If you’re an athlete in any capacity then chances are you’ve hit ‘The Wall’.

Hitting ‘The Wall’ is that feeling in training or competition where you genuinely have the sensation that you have charged full bore into a brick wall and the wall has won.

You’re lungs feel like they’re burning up, your arms, legs and everything else is aching, and your brain says ‘this is impossible, there is no way I can possibly climb this mountain’.

I would love to give you some fantastic, intuitive advice about how to avoid the wall, but unfortunately I don’t have any. The only way I’ve found most effective is to literally treat the situation like a wall. Whereas 99% of the population look at it as an immovable object I see small fractures, weaknesses and mortar unstuck in some places. I think about and the fact that most walls are hollow.

How do I know it’s impossible? Have I actually tried? Chances are no. That is where it ends for most. Call me crazy but I’ve always thought that if I charge into a wall enough times I will eventually smash through it. Believe it or not it is possible.

Now I’m not condoning we all to go out and jump into walls, but instead when you’re body is aching, you’re struggling for breathe and you’re faced with an imposing opponent, have a crack and give it everything. What’s the worst that could happen? You lose? You become more tired and sore?

What if, just maybe, one day you smash through your wall? What can possibly stop you then?

Here's a guy proving my point

In fact, the wall can become part of your training regime. I set up different ‘Walls’ in training every day and charge into them. Hell, I come off second best most of the time. But when I go into battle I take in a proven self belief that I am capable of amazing feats and ‘why the hell can’t I throw this guy onto his back?’

Ivo