No Category selected Jim Willett explains what you can do on a quick run around...

Jim Willett explains what you can do on a quick run around the lake

October 27, 2015

iRun contributor and Saucony #FindYourStrong runner, Jim Willett tells about his recent run around Ontario’s Lake Simcoe as part of an initiative that supports the Mountain Equipment Co-op Homewaters Project . The goal is to raise $20,000 to benefit the Canadian Fresh Water Alliance. Jim helped in his way and you can help by tagging your Instagram photos of your fresh water activity with #myhomewaters.

iRun: Jim, congratulations on your run! How far is the run around the Lake and how long did it take you?

JW: Thanks! It was just over 200km. It took me about 31 hours and 35 minutes. It would have been faster, but I opted to take a 4 hour break during the night, for safety reasons, because of the roads I was running on at the time. And I was lucky to have perfect weather on the Saturday, with lots of overcast.

iRun: Can you tell us the ways in which people supported you and the project?

JW: People were amazing! I had lots of support from people in my MEC run groups come out to run with me and aid me along the way. Local radio stations, TV and newspapers picked up the story and it made the whole effort worth while. Strangers were even stopping to take my picture, because they’d heard about the run.

iRun: Do you have any idea about the amount of money the Homewaters project has generated to support our freshwater bodies?
JW: Through the whole Homewaters campaign MEC is donating $20,000 to the Canadian Freshwater Alliance. My run was only a part of this, but I’m happy to have contributed in a small way to such an amazing project.

iRun: Running ultra distances is not unfamiliar to you. What kind of recovery did this run require? What did you eat? How much rest did you need afterward?
JW: This run was a bit different because of the amount of road running involved. My illiotibial bands were pretty tender after the run and I took over a week off; and my feet were pretty sore! I’m just getting my mileage back up again. My diet consisted of bananas, pickles, sesame snaps, ginger ale, shot blocks, a few sandwiches, and lots of water. I just go with whatever seems to be working.