You'll have heard ideas, even shared them, about whether people tend to let their heart lead their head or vis-a-versa. You will have heard of the idea that there are creative types and more technically minded. These are vain attempts to stereotype you and in many cases, provide you allibis when your performance fails to meet your aspirations. The road to hell is paved in good intentions or perhaps the road to the salad bar is hindered by diversions to the hamburger stall!

Whether you be a champion or a beginnner, before you go any further in your athletics career I want us to examine our hearts. Think about it. If the rational mind was the answer to delivering the best performance in training and competition then we would all be champs. There would have to be a line of podiums for all the winners! We would follow the coaching rule book, line up our goals, you know the type: be fitter and healthier, look like the guy in the picture or get the guy in the picture, be a better person, enjoy the community of my sporting friends, get a sub 10 hr IM etc and success would follow. The deceptive heart would be of no consequence because the rational mind with its access to reason, experience and a plan would overide the obstacles.

We know this isn't the case so our starting point is going to be to explore why. CS Lewis said that, "if a man is dying of thirst in the desert, it doesn't matter which path he chooses if it doesn't lead to the only well". So we need to set out on the right path if we are to reach our destination. The point is that if you are on the wrong path no matter how hard you try you'll never get where you are going, it makes more sense to turn around, head back to the beginning and start out again.