My First DNS - why I didn't run First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon

I had a dream weekend planned in Sarasota. My husband Gabe and I were going to run our fourth First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon Relay and we decided to make a lux weekend out of it by splurging my Marriott Rewards on a stay at the Ritz Carlton Sarasota. Things did not go as I imagined......

Let's take you back to Friday night. Gabe and I decided to have a date night at one of our favorite restaurants near our house. It's an Italian restaurant that has a live piano player, wood fired pizzas and wine on tap. Pizza and wine was exactly what I needed after my week, and it was delicious. When we got home later that night, I didn't feel 100% myself. I went to bed and woke up around 2am with pain I had never experienced before. I felt like a fire was lit inside of me. Apparently, I was experiencing my first ever acid reflux attack.

After a horrible night of sleep, we woke up and got a later than planned start to Sarasota. I felt really odd - I had no appetite and didn't want to do anything but lay around. We had to get to Fit2Run for packet pickup by 3pm and I wanted to get over to our hotel so we could enjoy the amenities.

While at Fit2Run I could feel my patience slipping away for no reason. Imagine PMS x 100. Everything was annoying me and I needed to get out of there. When we got to the Ritz, we were welcomed with champagne and learned we had been upgraded to a waterfront suite. That made my crankiness go away instantly! I took one sip of the champagne but it hurt to drink.

After going up to our room and picking our jaws off the ground, we decided to head down to the pool, which was pretty crowded at 3:30. Once again, everything was annoying me. From people taking fake instagram posed shots to kids splashing us, there was nothing I could do but put my headphones on and read a book, escaping from paradise. If I was in a better mood, I would have gone fishing off their pier! The amenities and activities at Ritz Carlton were pretty amazing.

We had plans that night to go to dinner at a restaurant called Indigenous that we were really looking forward to. Although I really had nothing to eat all day, I was not hungry. I also didn't want to drink, which is very odd for me! After taking literally 3 bites of my dinner, I asked for a to go box. I did not feel good. I felt full which was impossible and I had really bad pains in my abdomen. So we decided to walk over to Walgreens and get me some medicine. The only thing I wanted to do was go back to the hotel and take a bath.

After getting back to the Ritz, I tried my hardest not to be sad. Here we were in this gorgeous hotel, in walking distance to many places. We bought a bottle of Cakebread Chardonnay to drink on the balcony and I had no interest in that (it sat in an ice bucket in the bathroom instead). Rather than enjoying my night, I was laying in bed, trying not to cry or vomit. Well, both those things happened shortly after. Around midnight, I was woken up once again, with that same incredible burning sensation. I felt like a fire breathing dragon. I was able to go back to sleep only to be woken up again, about every 20-30 minutes. Around 2am, I vomited not once, but twice. Sitting on the floor of my hotel, I lost it. I knew right then and there that I would likely not be running in a few hours.

I've pushed through so many things with running. I ran the NYC Marathon with a sprained ankle (I sprained it at mile 4 and completed 22.2 miles injured). I completed the Dopey Challenge with a severe cellulitis infection (unknown to me at the time). I've ran hurt, I've ran sick. However, I mentally couldn't accept that I had to run half of a half marathon relay. I only had to complete 6.2 miles! Those 6.2 miles seemed like an Ultra Marathon and it was time (for once) to listen to my body.

My outfit that wasn't worn:

Shirt: Buy Me Brunch, Tequila & Tan lines

Pants: Asics Printed Capris

Shoes: Asics Gel Nimbus 18

Belt: Nathan The Hipster

I got the 5:45am wake-up call and told Gabe I wasn't going to run. I was drenched head to toe in sweat, fairly certain I had a fever. My throat hurt and the room was spinning. We slept until 10am. The first thing I did when I woke up was to check on my friends who ran the race (Tracy, Haley & Denise). Bummed I didn't get to see them at the race, let alone cheer them on, or cross the finish line with my husband really put a damper on my weekend.

I went to the Dr. on Tuesday and I was put on medication immediately. Whatever is going on is not normal and here begins the testing until we figure it out. First step is food allergy testing. If nothing shows up there, I have to go get a camera shoved down my throat. No fun.

photo from Eat Drink and Be Tracy

Although I didn't get to run the First Watch Half Marathon (relay) this year, I know I made the right decision. There will always be other races and I will be back next year in Sarasota with a vengeance. Be sure to check out Tracy's recap of her First Watch Half Marathon experience. She has ran 7 half marathons in the past 5 months and is training for her first full!!