The 10th Wicklow Gaol Break Half Marathon took place on Sunday 24 March 2019. The race was run on a pleasant spring morning, with plenty of warm sunshine to encourage the competitors. It was, however, a windy day, making the hilly course quite a challenge. For me, it was also a step into the unknown: although I had already completed about twenty half marathons, including a PB of 1:14:32 in 2012, this was my first Ketogenic race.
On 1 December 2018, after twenty-five years of running Marathons on the traditional athlete’s diet (high in carbohydrates and low in fat), I switched to the Ketogenic diet (high in fat and low in carbohydrates). With fat as my primary fuel, and no carbo-loading before the race, would I be able to perform at the same level as before?
I was certainly not making things easy for myself. The course is exceptionally hilly, with a range of over 100 m between the highest and lowest points, and more than two dozen climbs to negotiate. And a stiff north-westerly breeze only added to the challenge.
When I travelled down to Wicklow, I brought with me a packed Ketogenic dinner to eat in my hotel room the evening before the race, as I did not want to try running my first keto half marathon after a prolonged fast. My dinner comprised a corned-beef sandwich (made with keto microwave bread, of course—almond flour, sesame seeds, butter, eggs, salt, baking powder and xanthan gum) and two croissants made with fat-head dough (mozzarella cheese, egg, almond flour, salt, baking powder and xanthan gum).
On the morning of the race, I drank a 500 ml bottle of still water in which I had dissolved one serving (7 g) of Dr Berg’s Electrolyte Powder (raspberry-&-lemon flavour). I don’t generally take electrolyte supplements—a well-balanced Ketogenic diet should take care of all one’s electrolyte needs—but I make an exception on race days and, occasionally, before a long run:
One hour before the race, I also drank a 500 ml bottle of still water in which I had dissolved one serving (13 g) of Perfect Keto’s Exogenous Ketones (chocolate flavour). This, again, is a product that I would only take before a race or, occasionally, before a long run:
Finally, when I left my hotel for the start of the race, I carried with me another 500 ml bottle of still water in which I had dissolved another serving of both the electrolytes and the exogenous ketones. Those 500 ml of water would keep me hydrated for the entire race. The addition of raspberry-&-lemon-flavoured electrolytes to chocolate-flavoured ketones hardly made for the most appetizing combination, but it was the perfect fuel for a demanding race.
And the race is on! I’m in there somewhere. There were 749 starters in the Half Marathon, but a further 493 runners were also participating in a 10 km race. Both races started on Wicklow’s picturesque South Quay.
The drums of Wexford’s maracatu band Alcateia gave us a noisy send-off.
As so often happens in these smaller races, the official photographers only cover the start and finish of the race, so while there are plenty of photos of the start of the race (though none of me) and more than half a dozen photos of me at the finish line, there are none for the rest of the race. This is a pity, as the route took us through some picturesque spots.
I was fortunate to find myself running alongside Joseph O’Donoghue for the last 10 K of the rest. Joseph, I later learned, was running his début half marathon. We were fairly evenly matched and kept each other honest over the second half of the race. In the final kilometre he pulled away from me and finished in third place overall, fifteen seconds ahead of me.
The course had one last sting in its tail: a final hill (Kilmantin Hill) just before we entered the grounds of Wicklow Gaol and crossed the finish line. But thanks to the adrenaline that floods the runner’s system as he enters the final stretch, this was one hill that didn’t slow me down.
The finish line was in the courtyard of Wicklow Gaol, the town’s principal tourist attraction.
The goodie bag was fairly light—not that I would be eating any of their sugary treats—but the commemorative medal was very imaginatively designed:
And I had already secured my T-shirt at registration back in Dublin:
So, another half marathon under my belt. My finishing time of 1:23:21 was slightly faster than my last two half marathons:
| Half Marathon | Location | Date | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Moy | Ballina, Co Mayo | 19 May 2018 | 13th | 01:24:18 |
| Waterford Viking | Waterford City | 30 June 2018 | 19th | 01:23:49 |
| Wicklow Goal Break | Wicklow Town | 24 March 2019 | 4th | 01:23:21 |
This is a spectacular vindication of the Ketogenic Diet. On a windy day and over a challenging course, I was able to sustain a fast pace while being fueled primarily by fat. The mix of electrolytes and exogenous ketones was also a big success: I think I will be repeating that dose in future races.
There was no prize for finishing 4th overall, but 1st place in the over 50s category won me a two-month membership of the Coral Leisure Centre, which is located in the town. It has a fully-equipped gym, a 25-metre swimming pool, a sauna and a steam room. It seems I will be returning to Wicklow in the near future to check it out.
The next big test for the Ketogenic Diet will be the Limerick Marathon on 5 May 2019. Sustaining a sub-three-hour pace for 42.2 km will be a whole new ball game, but I am still on course to achieve that goal.
After the Race
Wicklow Town is a small place, but there is plenty to see for the casual day-tripper. After the race, I first looked for a coffee shop where I could relax and unwind. Dave’s Coffee on Main Street was just what I was looking for. I indulged in a cappuccino—a rare treat for me since adopting the Ketogenic Diet—and I was not disappointed. At Dave’s, they clearly take their coffee seriously if the smooth and creamy taste of my cappuccino is anything to judge by. I should not have been surprised: Dave’s Coffee is the sister café of the famous Nick’s Coffee, which is just down the road from my home in Ranelagh.
Afterwards I took in a tour of Wicklow Gaol, the town’s principal attraction. I don’t usually enjoy visiting museums and galleries—I prefer to walk the streets and explore when I’m on holiday—but there are exceptions. One simply cannot visit Wicklow Town and not take in the historic Gaol.
Another historic site—this one is free—comprises the ruins of the ancient Franciscan monastery built in the 13th century by the Fitzgeralds.
Not far from the ruins of the abbey is St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, which was dedicated on 13 October 1844.
The best place for a panoramic view of Wicklow Bay is at Golden Arches on Greenhill Road.
Back in the centre of town is the Billy Byrne Monument in Market Square. This statue was unveiled in 1900 and is dedicated to Billy Byrne, a local leader of the 1798 rebellion, who was tried and executed in Wicklow.
In the evening I went to The Bridge Tavern in the centre of town for a proper sit-down dinner. The Tavern is situated right beside the Leitrim River. It was not very busy this Sunday evening and the ambience was perfect. The menu had all the allergens spelt out, so it was quite easy to ensure that my dinner was gluten-free. Staying Ketogenic, however, was simply not a choice, so I came off the diet for evening. That’s the beauty of the Ketogenic Diet: it’s very forgiving.
When I returned home the following morning, I measured my ketone levels to see if the carb-rich dinner had kicked me out of ketosis. It had. For the first time since adopting the Ketogenic Diet, my Ketonix stick remained stubbornly solid blue, indicating that my acetone breath levels were less than 4 Parts Per Million (not in ketosis). But the very next day, when I measured them again, I was back in nutritional ketosis, with an acetone breath level of 20 PPM. the Ketogenic Diet had forgiven me.
And Finally
A big thank you to race organizer Eoin Ryan and to the people of Wicklow Town, who know how to organize a half marathon and make it fun. It was, of course, a bit quiet out on the course compared to a big-city Marathon, but the organization was excellent and the scenery spectacular. I look forward to my next visit to this part of Ireland’s Garden County.
Image Credits
- Wicklow Gaol Break Half Marathon: © 2014 Ryano Event Management Ltd, Fair Use
- Wicklow Gaol Break Half Marathon Course: MapData © 2019 Google, Fair Use
*Course Profile: © 2019 MapMyFitness Inc, Fair Use - Dr Berg’s Electrolyte Powder: © DrBerg.com, Fair Use
- Perfect Keto’s Exogenous Ketones: © Perfect Keto 2019, Fair Use
- Kilmantin Hill: MapData © 2019 Google, Fair Use
- Wicklow People: ©Wicklow People.ie, Fair Use
- Coral Leisure Centre: © Coral Leisure, Fair Use
- Dave’s Coffee: © Nick’s Coffee Company, Ltd, Fair Use
- The Bridge Tavern: © Patrick Comerford, Fair Use
- Race Photos Courtesy of Eoin Ryan, Ian Pelly (photographer), Public Domain
- All other photographs are in the Public Domain: Kopimi
