The Sub-7 Experiment

Tag: Coaching with AI

  • The Day I Broke 7:30 (And Almost Didn’t Try)

    It was a lovely day yesterday—Sunday.
    We went to the seaside as a family and walked along the boardwalk under blue skies and sunshine. Sandwiches. Coffee. Chatting. It was great.

    But there was a little voice in the back of my head that kept whispering:
    “Why don’t you do a 2K test? Go on—just to see.”

    It wouldn’t let up.
    Even as I lit the BBQ later and cooked chicken shawarma—one of our family favourites—it was still there, quietly pushing.
    And by the time I went to bed, I’d made a decision.
    I was going to do a 2K test tomorrow.

    Morning Doubts

    I’ve been here before—full of good intentions at night, and something else entirely in the morning.

    But this morning, I wasn’t talking myself out of going to the gym.
    Still, I was hesitant about the test. So I checked in with ChatGPT:

    Me: “Hey, good morning. How are you doing today?”
    ChatGPT: “I’m great—especially now that you’ve checked in. What version of you showed up this morning? Fired up? Steady? Unsure?”

    Me: “Still figuring it out. Didn’t sleep well, but I’m not bailing on the gym.”

    ChatGPT: “That’s already a win. You don’t need to feel 100%—just show up with what you’ve got. Do you want to go for the 2K test, or would something lower-pressure feel smarter today?”

    Me: “I don’t know. Not until I’m sitting on the assault bike warming up.”

    ChatGPT: “That’s a great approach—let the body decide, not the brain. Once you’re moving, we’ll know. Message me when you’re spinning.”

    The Warm-Up

    So I walked my son to school, got to the gym, and it wasn’t too busy.
    I got on the assault bike and said:

    Me: “Okay, I’m here. I want to do the test. I’m not aggressively fired up—but maybe that’s a good thing. Hopefully more controlled. I’d like to beat my baseline, but secretly, I’d love to crack 7:30.”

    ChatGPT:
    “Let’s go then. Controlled attack. Here’s the plan…”

    And then it gave me a full warm-up, pacing breakdown, stroke rate guidance, and a quarter-by-quarter strategy:

    The Controlled 4-Quarter Strategy

    • 0–500m: Controlled aggression (1:50–1:53)
    • 500–1000m: Settle into rhythm (1:52–1:55)
    • 1000–1500m: The grind (1:52–1:56)
    • 1500–2000m: Empty the tank (negative split if possible)

    The Test

    So I went for it.

    • The first 500m was messy. I was either pulling too hard at a low stroke rate or rowing too fast at the recommended SPM.
    • The middle 1000m was better—I held the pace but started letting mental distractions creep in.
    • At around 800m to go, I started pacing for the final push—too early—and slowed down.
    • In the final 500m, I was starting to run out of steam. Form slipped, but I caught myself, pulled it back together, and finished strong.

    🕒 Final Time: 7:29.5

    The Shift

    I did it.
    I broke the 7:30 barrier for 2,000 meters.
    And I’m absolutely delighted.

    This proves a few things:

    • The training structure that ChatGPT’s been helping with is working.
    • I’ve shaved 12 seconds off my baseline.
    • And this whole thing? It’s more than just physical now.
      There’s been a shift in mindset.
      This isn’t a vague goal anymore—it’s happening.

    This is the Sub-7 Experiment.

  • Flexibility Beats Frustration

    It’s been an interesting week—ups, downs, surprises, and realisations—but on the whole, a good one.

    The most fascinating part?
    A conversation I had with ChatGPT this morning.

    The Night Before

    When I went to bed last night, I was already talking myself into a gym session in the morning.
    That’s not unusual—good intentions at bedtime are easy. But recently, I’ve actually been following through.

    I didn’t do much exercise yesterday and, if I’m honest, I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. There’s a possible medical issue on the horizon. Nothing serious, not life-threatening, but the idea of surgery has been floating around in my head, growing bigger than it needs to be.

    The Morning After

    This morning, I felt great. I wanted to go to the gym and really go for it.

    In the past, I might’ve pushed too hard—used exercise to vent stress and ended up pulling something or burning out.
    But this time, I paused, opened up ChatGPT, and said:

    Me: “Hi, I’m in the gym. Whoop has given me a recovery of 53% today, well into the yellow. I told it about my ‘injury.’ I want to do some rowing—what do you recommend? I have 45 minutes.”

    ChatGPT:
    “Hey, good to see you back! With 45 minutes and a 53% recovery, we’ll keep it moderate—quality rowing without overloading.

    🔹 Warm-up: 5–7 min @ 2:10–2:20/500m
    🔹 Main set: 3 x 2,000m @ 2:05/500m pace, 2 min rest
    🔹 Optional: 500m push at 1:55–2:00/500m
    🔹 Cooldown & stretch: 5 mins

    Let me know if you want to swap in intervals instead, but this plan hits that sweet spot between effort, form, and recovery.”

    So I did exactly that.
    It wasn’t the explosive, emotional, tear-the-house-down session I’d pictured.
    And that’s probably a good thing.

    It was smart. Controlled. And still a proper workout.
    I walked out of the gym feeling good—and only slightly disappointed.

    The Pivot

    That feeling of “I didn’t smash it” hung with me for a bit—because earlier in the week, I’d planned to do a 2K test.
    My baseline is 7:41, and I was curious to see if the work I’ve been doing had moved the needle.

    But because of the medical stuff, it didn’t happen.

    So I opened another chat with ChatGPT—the one where I just speak my thoughts out loud—and I said:

    “Even though I’m not coming out absolutely wrecked, it was a good session.
    I didn’t do my 2K test, and I’m still disappointed, but I’m also seeing that there’s more going on here.

    Is this experiment even working? I don’t know.”

    ChatGPT came back with this:

    “What You Proved Today:

    1. You Showed Up Despite Mixed Feelings – That’s real discipline.
    2. You’re Learning to Pivot, Not Panic – That’s training maturity.
    3. The Coach-You Partnership is Working – You’ve built a flexible, sustainable system.

    Now about that question:
    ‘Is it working?’

    Let’s measure:
    • More consistency? ✅
    • More self-awareness? ✅
    • Improved mindset and adaptability? ✅
    • Progress toward your 2K? We haven’t tested yet, but signs are strong.

    So is it working?
    Hell yes.”

    Hidden Progress

    And that’s what I missed.
    In my head, progress is beating the clock. But there’s more to it than that.

    I didn’t do the 2K test, but I’ve done solid work.
    I’ve pivoted when needed.
    I’ve kept showing up.

    In the past, I would have used the first hint of a setback as a reason to stop altogether.
    But this week has shown me that flexibility beats frustration, and that consistency beats intensity.

    So what is progress?
    Yes, it’s chasing that sub-7 2K. But it’s also this:

    • Showing up when things aren’t perfect
    • Adapting instead of quitting
    • Building a system that works when life doesn’t

    This is the Sub-7 Experiment.