The Sub-7 Experiment

Tag: Mindset Shift

  • Turning Crankiness into Power

    A controlled session, a clear head

    Me: “Ok, it’s Monday. I’m at the gym. Feeling a bit cranky. Whoop has me at 97% recovery. What’s the plan?”
    ChatGPT:
    “Perfect timing—you’re in a great position to turn that crankiness into pure fuel today.
    Here’s the plan:

    Warm-up (10 minutes total): • 5 minutes easy Assault Bike or Rower (low effort, just moving) • 5 minutes easy Rowing (~2:15–2:20/500m, ~20 spm)

    Main Rowing Session: • 5 × 500m intervals • Pace: 1:50–1:55/500m • Stroke Rate: 24–26 spm • Rest: 2 minutes light movement between intervals

    Optional Finisher: • 1 × 250m hard push (~1:45–1:48/500m)

    Cooldown: • 5 minutes easy rowing or bike, focus on deep breathing.

    Focus Today:

    • Channel the cranky energy, but stay smooth and powerful.
    • Strength through rhythm—not thrashing.

    If it feels like too much, back off the pace slightly. It’s about consistency, not self-destruction.”

    What a well-judged session that was.

    Old me would have used the crankiness as a self-destruct button, hammering myself into injury or exhaustion. Not today.

    Saturday, I visited a different gym. Same chain, different part of town.
    Let’s just say… there were some serious heavyweights in there.
    Only one rowing machine in sight, so ChatGPT adjusted the plan: two 15-minute sets, offering an easy exit if someone was waiting.

    In the end, no one needed it. I got the full session:

    • 2 × 15 minutes at 2:05/500m
    • 2 × 500m sprints at 1:49/500m
    • Bike spin
    • Then another 2 × 500m sprints back on the erg.

    Quietly delighted with myself.

    Out of curiosity, I asked ChatGPT what a 1:49/500m pace would mean over 2,000 meters.
    The answer? 7 minutes 16 seconds.
    That got my attention.

    ChatGPT then asked if I wanted to work towards 7:16 as an interim goal. I said yes.
    So today’s session was part of that plan—and it worked beautifully.

    Interestingly, I didn’t even notice the “optional” 250m finisher in the original plan.
    If I had, I might have paced the earlier rows differently—holding something back for a final flourish.

    Instead, I finished the set, then added two bonus 250m sprints:

    • Held a pace of 1:36/500m.
    • Controlled. Focused. No wild flailing.

    Before, I’d only ever glimpsed numbers like that when I was out of control and hanging on for dear life.
    Today, it was deliberate—and it felt powerful.

    The crankiness?
    Gone.

    And the progress?
    Undeniable.

    This is the Sub-7 Experiment.

  • More Than the Numbers on the Scale

    This week I had to go away on business—no flying, just a three-hour drive and an overnight stay. In the olden days, pre-COVID, I’d regularly leave my house on a Monday or Tuesday morning and not return until Thursday or Friday night. Every week. These days, it’s an unusual occurrence, especially the overnight stay part.

    I had a plan this time.

    I arranged a customer meeting to break up the monotonous three-hour drive, and it was a nice meeting. More like old colleagues having lunch than a formal customer catch-up. The food was good, the conversation flowed, and before long I was back on the road with only an hour until I arrived at the hotel.

    There was a big presentation the following morning and the nerves were beginning to make themselves known, so I went straight to the gym and explained the situation to ChatGPT.

    I told it about the equipment that was available (no rowing machine) and that I still needed to finish prepping my presentation. I asked it for a plan. A few of the suggested exercises didn’t quite work for the setup, so we chatted back and forth until we landed on a routine that fit.

    And the plan was absolutely spot on.

    Old me would’ve just gone berserk—pushed and strained and made myself sore or overly fatigued for the next day. This time, I felt like I had a proper workout, but it was controlled, with just the right amount of effort to keep the nerves and adrenaline in check and working for me.

    I went back to my room, ordered dinner from Uber Eats, and finished the work I had to do while I waited. Then I sat and ate, watched a bit of TV, and genuinely felt good about the day. Nerves under control. Presentation prepped. Body and mind relaxed.

    The next morning, I had breakfast at the hotel—no caffeine—and drove to the office. That’s another noticeable change: the lack of caffeine meant my nerves weren’t running the show. I was.

    When I arrived, I discovered a wrinkle. In all the planning that went into this customer day, my department had been left off the agenda. Others were due to present my solutions. That’s not something I could let slide. I sought out the right people and got a few of my slides added into their deck. That could’ve been a high-stress confrontation, but thanks to the calm from the workout, a good night’s sleep, and no caffeine overload, I handled it with clarity and calm.

    The event started. I did my bit. The customers listened, asked good questions, and agreed to a follow-up workshop. That was the goal—and I hit it.

    And here’s something else that made me smile: the outfit I wore.

    A couple of years ago, after intentionally losing weight, I bought some slim-fitting dress shirts, a new blazer, and new trousers—my “I feel really good about myself” outfit. Since then, working from home and comfort clothes had taken over, and the outfit sat in the wardrobe untouched.

    Earlier this year, I tried it on for a meeting and… it didn’t fit. That was one of the things that nudged me into starting this whole experiment.

    I weigh myself every Wednesday at 7:15 a.m., naked, on the same tile in the bathroom to reduce variability. The number hasn’t changed in five weeks. That’s been disheartening.

    But on Tuesday, while packing, I tried the outfit on—and it fit. It fit comfortably. And I wore it. And I felt great.

    So it raises the question—what is it with the obsession with weight?

    Is it just because it’s easy to measure? I don’t know. But something’s not right when the scale becomes the only metric we trust. At some point in history, we got tangled in the number. We let it define us.

    We need to rethink this.

    Because the goal for me is to be healthy. And really, I just want to wear that outfit and feel great in it. That’s what matters. Not the number blinking back at me once a week.

    Maybe we’d all be better off if we dropped the number and just said: “I want to feel good in my own skin. I want to wear that outfit and feel like myself again.”

    Let’s be nicer to ourselves. Let’s be gentler. There’s no medal for self-criticism.

    After the presentation, I drove home—via the woods I visited last time. It was 20°C and sunny. The birds were singing, the sky was blue. I walked for 90 minutes and enjoyed every bit of it.

    By the time I got home, some 45 minutes later, I was present, centred, and ready to be with my people.

    Still amazed by how much this is evolving.

    This is the Sub-7 Experiment.

  • Making It Count

    It’s a Monday. Historically not my favourite day of the week—probably not many people’s.
    But today has a nice edge to it.

    It’s not my birthday. It’s not Christmas. I still have a full day of work ahead.
    What’s different is how I chose to start the day.

    I was time-challenged this morning. And in the past, that would’ve been enough of an excuse to skip the gym.
    Not enough time? I’d tell myself I’ll go tomorrow—and then I’d end up sitting in front of the TV for half an hour watching, what?
    Someone blowing glass? A tree being cut down? Another forgettable episode in a show I’ve been half-watching for years?

    But not today.

    Today I went to the gym.
    And I told ChatGPT exactly what was going on:

    Me:
    “Ok, I’m in the gym. I have 45 minutes. Let’s row.”

    ChatGPT:
    “Nice—let’s make it count…”

    Here’s what it gave me:

    Controlled Power + Technique (45-Min Session)
    Purpose: Build strength and pacing control—just right for a Monday with low recovery.

    Warm-Up (10 mins):

    • 5 mins easy row (2:30–2:20/500m @ 20 SPM)
    • Technique drill:
      • 10 strokes: legs only
      • 10 strokes: legs + body
      • 10 full strokes (arms last)
      • Repeat
    • Finish with 5 strokes at race pace

    Main Set (25 mins):
    5 x 500m @ 1:50–1:55/500m pace (2 min rest)

    • Stroke rate: 26–28
    • Aim for control, not chaos
    • Finish strong—but keep form intact

    Cool Down (10 mins):

    • 5 mins easy row
    • Stretch: shoulders, hips, glutes, back

    If this had been me a few months ago, I’d have tried to cram in too much. Let the ego drive the session. Go flat out and burn out.
    But this—this was structured.
    It was powerful and controlled.

    What amazes me again is how well ChatGPT is dialled into where I’m at. It’s not just shouting random workouts at me. It’s listening, adjusting, helping me train smart. This morning wasn’t just “exercise.” It was another step toward that sub-7.

    More speed isn’t always about brute force.
    Sometimes, it’s in the stroke. The timing. The rhythm.
    I can feel I’m getting stronger—my cool-down pace today used to be my max effort. And now?
    It’s just the end of a Monday session.

    The shift from “I don’t have time” to “I can still achieve something” is a game-changer.

    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.