The first session of this experiment was supposed to show ChatGPT what my faster running currently looked like. It also happened to fall on a day when the temperature reached 30°C.
That made it a useful first test. A fixed plan would still have asked for the prescribed pace. A coach looking at the conditions should be more interested in effort, heart rate and whether the repetitions remained controlled.
The session
The original plan called for a warm up, six 800 metre repetitions and a cool down. The surviving record of this workout is incomplete, so I will not pretend that I still have every split. What I can verify is the heart rate, the elevation and the power range during the faster sections.
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Average heart rate | 137 bpm |
| Maximum heart rate | 168 bpm |
| Power during the intervals | Mostly 280 to 300 W |
| Elevation gain | 5 m |
| Temperature | 30°C |
| How it felt | Hard |
The route was almost completely flat, which made the repetitions reasonably comparable. My heart rate rose with each faster section and dropped again during the recoveries. It also crept higher as the session continued.
What the coach saw
ChatGPT interpreted the gradual rise in heart rate as a normal response to the heat rather than evidence that the session had gone wrong. The power remained fairly stable, while pace was more affected by the temperature.
The main conclusion was that I had enough speed for the immediate goal. My ability to hold that speed over longer distances was still the bigger question.
The coach also changed the order of importance for future hot weather sessions. Heart rate and perceived effort would come first, running power second and pace third.
That sounds obvious, but it is easy to do the opposite. A target pace is simple and satisfying. Slowing down because of the weather can feel like missing the workout, even when it is the sensible choice.
What came next
The recommendation was to take a recovery day and run an easy 8 to 9 kilometres on Thursday. The goal was not to hit a particular pace. It was to stay mostly between 125 and 140 bpm and see what pace came naturally.
This first session did not answer whether ChatGPT could coach me to a personal best. It did establish one useful principle: the number written in the plan would not automatically be more important than the conditions on the day.
It all startet here
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