There’s at least one in every group. That person who strays off the track, lags (promising they’ll catch up just as soon as they’ve caught their breath), or races ahead not to be seen again until the ski lift, campsite or whatever waypoint comes next in the adventure the group is on.

There were four of them in the group I was hiking with in the Blue Mountains last week: someone who raced ahead and disappeared around a bend, three who meandered behind, and me, the piggy in the middle, trying to keep us all together.