The Sub-7 Experiment

Tag: Mindset and Progress

  • 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.