Unfortunately yes, twice within about 6 months in 2007 . I had to abandon my first half marathon because I sprained my ankle very badly due to not paying attention to where I was going and having the wrong running shoes. I sprained it about 3 weeks before the race and as I'd managed to run the last mile home after I did it I thought all would be well by race day but it actually took about 6 weeks before I could really run on it without pain (at one point I had to get my chiro to readjust the ankle joint as it seemed to completely seize and I couldn't even put my heel down). There was no question about "if" I could run, I just couldn't so the decision was most definitely made for me which I think made it easier. When the race day came I was still so wrapped up in when I would get to run again I hardly gave it much thought. That was in January/February.

The second one was a knee injury around June which had me pull out of a September trail race I had been working hard for. I don't really know what triggered it but I think it was the addition of lots of offroad hill running, it actually showed up in my left hip but was caused by my left VMO being weak, it obviously had been for a while but I'd just pushed it past the line. It also affected my cycling which is the first injury I've had that had me off the bike for a couple of weeks, it was that that really got my attention. I had to do one legged squats (exercise of Satan), lots of massage and redo my riding position on all my bikes. I found this one harder to deal with as I was beginning to build up the running again, I was seriously tempted to go for it even though I was woefully underprepared and to hell with the consequences but I came to my senses - it would be there next year. I felt really down about it for a couple of weeks, not helped by having my activites curtailed but it was for the best. I focussed on the trail race the month later and was a much stronger runner for the work I did when injured and the new cycling position has also given me some extra power in my legs so I now think of it as a very positive thing.

I'm quite injury paranoid now and do back off things whereas in the past I would keep going, the trail race I canned is coming up in September, I so want to do it this time.