Dropped out of a race?

Just a thread for anyone who has dropped out or is thinking of dropping out of a race. So many of us must have done it or be about to do it. We shouldn't be ashamed to discuss/ self-flagellate!

I have dropped out of Tromsø Marathon and GNR this year so I am feeling more than inadequate as the GNR approaches...

A thread to mull over reasons why we dropped out, support one another, validate our decision to quit (!), generally motivate one another to carry on to the next race. Whether you dropped out for injury reasons, personal reasons, loss of mojo, clash with another event, CBA or whatever else, join me to beat yourself up about it...

It's no big deal.  There's no shame in it.  I didn't start a few races when I was injured.  Now I don't enter any races at all!!  LOL!  I think you have to ask yourself why you are running.

So, what's my story?  I used to race once a month.  I didn't enjoy the club league races.  I didn't enjoy the big (overpriced) events.  I remember I was doing a 10K once, and thinking half way round, "why the f*** am I foing this, I'm not enjoying it".  I enjoyed far more, the slow cool-down jog afterwards.  I like running.  I don't like racing.  But I am motivated by the challenge of running a marathon.  However, you need time and space to train for those.   

I used to be obsessed with running.  Running took priority over everything else.  It was a friend of mine who made me realise I'd got the balance wrong.  She pointed out to me that my reasons for running were a destructive obsession as it was all about training to beat PBs rather than about enjoyment.  This was a "wake up call" for me.  Never had truer words been said.   

I think for me, life has moved on.  I still run three times a week, but I don't "train" anymore.  I just do it for enjoyment, just like my cycling is purely for enjoyment.  Yes, I get out there for over 5 hours on the bike sometimes, but I'm not training for anything, it's purely about enjoying cycling, which I do.

Yes, I think I will enter another running race one day, or even a duathlon, but if I'm not going to enjoy it, or enjoy the challenge of it, then it's not worth doing.  Life is too short  

Cougie???? It was kinda tongue in cheek - if you don't wanna be part of it and don't empathise, don't post in it. People have to drop out of races and get down about it (well some of us do anyway).

The whole RW Forum is a support group anyway.

I was a sodding wreck last year when I posted back my GNR number and realised I couldn't do what I'd trained for. Nobody should cry at a postbox at my age.  My non running friends simply didn't understand what I was bothered about. The running community filled my inbox with messages of support. I guess you have be one if "us" to truly empathise.

Three weeks later I DNS'ed Dublin marathon too. As I couldn't even stand up at the time without vertigo, I realised I'd done the right thing. Sometimes you've just got to say no.

This year I've rebooked them both. I'm battling through injury but I don't care. I expect to get to finish lines intact and tick them off as "VICTORIES"!

It can be pretty gutting to have to drop out, irrespective of the reasons. I dropped Tromsø well in advance because I knew with my foot problems it wasn't the time to be training for a marathon and since then I have struggled to sort out my feet and get into any running routine.

Buggered GNR up because I forgot you could defer and gave place away to a work colleague before I remembered.

I've missed 2 half marathons this year due to ITBS..

Also had to pull out of the GNR this year, but that was because I didn't realise it clashed with a holiday i'd booked! oh well, i'll drown my sorrows over that one in Vegas