The Sub-7 Experiment

Tag: mental-health

  • When Setbacks Hit: Keep Moving Forward

    A slight medical issue has raised its head. Not from training, but it’s definitely something that will slow me down.

    In the past, this would have been the excuse I needed to stop everything.

    • “Maybe this whole thing is a bad idea.”
    • “I should just give up now before I fail.”
    • “This always happens—why bother?”

    But now, I’m questioning it.

    Is this fear of failure creeping in?
    Or maybe even fear of success?

    Talking It Through With AI

    One of the unexpected twists in this journey has been my conversations with ChatGPT.

    Recently, I’ve started speaking directly to it using my phone—capturing raw, unfiltered thoughts in the moment. No overthinking. Just saying things out loud.

    And it’s been fascinating.

    ChatGPT isn’t judgmental. It doesn’t tell me what I want to hear—it just plays my thoughts back to me in a way that makes me reflect.

    For example, I told it about my pattern of stopping whenever setbacks appear. And instead of just agreeing or dismissing it, it highlighted something big:

    ME: “My first thought this morning was doom and gloom. I wanted to roll over, crawl into a ball, and hide under the duvet. It feels like whenever I make progress in the gym, something always comes along to stop me. Is that an excuse, or is it real? I don’t know. But I dragged myself to the gym anyway, asked ChatGPT what to do, and the first thing it told me was to breathe. So I breathed. Then I did a 7,000m mental health row. And now I’m outside the supermarket, having done my shopping.”

    ChatGPT: “This is a huge moment of self-awareness. You’ve spotted a pattern—whenever you build momentum, something seems to knock you off course. The key question you’re asking yourself:
    ‘Am I using this as an excuse, or is it really stopping me?’

    And what did you do? You went to the gym anyway.

    ChatGPT then broke it down:

    1️ Recognizing the Pattern – I’ve noticed setbacks tend to arrive right when I’m making progress. That’s not a coincidence—it’s resistance.

    2️ Choosing to Show Up Anyway – Even though every part of me wanted to stop, I still showed up and rowed.

    3️ Breathing as a Reset – A simple but powerful reminder. Breathe. Pause. Then take action.

    Writing It Down Helps Too

    I think putting this into words is making a difference.

    I’ve talked about accountability, but it’s more than that—it’s getting these thoughts out of my head so they don’t take up more space than they need to.

    So I’m going to keep training and keep showing up.

    Because this isn’t just about rowing.

    This is The Sub-7 Experiment.

  • Hydration, Headspace, and the Gym

    I feel a bit off today.

    Yesterday was a long drive for work—six hours in the car for a 60-minute meeting. On the surface, that doesn’t sound like a great use of time, but it was. Meeting a potential customer face-to-face for the first time was valuable. As much as we all live in a world of video calls and remote working, I still believe there’s no substitute for at least one in-person meeting.

    Still, the thought of the drive had been weighing on me all week. It would creep into my thoughts while rowing, and by the night before, I was dreading it.

    Then I had a brainwave.

    There wasn’t much I could do about the drive up, but on the way back, I planned a stop—an hour from home, deep in the woods.

    A Reset in the Woods

    I pulled in, put on my walking boots, grabbed my earphones—then stopped.

    I switched off the music.

    Instead of drowning out the world, I just listened—the crunch of my boots on the trail, birds in the trees, the river tumbling over rocks.

    It was fantastic.

    I walked for an hour and twenty minutes and felt amazing afterward.

    But here’s what I realized:
    1️⃣ I checked work emails while walking. Guilt crept in. It was during standard working hours—should I have been taking this time for myself? But really, would the company collapse if I didn’t answer an email immediately? No. My mental health is more important than instant replies.
    2️⃣ I didn’t drink enough water. Balancing hydration on long drives is tricky—I don’t want to stop every hour, but I also don’t want to feel like a dehydrated raisin by the time I get home. And hydration isn’t just about thirst—it affects mental clarity, energy levels, and even mood. Yesterday, I got it wrong.

    This lack of hydration carried over into today. I woke up sluggish and cranky—not ideal. But I dragged myself to the gym anyway.

    Telling ChatGPT What I Needed

    I explained my situation to ChatGPT:

    Me: “I was in the car for six hours yesterday but managed to get an hour and 20-minute walk in the woods. I feel dehydrated, sluggish, and I need to move today—for both mental and physical health. What do you recommend?”

    ChatGPT:
    “Good call on getting moving—hydration + movement will reset everything. 🚀💪”

    🔹 Recommended Gym Session (Mobility + Controlled Effort)
    ✅ Rehydrate first – Sip water while warming up.
    ✅ Light Warm-Up (5-10 min) – Assault bike or easy row at 2:10–2:15/500m.
    ✅ Rowing (Low-Moderate Effort) – 6,000–7,000m @ 2:05–2:10/500m.
    ✅ Mobility & Strength (if feeling good):

    • Bodyweight squats or light leg press
    • Lat pulldown or seated row (light-moderate)
    • Shoulder & back mobility (band work, face pulls)

    “Today is about movement, not max effort. Get the blood flowing, hydrate well, and reset. 🚣‍♂️🔥 Sound good?”

    7000m Later…

    That’s exactly what I did.

    🚣 7,000m row at 2:05/500m pace—felt good.

    And then… I pushed it.

    💥 3 x 250m sprints

    • First two in 49.5 seconds
    • Last one in 50.5 seconds

    That last sprint? Probably a bit much.

    My form slipped, ego and emotion took over, and I may have tweaked my back in the process. But as I write this, I’ve had plenty of water, stretched it out, and it’s already feeling better.

    Lessons from the Last 24 Hours

    🔹 1️⃣ Taking time for yourself isn’t selfish.
    Stopping for a walk in the woods made me better when I got home. Instead of still being mentally in the office, I was present for my wife and son. The moment my key hit the front door, I was home.

    🔹 2️⃣ Hydration isn’t just about thirst.
    It’s about brain function, mental clarity, and general wellbeing. Yesterday’s drive proved how much of an impact not drinking enough water has on energy, decision-making, and mood.

    🔹 3️⃣ Writing it down makes a difference.
    Journaling this process is showing me how much I live inside my own head. Getting it onto paper (or a screen) helps release the clutter and make sense of what’s actually happening.

    This is The Sub-7 Experiment.

    And it’s becoming about more than just rowing.