I’m still out of breath.
Today I rowed a 7:22 for 2,000 meters, a full 7.5 seconds faster than my last test. That’s a big leap. And even though I was quietly hoping to hit 7:15, I’m genuinely proud of this.
Because this wasn’t just a fitness test, it was a headspace test.
These last few days have been heavy. Work stuff has knocked my confidence. I’ve felt jaded. Tired. The kind of mental fatigue that clings to your legs and lungs even before you’ve moved. Whoop put my recovery at 59%. And honestly, I felt it.
Part of me, the old voice, said not today.
“Wait until you’re feeling better.”
“Do it next week.”
“Don’t make a scene. Just row easy. Skip it.”
But I needed this today. Not because I had something to prove, but because an older version of me still wants proof.
Proof that the training is working.
Proof that this is going somewhere.
Proof that I’m not just going through the motions.
The Middle Bit—Where It Got Messy
The first 500 meters were inconsistent, too fast, too slow, couldn’t find my rhythm.
Then with 800 meters to go, the real moment hit:
“Just stop.”
That voice again.
Not shouting, not panicking just calmly suggesting I give up.
And honestly? It was persuasive.
But I didn’t stop.
I refocused. I locked into form. I listened to my breathing.
And I found something there, not a burst of power, but a thread to follow.
By the time I hit the final 500 meters, my lungs were screaming. My legs were burning.
The last 300 was ragged, messy, all over the place. But I held on.
I kept rowing. And I crossed the line in 7:22.
The Reflection—Now That I’ve Sat With It
I’m home now. I’ve been sitting with this in the car, and I think I’m feeling a bit… sad.
Or maybe it’s disappointment. I’m not quite sure.
I didn’t hit 7:15, which was the target I had in my head.
And now I’m wondering; was that just the old me again? Not being realistic, not being SMART with my goals?
Or was it simply that I was at 59% recovery and the tank just wasn’t full?
Either way, this session has shown me something valuable:
Breaking the 7-minute barrier isn’t just a stretch goal. It’s serious work.
And I’m still a long way from it.
Maybe that’s what I’m really sitting with, the weight of that reality.
It’s not discouraging, though. Not really. If anything, it’s clarifying.
I thought for a moment that I might need to change the name of the blog to“ Just a bit below The Sub-7 Experiment”, because maybe I was already knocking on the door of breaking it.
I’m not.
Not yet.
Today gave me something better than a perfect result. It gave me a new baseline.
7:22. Solid. Honest. Earned.
And that’s where the next leg of the journey begins.
This is the Sub-7 Experiment.
The Sub-7 Experiment 