While the first-place winner of a race gets all the accolades, in every race there is a last-place finisher deserving of recognition as well. The 2010 last-place finisher in the Test of Metal was Chris Pettingill and he holds a light-hearted perspective on that experience.
Pettingill describes sitting at the starting line last year. "I remember looking around at a few people and thinking, 'I'll beat that person and that person, and every single person I thought that about beat me by a fair bit, so you know, it's a little bit humbling..." he said with a laugh.
His inspiration to participate in the acclaimed mountain bike race came to him while he was living in Ontario and he saw it featured on a TV travel show. "I thought, 'If I ever come to live here, I want to do that race,'" he said.
When he and his partner moved to 麻豆社国产in October 2009, he kept his promise to himself.
Pettingill faced unique challenges during the Test of Metal being a Type 1 diabetic meant he really needed to be aware of his food and sugar intake during the race.
"Last year I had just started on the [insulin] pump," he explained. "I had only been on it for a month and I didn't know how it was going to go and I didn't do things well. I didn't eat enough to keep my energy levels up. My blood sugars were good but my energy levels just tanked and I really struggled in the last half of the race," he said.
The key this year is to eat regularly throughout the race and to stop every now and then to test his sugars, he said.
Being a member of Team Diabetes, Pettingill was happy to contribute to the cause. "It is a great way to fundraise and to raise awareness of diabetes," he said, adding that members commit to fundraising at least $600 and in return receive a Team Diabetes cycling jersey and guaranteed race entry, all in support of the Canadian Diabetes Association.
Pettingill said he also liked the team bonding. "It's nice, especially if you're struggling a lot and another Team Diabetes rider comes by and asks whether you are OK or not. A little support through the race is nice," he said.
Pettingill described what makes it a tough course for him. "I actually don't mind it, but it is the technical stuff that freaks me out the most, because I'm not a very technically capable rider yet."
When asked about how prepared he felt for this year's race, Pettingill replied, "Mentally pretty good, physically, I am uncertain my ankle is going to be ready for that sort of punishment."
Last September Pettingill broke his right fibula, which required surgery and the placement of five screws in his ankle. Then in February he dropped a weight on his left foot and broke it. "It was the end of April when I started back on the stationary bike, so it's been a little over a month," he said of his training regimen.
It seems incredulous that despite these injuries he is still keen to compete in the race, yet Pettingill shrugged and said, "Yeah, I told people I was going to do it, so I kind of feel like I have to do it. It is one of these things where it's a challenge and it's good to accomplish it."
When asked what the race means to him, Pettingill replied, "I had seen a story on the race before I came here and it seemed kind of like this is what 麻豆社国产is... so it is like being part of Squamish, getting involved, being part of the whole lifestyle. I do like to challenge myself. I've never been athletic but I do like to be fit, and try and do something that would be difficult for me to do."
Pettingill's goals for the 2011 Test of Metal race are clear.
"To do better in my time than last time," he said with a laugh.
