I’ve just got back from the gym, and here’s the weird thing—
I wanted to do a long row today.
I actually wanted to sit there, get into a rhythm, feel the exertion—and it was brilliant.
I found a great set to listen to, locked in, and just rowed.
10,000 meters in around 42 minutes, steady pace, low stroke rate.
And the whole time, I was in it. Present. Calm. Moving.
I almost don’t recognise myself.
This is the Sub-7 Experiment.
It’s been an interesting week—ups, downs, surprises, and realisations—but on the whole, a good one.
The most fascinating part?
A conversation I had with ChatGPT this morning.
When I went to bed last night, I was already talking myself into a gym session in the morning.
That’s not unusual—good intentions at bedtime are easy. But recently, I’ve actually been following through.
I didn’t do much exercise yesterday and, if I’m honest, I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. There’s a possible medical issue on the horizon. Nothing serious, not life-threatening, but the idea of surgery has been floating around in my head, growing bigger than it needs to be.
This morning, I felt great. I wanted to go to the gym and really go for it.
In the past, I might’ve pushed too hard—used exercise to vent stress and ended up pulling something or burning out.
But this time, I paused, opened up ChatGPT, and said:
Me: “Hi, I’m in the gym. Whoop has given me a recovery of 53% today, well into the yellow. I told it about my ‘injury.’ I want to do some rowing—what do you recommend? I have 45 minutes.”
ChatGPT:
“Hey, good to see you back! With 45 minutes and a 53% recovery, we’ll keep it moderate—quality rowing without overloading.🔹 Warm-up: 5–7 min @ 2:10–2:20/500m
🔹 Main set: 3 x 2,000m @ 2:05/500m pace, 2 min rest
🔹 Optional: 500m push at 1:55–2:00/500m
🔹 Cooldown & stretch: 5 minsLet me know if you want to swap in intervals instead, but this plan hits that sweet spot between effort, form, and recovery.”
So I did exactly that.
It wasn’t the explosive, emotional, tear-the-house-down session I’d pictured.
And that’s probably a good thing.
It was smart. Controlled. And still a proper workout.
I walked out of the gym feeling good—and only slightly disappointed.
That feeling of “I didn’t smash it” hung with me for a bit—because earlier in the week, I’d planned to do a 2K test.
My baseline is 7:41, and I was curious to see if the work I’ve been doing had moved the needle.
But because of the medical stuff, it didn’t happen.
So I opened another chat with ChatGPT—the one where I just speak my thoughts out loud—and I said:
“Even though I’m not coming out absolutely wrecked, it was a good session.
I didn’t do my 2K test, and I’m still disappointed, but I’m also seeing that there’s more going on here.Is this experiment even working? I don’t know.”
ChatGPT came back with this:
“What You Proved Today:
- You Showed Up Despite Mixed Feelings – That’s real discipline.
- You’re Learning to Pivot, Not Panic – That’s training maturity.
- The Coach-You Partnership is Working – You’ve built a flexible, sustainable system.
Now about that question:
‘Is it working?’Let’s measure:
• More consistency? ✅
• More self-awareness? ✅
• Improved mindset and adaptability? ✅
• Progress toward your 2K? We haven’t tested yet, but signs are strong.So is it working?
Hell yes.”
And that’s what I missed.
In my head, progress is beating the clock. But there’s more to it than that.
I didn’t do the 2K test, but I’ve done solid work.
I’ve pivoted when needed.
I’ve kept showing up.
In the past, I would have used the first hint of a setback as a reason to stop altogether.
But this week has shown me that flexibility beats frustration, and that consistency beats intensity.
So what is progress?
Yes, it’s chasing that sub-7 2K. But it’s also this:
This is the Sub-7 Experiment.
A slight medical issue has raised its head. Not from training, but it’s definitely something that will slow me down.
In the past, this would have been the excuse I needed to stop everything.
But now, I’m questioning it.
Is this fear of failure creeping in?
Or maybe even fear of success?
Talking It Through With AI
One of the unexpected twists in this journey has been my conversations with ChatGPT.
Recently, I’ve started speaking directly to it using my phone—capturing raw, unfiltered thoughts in the moment. No overthinking. Just saying things out loud.
And it’s been fascinating.
ChatGPT isn’t judgmental. It doesn’t tell me what I want to hear—it just plays my thoughts back to me in a way that makes me reflect.
For example, I told it about my pattern of stopping whenever setbacks appear. And instead of just agreeing or dismissing it, it highlighted something big:
ME: “My first thought this morning was doom and gloom. I wanted to roll over, crawl into a ball, and hide under the duvet. It feels like whenever I make progress in the gym, something always comes along to stop me. Is that an excuse, or is it real? I don’t know. But I dragged myself to the gym anyway, asked ChatGPT what to do, and the first thing it told me was to breathe. So I breathed. Then I did a 7,000m mental health row. And now I’m outside the supermarket, having done my shopping.”
ChatGPT: “This is a huge moment of self-awareness. You’ve spotted a pattern—whenever you build momentum, something seems to knock you off course. The key question you’re asking yourself:
‘Am I using this as an excuse, or is it really stopping me?’
And what did you do? You went to the gym anyway.
ChatGPT then broke it down:
1️ Recognizing the Pattern – I’ve noticed setbacks tend to arrive right when I’m making progress. That’s not a coincidence—it’s resistance.
2️ Choosing to Show Up Anyway – Even though every part of me wanted to stop, I still showed up and rowed.
3️ Breathing as a Reset – A simple but powerful reminder. Breathe. Pause. Then take action.
Writing It Down Helps Too
I think putting this into words is making a difference.
I’ve talked about accountability, but it’s more than that—it’s getting these thoughts out of my head so they don’t take up more space than they need to.
So I’m going to keep training and keep showing up.
Because this isn’t just about rowing.
This is The Sub-7 Experiment.
Yesterday morning, I went out for a walk.
It was a public holiday, and the streets were quiet. There weren’t many people around, but the ones who were?
They were moving.
Walking, running, jogging, cycling—everyone was out doing something.
And it got me thinking.
Maybe some people reading this blog are thinking: “It’s easy for him—he’s already fit. Of course, he can take on this experiment.”
But that hasn’t always been the case.
Like many others, I’ve had massive fitness and weight swings over the years. I know what it feels like to be starting from zero—to feel sluggish, unfit, or like it’s just too much effort to begin.
That’s why I admire the people who were out yesterday morning.
They weren’t all lean, athletic, or moving fast. They were all different shapes and sizes—but they were out there. And that’s the thing.
They were doing something.
I don’t want to sound preachy, and I apologize if it comes across that way. But here’s the truth: just moving more makes a difference.
And “exercise” doesn’t have to mean heading to the gym or running a 5K.
There are simple, everyday ways to move a little more:
These tiny changes add up.
Not just over a day. Or a week. But over a month, a year, a lifetime.
And eventually, they become a habit—effortless, automatic, part of your routine.
That’s how it starts.
A little bit more movement than yesterday.
No gym membership. No 5K runs. No big resolutions.
Just one step at a time.
The Sub-7 Experiment 