Our second session of the day was a presentation from two of the Gurkha soldiers on how to prepare for the Trailwalker Challenge. Now when I say "Challenge", I'm not actually sure that our Gurkha friends see it in quite the same way.
Throughout the presentation they kept talking about the 100km "run", (which for them is just what it is), and constantly apologised for this fact eventually asking us to substitute the word "walk" whenever they mistakenly said the "R" word.
However, the point had been made. We were being spoken to by two top athletes in Army uniform, one of whom is likely to complete the "Challenge" at somewhere between twice and three times the speed that we hope to achieve.
Nevertheless, it was both interesting and informative.
We then moved on to the next physical challenge, which was neither Pete's, nor my, finest hour.
Prior to the problem 'solving' session (as it was meant to be) starting, we were taken for a short warm-up run, by our Gurkha PI, during which we were also required to undertake various exercises as we ran. So we ran, swinging our arms to and fro, round and round, up and down. It was almost balletic. So much so, that one of us, who shall remain nameless, swung his (it therefore wasn't Isobel!) arms round so fast that he overbalanced, tripped over his feet and rolled "base over apex" at precisely the moment that the Army photographer appeared on the scene!
After, ensuring that he hadn't broken anything, Matt & I (oops!) did what anyone else in such a situation would have done...and after we had finished laughing, we made our way, more carefully, back to the area where the activity was to take place.
Initially, the exercise appeared to be straightforward enough. Pete and I volunteered (mistake #1) to be the one's giving instructions to Isobel and Matt. We were advised that there was a long rope in an enclosed area, and that we, in short 10 second bursts, would need to give 'crystal clear' instructions in turn to Matt & Isobel, so that they made "a figure of eight" with the rope, which, once lifted off the ground was not allowed to touch it again until the task was complete.
So far, so good. In fact when we were told that we would have two minutes to brief our team, and then ten minutes to complete the exercise, I may have smirked a little. (mistake #2).
Our PI then asked us if we knew what a figure of eight was. Pete and I looked at each other, thinking the question was a little obvious, but replied "Yes" nevertheless. Could we make one with a smaller piece of rope? "Yes", we both replied again. "Show me!" said the PI.
I may have smirked again. (Repeat of mistake #2)
So Pete & I picked up the length of rope and fashioned it into a figure of eight shape, ensuring that it didn't touch the ground as we did so. It wasn't fantastic, but there was little argument that it was a figure of eight. (mistake #3)
Our PI smirked this time!
"A figure of eight KNOT!" he said - quite forcibly as it happens.
Now, neither of us had, at any time heard anybody mention the word "knot", and it soon became clear that not only had we not "heard" the word "knot", but we didn't have the faintest idea how to "tie" one either!
Even when given 1:1 instruction; even when the task was demonstrated to us, our attempts usually failed. (mistakes #4 - #13). Occasionally, we did succeed in tying the required knot, but immediately after having done so, we each forgot how we had done it.
Is this why you never see goldfish tying knots?
Our PI was getting somewhat frustrated at this point, and, presumably for a laugh, suggested we start the briefing and then the activity.
It is not worth chronicling the next 10 minutes. We tried to give instructions to complete a task that we didn't understand, before realising that all of our instructions were pretty useless and so we stopped talking altogether and hoped that telepathy would be more effective. (To be honest, it wasn't any less effective) Meanwhile Isobel and Matt tied themselves up in the rope!
So we had failed the first activity, and moved on to the second, with both Isobel and Matt having a clear strategy for success. The strategy appeared to be to make sure that Pete and I had as little to do in the activity as possible, and we were under no circumstance to be trusted with the giving of any instructions.
Isobel took control. We succeeded in a fast time!
Pete and I were obviously pleased at this success! No, really we were! Honest! Not once did we think that the first activity had been more difficult than the second, or anything like that.
We were pleased, because after all we had succeeded as a team. Our fellow teammates obviously refused to bask in the glory of "their" success, compared to "our" failure, and - almost - completely desisted from mentioning the "knotty" subject for the remainder of the day...but only "almost"!!!
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