These were all put to the test in the Amazing Race: Otago Volts edition.
The team left Dunedin at 6am yesterday to ride the Central Otago Rail Trail over two days.
Along the way, they have undertaken a series of challenges, each needing to be completed before they could move on. The squad, split into four teams of four, was given rations of a jar of peanut butter and two packets of gingernuts to share on day one. All were in high spirits at the Waipiata Bowling Club when met by the Otago Daily Times yesterday afternoon.
In a test of mental resilience, the teams had to land a ball on a mat at the other end of the green 15 times. It was proving a challenge, with the leaders on a score of two after more than an hour of trying.
``I think for where they are in the day, it looks OK. We'll see how we go in the next half hour and see if the spirits are still the same,'' new coach Rob Walter said.
``At the very least we're spending good time together, seeing how we all react when we get tired and hungry.
``There's no easy way to get around four-day cricket and winning four-day games. So that's the whole point of the task, not to be short and quick, but to take some time for us to really dial and grit it out, to find a way to get 20 wickets to win a game. So this will, hopefully, be a good test of that.''
Other tasks included a game of running golf, a memory test, rounding up a flock of sheep and completing a blindfolded obstacle course. Teams were scored on their performances along the way. There was no easy way out, with two ``big'' tasks and a ``smaller'' one still on the agenda last night.
``We've still got two bigger activities at the next stop and then a smaller one, and we've still got a bit of riding to do,'' mental skills coach Natalie Fraser said.
``So it could be a late finish if this continues. Luckily we've got daylight saving and they've all got lights on their bikes.''
Bowler Jacob Duffy said it was a good build-up to the side's first game, a pre-season four-day match against Canterbury in Rangiora on Monday.
``It's been a tough day, but it's good to get this sort of weather and it's nice to have a hard slog with the lads. So we'll look back and say we've had a good day, I think.
``I hear the second half is downhill, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
``It's like four-day cricket; you have one tough day and you have to back it up the next day. So I couldn't think of any better work to be putting in at this time of the season.''
- by Jeff Cheshire
