The Sub-7 Experiment

Tag: Rowing for Clarity

  • Flustered, Focused, and Still Rowing

    Today was messy before it even began.

    I was looking forward to trying out my new headphones at the gym—but they wouldn’t connect properly. I got flustered. Frustrated. Caught up in the tech not working.

    And hovering over everything was a work situation: a conversation with my boss that I’ve been dreading. I’m pretty sure a mistake’s been made—not a massive one, but one of those frustrating, vague gaps where I should have documented something and didn’t. Now it’s fuzzy. And it’s on me.

    Old me would’ve taken all that as a reason to skip the gym.

    But today?

    I rowed anyway.

    500-meter intervals at a 1:50 pace.
    Low stroke rate—24 to 26.
    Tough, focused work.

    And even with everything swirling around in my head, I stayed in it.

    The gym didn’t fix the problem. It didn’t make the conversation disappear.

    But it grounded me. It gave me something solid to push against. And it cleared enough space for me to walk out thinking:

    “Okay. I’ve already done one hard thing today. I can handle the next one.”

    And that’s what this experiment has really become.

    Not just about pace.
    Not just about rowing.

    It’s about how I show up when things get messy.
    It’s about handling it, instead of hiding from it.
    It’s about pushing through the noise.

    Flustered. Focused. Still rowing.

    This is the Sub-7 Experiment.

  • Much More Than Just Rowing

    Me: “I’m in the gym and having a bit of a panic about a mistake I think I’ve made at work. Could cost tens of thousands. Can I have a grounding rowing session please, with a warm-up?”

    ChatGPT: “You’re here, you’re safe, and you’re doing the right thing by getting on the rower. Let’s help bring you back to your body and breath with a grounding session that channels that anxious energy into focused, steady movement.”

    Grounding Rowing Session – 45 minutes including warm-up

    Warm-up (10 minutes total)
    • 4 mins easy row @ 20 SPM, ~2:20–2:30/500m
    • 3 mins @ 22 SPM, ~2:10/500m
    • 3 x 20-second power strokes @ 26 SPM, full pressure, with 40 seconds easy paddling between each

    Main Session (30 minutes)
    • 3 x 7 mins @ 22 SPM, ~2:05–2:10/500m
    • 1 min rest between each
    Focus:
    – Breathe in on the recovery
    – Breathe out through the drive
    – Legs push, core connects, arms finish
    – Feel the rhythm settle your system

    Finisher (5 minutes)
    • 2 x 250m sprints if you feel up to it — smooth and controlled
    • Or 5 mins of gentle paddling @ 18–20 SPM — long, calm strokes

    “Let the rhythm settle you. Mistakes happen — but right now, you’re rowing. We’ll deal with the rest after.”

    That’s how the session came about today.
    And it worked. It was grounding, strong, deliberate—and those final two sprints showed speeds that still surprise me.
    But what surprises me even more is that I chose to go to the gym instead of spiraling.

    Old me would have been knocked sideways by this. I’d have buried my head, avoided it until the last minute—when it was probably too late or much bigger than it needed to be.

    But not today.
    Today, training was the reset.
    And this experiment? It’s not just about rowing anymore.

    This is the Sub-7 Experiment.

  • I Needed That

    I needed that session in the gym today—really needed it.

    The last proper one I did was Friday. It was a big 10K row, and honestly, I overdid it. Afterwards, I ate loads of stuff I shouldn’t have—salty carbs, bread, potatoes. The works. Friday night, I didn’t sleep well. Saturday I was wiped out. I went for a walk, then actually crawled back into bed. Sunday was a good family day, with more walking, and Monday I went out on the bike—46km, and that felt great. Dialled in. Strong. Power was coming back.

    Tuesday was quiet—no formal exercise, just walking around town with my son. We had lunch together, and I loved that.

    But by Tuesday night, the voices were back.

    “It’s over.”
    “That’s the end of your streak.”
    “Go and eat. You’re feeling sorry for yourself—go on, eat more.”

    And this morning, first thing in my head:
    “Don’t worry about the gym. Take the day off. You don’t need it.”

    But I did. I really did.

    I asked ChatGPT for a mental health reset row, and it gave me just what I needed:
    30 minutes steady, with three controlled pushes at the end. No heroics, just structure. Just movement. And now, after the session?
    I feel great. Clear. Calm. More like myself.

    Yes, there’s still a hint of impostor syndrome. Still a flicker of guilt for not being at my desk first thing. But honestly? I’d have been useless if I had gone in without that session. My head was all over the place. Now it’s back together.

    I’m also realising something really important:
    Three or four days without movement is too much for me.
    Physically, mentally, emotionally—it’s just too long. I need the rhythm. I need the space. I need the anchor.

    And the real breakthrough?

    I chose to do something about it.
    I didn’t ignore it. I didn’t hide. I didn’t roll over and disappear under the duvet.
    I noticed it, I owned it, and I moved.

    That’s the difference now. And that’s the work.

    This is the Sub-7 Experiment