been decent. Instead, we crossed the line at seven hours and three minutes, nearly breaking the seven-hour barrier. On my own I’d have finished, but nowhere near that time. With them, I came close to something I didn’t think was possible. For that, I’m grateful.
The route itself was stunning. Rolling countryside, long open stretches, climbs that tested every muscle. I often watch the Tour de France, the Giro, or La Vuelta and think how incredible it would be to ride roads like that. That day felt like a taste of that. And we had the weather too, the last weekend of September in Ireland and not a drop of rain. Sun from start to finish, fresh in the morning, warm by afternoon. You couldn’t ask for better.
This was more than just a ride. It was a reminder of the privilege of moving through the world under your own power, alongside good people, with good scenery around you. A reminder that shared effort magnifies achievement.
This is The Sub-7 Experiment — and last Sunday, it was on two wheels
In less than two days, I’ll be on the start line for the 150km sportive. There are two routes that day — 100km or 150km — and at the 35km mark, just after the first big climb, there’s a junction. Turn left and it’s the shorter route. Turn right and it’s the full thing. That choice feels like the whole ride in miniature: test the legs, listen to the head, and then decide whether I’ve got what it takes to go the distance.
I’m excited, a bit nervous about riding in such a big group, but I know from experience that it thins out quickly enough. What sits with me more is whether the work I’ve done this year is the right kind of work. I haven’t ridden over 100k in three weeks, but the last one I did was 121k. The rowing and strength work mean I’m heavier now, but heavier in the right way: stronger, more resilient. I can leg press 150kg these days, not bad for someone who struggled with 70 when I started measuring this in March 2025. The endurance rows have kept the engine ticking too, even when the weather kept me indoors.
The bike has been through its own transformation this year. Lighter wheels, better gearing, and most recently new gel pads and handlebar tape that have taken the sting out of the Irish roads. It’s not set up for rain, no mudguards, but this is Ireland, rain is part of the deal. Still, I’ll be riding with a piece of both my parents: the bike bought with a little money from Mum when she passed, and the saddle from Dad for my birthday. That matters more than any component choice.
Success on the day is simple: finish strong without grinding myself into the ground, enjoy the company of my friends, and carry the memory with me. If the legs aren’t there and I have to turn left at the junction, then so be it. If something mechanical forces me to stop, then I’ll still have had a weekend away with good people. But if the legs are there, and the head is steady, then turning right — taking on the full 150 — will be the real win.
This ride isn’t part of the Sub-7 Experiment, not really. Different training, different demands. But it is part of the bigger experiment: how to keep moving, how to choose things that are mine, how to remember that age hasn’t caught me yet. This is one of the rare things I do just for myself, away from family. And yet, finishing it well at 55 is also a reminder of what I bring back to them: proof that I can still do hard things, still choose adventure, still find joy in movement.
The road will be long, but I won’t ride it alone.
This is the Sub-7 Experiment and this weekend I am mostly riding a bike.
The countdown is on. Less than two weeks until the big cycling event. I haven’t been posting much, but I’ve certainly been putting in the work.
Friday was 14k on the rowing machine, with the intention of riding on Sunday. The weather shut that plan down, so instead I logged 21k on the rower — 35k total across the weekend. Monday was a rest day.
Tuesday I finally got back out on the bike. Swapped my wheels over between bikes to see if it would help with road buzz, and it definitely does. They talk about marginal gains and with all the small upgrades I have made recently the bike have changed it into something that’s really nice to ride as well as being exciting and quite fast when needed. I am happy with the setup now heading into the event.
The ride itself yesterday was about 45 minutes in zone 2–3, steady and controlled without pushing too hard but on the way back I had a little dig and it felt great.
Today (Wednesday) was another 10k on the rower. The engine’s there, the strength is there. I’m not going to win the event — but that was never the point. The point is to ride it, enjoy it, and share the day with friends.
The gym serves as a bit of a mental reset this morning too, I walked into the gym cranky and walked out lighter, calmer, and ready to face the day. That’s a win too.
Wednesday and it’s a strength session in the gym today — the first one for a good while.
And it felt… flat. Underpowered. Enlightening?
The rowing warm-up was clunky at best, off form, and left my head all over the place. Then the weights — fine, but I was down a few kilos from before. That’s no surprise really, given how long it’s been since I last did strength work.
On to the sleds: 100 kg pushes with arms straight and bent, followed by 80 kg sled rope pulls. All of that was fine, but I only did three sets instead of five, and I let myself walk away from the last two.
They say mindset is everything, and the power of the mind immense — and today I let mine get in the way. I’m still wondering why.
I always feel sad at the end of summer, knowing we’re heading into short, dark days with dropping temperatures. I don’t mind the cold; I just don’t like being cold. But it’s the lack of sunshine that gets me. Maybe I’m feeling it more right now because I’m trying a new Vitamin D supplement and it isn’t agreeing with me. Maybe it’s the crash from all the honey in my cycling food at the weekend. Or maybe it’s simply still recovery from the 121 km on the bike.
Whatever it is, I need to remember to be kind to myself and just let it be what it is. They say what you resist persists, so go easy on yourself.
I think I’ll put a note in my calendar for June next year — a letter to my future self, reminding me how I feel right now after taking a summer off from measuring things: calories, distance, effort, kilos lifted or carried. That letter will say something like:
Loosen up, but don’t let go completely. Keep some rhythm in the gym. Enjoy your summer, but don’t drift so far that September feels like a restart. Future you will thank you
Right now, the Sub-7 goal feels far away. Not as far as when I first set it last year, but certainly further than it felt in June. So this little reminder to my future self will be worth it.
The Sub-7 Experiment 