Jeremy Cronin

Getting ready now ?¢‚Ǩ¬¶

Monday, 9 February 2009

Well here we are again with one week to go until the race of a lifetime: the one day ?¢‚ǨÀúCoast to Coast?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ event. On Monday my partner and I leave Hamilton, heading for Wellington and on Tuesday we cross on the Inter-Islander. We are so grateful to the Inter-Islander for their generosity in sponsoring us on this crossing. Upon arrival in the South Island we begin the long haul to Kumara Junction for Thursday?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s dinner etc.

Training in the past week has been great! I am tapering down now and just putting my body through the motions without breaking myself. As the countdown has become ?¢‚ǨÀúoh-so-real?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ now, I have put surfboards, skateboards, mountain bikes and things I could hurt myself on beyond reach until after the race!

On Thursday evening I went to the local Karapiro Boatshed Kayak Race for the second time in my new JKK racing Kayak, completing the race first in a multisport kayak. I achieved my P.B to date and I am still over the moon with my machine and how it is cutting through the water! After hitting a few rapids on the Sunday I was also able to put my new kayak?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s foot pump to use as the water was seeping through my spray deck. I would recommend this fancy little pump device 100% for every kayak; it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s so handy, fast and a great way to make life easier in the rapids.

As my training is now tapering off, I am ensuring that all my gear is sorted and I have everything ready to go. I would like to thank John and Chrissy Erkkila from New Zealand Home Loans for their incredible generosity and massive support through this time and for helping out with sponsorship to get to the Coast and back. Thank you to Colin Gibson for sponsoring my new Cantaberry compression gear, it is working a treat and helping out with recovery which is well needed and appreciated. Love and Thanks to my Nana and the family for their awesome donation to see that their boy eats right and makes it in the best form to race day.

My experience of Kiwis has always been the generous, caring, giving, kind of people who would give ?¢‚ǨÀúya?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ the shirt off their backs. However, at times, when I am reading the paper or watching the news this impression has been dulled out, or negated, by a hand full of people who don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t portray this spirit. I have been humbled in the past 7 months to have met and been surrounded by Kiwis who have given me the shirt off their very backs. So many people have bent over backwards to help me out and to ensure that I am prepared, ready, fit, healthy and enjoying every moment with the right gear or help that I have needed.

I feel I can?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t thank you all enough; I will be racing this race not only to gain a sense of my own accomplishments but also for those of you who have taken a chance on me and helped guide and support me all the way. From the bottom of my heart to those of you who have helped me THANK YOU so much. I hope that all your generosity and giving will come back to you and that you too will one day receive what you have given me- the greatest feeling of unconditional support, success as I pursue my dream, pride and joy.

Once again, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìThank you?¢‚Ǩ¬ù and I hope to see you all out there, enjoying it all.

Cheers
Jezza

The Day I Clicked!

2 February 2009

Hey team, here we are again, another week has passed and I am counting down the days as they get close to the single digits and the big day. So since the last blog I hope the spark to do the Speights Coast to Coast has grown to a flame, you?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve got your old shoes out and you have gone for a ?¢‚ǨÀúblits?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ in the bush.

I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m still training hard, with a big week just passed and a fairly big weekend on the lurch. I am going into it with new-found confidence. My nerves have been playing up the past 2 months and I was worried that I was not going to be fit enough, mentally and physically and that my technical skills were lacking. Then all of a sudden it all fell into place and I slowed my fast pace life and mind down. I found my style of running is 110% – the ?¢‚ǨÀúCoast to Coast?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ style- after blitzing it with Chris Cox! Jan Kees, from JKK racing kayaks, then sent me the amazing Eclipse 5.7 which has sent my confidence levels sky high! I have been doing technical manoeuvres in the Eclipse 5.7 to test it out and see how it reacts (I am yet to find a flaw about this Kayak). I rate this boat big time and it changed things for me four days ago.

I had been for a great paddle in my new Kayak and felt it was now time to sit down in front of my favourite surf DVD and chill out for once. The DVD was half way through when all of a sudden I said to myself ?¢‚Ǩ?ìall I need to do is be in the groove, enjoy it, enjoy the bike legs, have fun with the run and style the kayak, then I am unstoppable?¢‚Ǩ¬ù. My body felt immediately lighter and the world was released from my shoulders, I had a grin then a smile from ear to ear. That?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s all it took.

I have always believed and focused my mind on being my most powerful tool. Now I am ready, my body?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s feeling fit and my gear reacting just the way I want it; ?¢‚Ǩ?ìone with me?¢‚Ǩ¬ù. I know I have 15 days to go before the day but I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m so excited about the count down and to be able to share it with you through Adventure Magazine. I am utterly grateful.

Thanks team. Until next week, enjoy and have fun training.
Jeremy Cronin

Hey all, my name is Jeremy Cronin(Jezza) and I am out to complete the Speights Coast to Coast on the 14th of February “The Longest Day”, Individual. I have been focused predominately on the Coast for the past six months. My training to this day has not run as smooth as I would have liked it, starting three weeks in to my C2C program I was put on my bum with severe blood poising, being told by the doctors I am lucky to be alive let alone have my arm from the cut on my knuckle. This ruined my immune an tried its hardest to put me out of the game.

My determination and stubbornness to complete the C2C brought me back to training 6weeks later. My fantastic coach Mark Sutherland held tight on the programs and waiting till I was fighting fit again started the mission back up, easing me in to a sweet program (thanks Mark). So training has been going well, with my body holding together and going strong now. I do believe being an endurance athlete; I have taught my mind to drive my body to the most extream limits and push as hard as I can.

Through this journey to the C2C I have been helped along by so many people who need to be acknowledged, starting with Meier Sports for paying my entry and giving me all the gear I need for training and the race its self… massive effort guys thanks! Then a big shout out to Inter Islander for paying for the ferry across you guys rule! My coach Mark Sutherland for the best training programs ever and your amazing knowledge and experience you bring to the game. then there’s Jan Keys at JKK Racing Kayaks for pulling a beautiful eclipse 5.7 out of the oven, definitely my choice in kayak… and the kayak that’s going to take me all the way, so hounerd to be paddling a JKK kayak… perfect kayak and finish Thanks JKK! A massive thank you to Chris Cox for showing me the best lines over the C2C run .. I couldn’t have run that run with out your guidance and expertise.. your a legend and the best roll model a young man needs!! Then theres the crew at Adventure mag for giving me the opportunity to share my story and the support you have given me, you guys are over the moon amazing thanks so much!!! Theres one other who has kept me on task, focused and been with me every step of the way putting up with all my needs and keeping me so positive my partner Daniella.

So to those of you out there reading this and think maybe the Coast to Coast is a bit of you, please do follow my story/journey, but if anything, my advice to you is to start now and get in contact with the above people, their gear, expertise, passion,knowledge and caring attitude will blow you away, they are the best of the best and I cant thank them all enough.

J.C