It’s been almost exactly a week since I did anything strenuous. But it was a lovely week with the family. Getting outside, looking at things, doing normal life, and just being together.
Back at it today. Not in the gym, but out in the shed on the rower.
Nothing hectic. Just a fairly cruisy 7,000 metres in 30 minutes.
It’s funny how I’m now calling that “cruisy,” because it used to be the max. That’s probably the simplest sign that progress is happening. I’ve come a long way, and I’ve still got further to go, but I’m pleased with it.
A couple of things helped. First off, it’s Friday, which is always a good day. Secondly, it’s one of those proper winter days: cold enough that there was ice on the car this morning, but the sky is blue and the sun is out. That kind of day always lifts the spirits.
I had a solid hour going around the weights and really enjoyed it. I even upped the weight on a couple of things, which felt good — progress without drama.
One thing I’m noticing more and more is how much having a rowing machine at home changes what the gym is for. I’m genuinely privileged to have the RowErg in the shed. It means that when I do go to the gym, I can use the rower there just as a warm-up and then focus properly on strength training. No juggling my hour between rowing and weights. Just warm up, lift, leave.
Just back from a tough but rewarding ride; 75km out and back, with 1,220 meters of climbing. No loops, no shortcuts, just there and back, with a headwind all the way home. It was tougher than I remembered: the kind of ride that demands your full attention, your legs, and most of your patience.
What made a real difference this time was the fueling. I spent yesterday making banana flapjacks and cheesy eggy rice cakes (shout-out to ChatGPT for the recipes and fuelling strategy). They worked. I didn’t feel nearly as wrecked as I normally do on a ride like this. I still had something left at the end. I probably could’ve used more water, but I stopped about two-thirds through yo top up my bottles and to see me home.
The legs are well and truly cooked now, but in that good, earned way. Possibly not helped by Thursday’s 135kg leg presses, probably not the smartest prep, but lesson learned.
This was my longest ride of the year, and while it wasn’t easy, I’m pleased with it. There’s satisfaction in pushing through, seeing that distance logged, and knowing you got it done.
So that’s today’s entry in the Sub-7 Experiment—which, as I keep discovering, is about far more than rowing. It’s about effort. Growth. Trying. Failing. Learning. And showing up again tomorrow.
Another session done. A good one, structured, focused on weight and power. Felt great. There is a different buzz after a weights session. Not the same as after a long row, maybe it’s different feel good chemicals in the brain, but it’s definitely a different kind of energy. I walked out feeling invigorated.
A couple of small but important wins today.
First, the gym was empty. No waiting, no worrying, just me and the weights. It felt like I had my own private setup.
Second, and this might sound silly, I hung my car keys up.
There’s a little box with hooks by the gym door. All the big lads hang their keys there as they walk in. I’ve always noticed it. Today, my long-sleeve shirt didn’t have pockets, so I had nowhere else to put my keys. But instead of clinging to them or finding a workaround, I put them in the box. It felt weirdly significant, a quiet statement: I belong here too.
Who knows, maybe those other guys are just as insecure as I sometimes feel, only better at hiding it behind bravado. But for once, that wasn’t my concern.
Another shift I’ve noticed lately: I’m prepping with Coach GPT the night before. Not just turning up and winging it, but actively thinking about what I want to do, how I want to feel, what works and what doesn’t. I’ll swap out exercises if needed, so by the time I wake up, I’ve already mentally walked into the gym. It’s a big change, and it feels like progress.
There’s still plenty going on, year end looming and all that, but today’s win was quiet and personal. Keys in the box. That’ll do.
The Sub-7 Experiment 