Double the Smoothie. Double the Fun. 
Well, double the fun because the second smoothie belonged to my friend Megan.
Megan has never had a smoothie in a bowl before! I think she liked it.
Megan headed to my neck of the woods this morning for a casual 4 miler around my neighborhood. We kept it even paced and discussed upcoming races for the spring and summer.
Back in January (or December?) I got a little ahead of myself and registered for the Suntrust Half Marathon in DC. There was a lot of tweeting going back and forth between blog friends and I decided to take the plunge.
Of course, as soon as I registered, Derek reminded me he was a groomsman in a wedding that same weekend and it was already on the calendar (we share Google calendars just to make life easier). Epic fail. I tried, but the race has a strict no refunds or bib transfer policy. 
And now a race that seemed so far in the future when I forfeited up the cash, is this coming weekend. Megan flies out on Friday and agreed to at least pick up my bib and shirt and on my behalf. I already paid the money for it, might as well try and get some use out of that $100 shirt.
Have you ever registered for a race and had to back out? Did you still get the shirt?
This is the first race I’ve paid for where I had to back out. It feels strange.
After the run I took to the blender and created two yummy smoothies for use to enjoy.
I had soaked a 1/2 cup of oats with 1/2 a cup of milk before our run and used that mix as a based for a chewy strawberry smoothie.
In the blender:
- Pre-soaked Oats
- Milk
- Chia Seeds
- PB2
- Strawberries (LOTS of strawberries)
- Frozen Pineapple
- Vanilla Yogurt
- Ice
Toppings:
- Naturally Nutty Chocolate Toffee Peanut Butter
- Kashi Go Lean Crisp
I think I may have added too much liquid because the oats weren’t really chewy in the smoothie, but the oat flavor was definitely there. It was like a strawberry oat flavored smoothie. I enjoyed it.
{ 71 comments… read them below or add one }
The shirt doesn’t necessarily imply that you finished the race. I think it’d be a different story if you went to pick up a medal!
At least you’ll still get the T-shirt! Always a silver lining
I’m actually doing the National 1/2 and double booked myself for this weekend. I’ll be missing out on running a 15K in NYC that I was hoping to do. But, like you, I’ve arranged to have a friend pick up my T-shirt for me so I can still have something for my money!
Ali @ Ali on the Run recently posted..Entering Race Day Mode
Sounds like a delicious breakfast!!! I haven’t had the misfortune of having to back out of a race… I’d hate to have to lose money on the entry fee. However, I have double booked myself several times and I don’t like it!! Guess I should be using my iphone calendar a little more effectively! Have a great day Meghann!
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat recently posted..Early Weekend
I had to back out of the national full last year because of a stress fracture, but I still went to get the shirt & race packet! So yes, it was the most expensive workout shirt ever
Liz recently posted..A Weekend to Recover from the Weekend
Oh that’s a shame you had to back out
I entered a marathon and a half marathon in February and March, and had to back out of both cos I got injured, and couldn’t get £££ back. Gutting!
Freya recently posted..The Curious Case of Benjamin Pigeon
Wow that looks like a yummy mix of tastes and textures! I’ve never done the smoothie a bowl either. I had to back out of a 5 K last year because it was the week after my first marathon and I was kinda sore all week and my mom wouldn’t let me run! It was frustrating, but since it was a charity race, I didn’t pay to enter it, so I didn’t lose any money, and I still contributed all my fundraised $.
Hilary recently posted..A bran new day
I was suppose to run the Gate Rive Run 15k a few weekends ago but ended up with a stress fracture the week before! My friend running it talked her cousin into doing it with her so I sold her my registration. I was a little sad I didn’t get the shirt but was really glad my friend had someone to run with since I had to bale!!!
Holley @ Smart Snacking recently posted..Obsession- Magazines
Breakfast sounds good! That tshirt should last forever haha. My first race is soon and I hope I don’t have to back out.
I signed up for the Disney wine and done half, and then my friends planned their wedding in Miami for that weekend. It broke my heart. I had my heart set on that race. I did get the shirt. Most expensive shirt I now own. Ugliest $140 shirt too!
Sorry you can’t race it! I live in dc and would have loved to meet! Another time!
Angela recently posted..World Water Day
Yep, I had to back out of the 13.1 Marathon NY on April 2 because of my injury. Very sad about it. I was going to pick up the shirt and at least get something for my money, but thanks to Twitter I found someone who wanted to use my bib and run the race. Very happy someone gets to make use out of my entry!
Dori recently posted..At Which Everyone Pays Attention to Dori
Awe boo you couldn’t run! That sucks. Oh well, the intention was there right? Hmmm maybe you can run a half on your own to make up for it? Time yourself and everything! Oh and run it with the race shirt
Christina recently posted..Dont you touch those balls!
I almost accidentally signed up for my first Half Marathon on the same day as the Warrior Dash. Luckily I remembered in time. But, not until I spent a whole morning making my training plan.;)
Carolyn @ Lovin’ Losing recently posted..Black Bean Burgers & Green Bean Fries
Nothing wrong with a free shirt
Matt @ The Athlete’s Plate recently posted..Black Bean and Avocado Omelet
If I don’t run the race, I don’t feel like I’ve earned the shirt!
Elizabeth@The Sweet Life recently posted..Changes
There’s only one time that I backed out of a race. I had just started running and hadn’t “caught the fever” yet. It was right at the beginning of a super hectic new year (my second year teaching) and I talked myself out of spending barely an hour out of my day running a 5k.
I’ve got a minor IT band issue right now and I’m babying it because I have 3 races coming up in the next 3 weeks and I don’t want to back out of any of them!
Jeni @ stepping out recently posted..My first injury
I had to bail on a race in September because of a last minute wedding. I was bummed but figured my friend getting married was way more important. I didn’t pick up the shirt because I didn’t run the race. To me there is just something odd about wearing the shirt from a race you didn’t run.
Jess recently posted..That’s Impressive
I had the same issue with the SunTrust half. Paid and had to back out
At least the money goes to charity, right?
Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine recently posted..Zero Otto Nove
Those smoothie bowls look really tasty! I like how smooth it is and the color is pretty too!
Hope recently posted..A New View On The Highway…
Honestly I have always waited until I am 100% sure I can do a race before signing up. But there are plenty of other times when I double book us — 2 weddings in 1 weekend, or RSVPing yes to a wedding and then also having a family vacation that weekend, etc. It happens! But yes, go get that shirt!
Holly @ Couch Potato Athlete recently posted..Back to Normal Life
Well, I actually almost missed my race this past weekend and then downgraded from the 10k to 5k but ended up doing 7.24km!
At the least though, I was going to get my shirt!
jenna{frombostonwithlove} recently posted..Things They Dont Tell You About Marriage 9-715 & a race recap
ive backed out of a lot of races, even slept through one once! the past 2 years i signed up for the disneyland half and wasnt home (and missed the race) both years.
its a giant waste of money but sometimes it happens. but ive never kept a shirt from a race i didnt run. but then again, i have a ton of race shirts already. anyone want a shirt??
skinnyrunner recently posted..Food Water
Looks great!
Andrea @ CanYouStayForDinner.com recently posted..Hunger Challenge- Day 1 Review
I was able to defer a race entry to the next year for a small fee. I figured that was better than completely losing the money.
I see you are making good use of your strawberries:)
Lucy recently posted..On the Lighter Side
Get the shirt, you paid for it!
Sana recently posted..Super Stuff!
I just double-booked myself! I am a Jazzercise instructor and was invited to do a warm-up for a Relay for Life event that was taking place at the college I attended. A couple weeks later I signed up for a 10K. Of course, they were on the same day! Fortunately, I got another instructor to cover the warm-up so I didn’t lose my money for the race.
I guess we are all too busy!
Kelly @ Laughter, Strength, and Food recently posted..Personal Day
The only race I’ve signed up for and didn’t run was the Philly Distance Run a couple years ago-had pneumonia
I still enjoyed the race expo and t-shirt though!
I JUST backed out of a race this week (knee injury
) and didn’t feel like i should pick up the shirt because i couldn’t run. but now i am kind regretting it….i guess i did pay for it!
double bowls are guaranteed to be good
Katherine: Unemployed recently posted..Austin Powers
If they let someone else pick up your bib, why can’t you sell it? As long as a girl in your age range gets it, what’s the difference to the race organizers?
Kara recently posted..Ellas Kitchen organic baby food Review and Giveaway!
Oh man. This is a can of worms! HUGELY debated in the racing community.
Kelly recently posted..CMM Training- 15 Miles
I wasn’t trying to open a can of worms
I guess I just think these things don’t have to be complicated and in big races, they aren’t going to notice a bib change and it’s a “victimless crime” 
Kara recently posted..Ellas Kitchen organic baby food Review and Giveaway!
Ironically, I just got an email from the Marine Corps Marathon (I’m running that in Oct) about transferring bibs and how’s allowed for that race
Kara recently posted..Ellas Kitchen organic baby food Review and Giveaway!
I wish more races would work with people on bib transfers and refunds! That’s awesome that Marine Corps Marathon has that! Love it!
Kelly recently posted..CMM Training- 15 Miles
Wow, her first smoothie in a bowl? Looks like you made her a great one to get her hooked!
I really need to try this “smoothie in a bowl” busniess. I always see yours and Kath’s and they look so good!
I did have to back out of a marathon once. It was the White Rock Marathon in Dallas and I sprained my ankle the week before the race and had to pull out. I still went to packet pickup to retrieve my $100 bag of goodies (including my shirt!) wrappped ankle and all
Emily recently posted..Glorious Roasted Garlic
That actually reminds me of a chilled strawberry soup I had at a wedding one time. It was tasty.
I’ve never signed up for a race…so that would be a no, haha!
Ash @ Good Taste Healthy Me recently posted..Spring’s Here!! …maybe not
UGH. I had to back out of the Chicago Marathon this year and it was reallllly strange. I knew it was the right decision, but I really had a hard time with it! That smoothie in a bowl looks delicious!
Kim recently posted..Scenes from the Saturday and Looking Back on Swimming…
I have never had a smoothie in a bowl either! Something I will surely be trying once I am back home and have a blender I can use
I have had to miss a race before, it was a 5k and it was only $20 but I still was upset about missing it….curse that whole work thing
Tessa @ Amazing Asset recently posted..Monday Morning Workout
P.S. The title of this post made me think of the Double Mint Gum commercial song! haha
Double your pleasure
Double your fun
It’s the right one
The Doublemint gum
Not exactly the same as a smoothie, but ya know
Tessa @ Amazing Asset recently posted..Monday Morning Workout
I’ve never backed out of a race, but sometimes certain things win over running, I guess. And I’ve never had a smoothie in a bowl either!
christine recently posted..Mishmash of Words
I’ve never had a smoothie in a bowl, either! I’m dying to try one, though!
J3nn (Jenn’s Menu and Lifestyle Blog) recently posted..Eggcellent Sliders
i had to back out of philly last fall because i was injured. my friend picked up the shirt for me but i still haven’t worn it. it feels too weird to sport a shirt for a race i didn’t run!
Emily recently posted..When the Going Gets Tough
I backed out of a 15k and went and picked up the shirt. I have no problem wearing a shirt from a race I didn’t run. However, I DO have a problem not wearing a shirt I spent money on
I registered for the Detroit half last October then sprained my ankle and had to eat my entry fee. The sprain was horrible, I did it a month and a half before the race and still had trouble walking normally on the day of the race, no way I could have run it. I didn’t get my shirt. I still get emails tell me to look at my pictures though!
Sorry you have to drop out of the race! That’s a total bummer!
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey recently posted..spring in the air GIVEAWAY!
Mmmm.. I love smoothies in a bowl. Of course, the toppings are added bonus
Kiran recently posted..I love Mondays
I’ve never had a smoothie in a bowl either! I guess I’m missing out!
Smoothie lovers unite! I made a green monster this morning… yum! Aww that stinks that you lost money on that race.
What a bummer! I hope the shirt is cute at least
Laura recently posted..Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream
I had to back out of a race at the last minute once because I was sick. I already had the shirt so of course I kept it, but I never really wear it.
Kacy recently posted..Finishers!
I’ve never dropped out of a race before but may need to do so in a couple weeks here. I guess I don’t normally wear my race shirts anyway, but I definitely would not wear/want a shirt from a race I didn’t actually run. In my view, you pay to participate in the race, not for the shirt–the shirt is memorializing your participation in the race. To each his own, of course.
I had to back out of an 8k that Philly holds the same weekend as their half and full due to an injury. I still picked up my shirt and packet at the expo, and I wear it all the time. I know I didn’t run the race, but I have no problem wearing my $50 shirt!
I signed up for a 5 race series this winter and only went to two of them because it was just too cold. When it’s snowy and below freezing, I don’t enjoy myself! I still got the t-shirt but definitely felt a little guilty skipping out
Clare @ Fitting It All In recently posted..Healthy Living At Work
I’ve had to dropout of a race before due to double booking. If you can pick up your shirt – do it! The National Half Marathon was an expensive race – the least you can get is a shirt. Sorry that you won’t make it! Have fun at the wedding!
Lee @ RealLeeRunning recently posted..We’ve got a swimmer!
I had a smoothie in a bowl this morning too
It’s my new favorite breakfast!
Kate (What Kate is Cooking) recently posted..Being An Athlete At Any Size
Having to drop out of a race is a bummer!
I had to drop out of Rock n Roll Virginia Beach last year because I had stress fractures in both legs. I DEFINITELY went to get my shirt bc RnR races are pricey and walked (well hobbled actually) around the expo. It kinda sucked not being able to run but I had (over)trained for it and was still going to go to cheer on my running group!
I’ve never picked up the shirt for a race I don’t complete (which has happened twice…whoops). I feel like it’s cheating, somehow. Maybe I’m crazy but I think of the shirt as a memento/memory of completing the race, like a wearable medal. But that’s just me!
Of course you should get the shirt! you paid for it. I really wish more races would allow bib transfers, I guess they plan on a certain percentage of no-shows though.
I always get the shirt if I can’t make the race – it’s only happened a couple times but why let that entry fee go to any more waste than it already is? At least that’s how I feel about it anyway! You paid the entry fee & it really ends up just being advertising for the event anyway.
I figure if they didn’t want you wearing the shirt regardless of whether you finished, they would hand the shirts out after you cross the finish line – like they do at the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta! There get the shirt instead of a medal when you finish. Peachtree is VERY strict about it too…the only people that can even get close to the shirt table are finishers because it’s fenced off at the very end of the course!
Theresa @ActiveEggplant recently posted..Core Strengths & Weaknesses
This reminds me of a college roomie’s $140 t-shirt. She had to back out of a race due to a knee strain but still picked up her things and cheered on some friends in the race. A few weeks later a friend of ours borrowed some clothes to sleep in after a night of partying and unknowingly chose the sacred $140 tee. My roomie didn’t notice it due to the aforementioned partying and honestly cried when the friend brought it back a week later and it had a blueish tint from being washed with a new navy blue shirt. We all laugh about it now and she still has the blueish $140 ill fitting tee.
Yay! I’m glad you found something to do with those strawberries
I think that’s the reason that I’m a little reluctant to sign up for my first marathon. I have one picked out for next November, but it feels so far off and it feels like anything could happen between now and then!
I would hate to waste the money! That sucks that you have to back out and I would definitely still get the shirt
You have to have something to show from that $100, right? 
Stacey (The Home-Cooked Vegan) recently posted..Stacey’s Corner
Yuum that smoothie looks so good! I’ve never had a smoothie in a bowl either. I think for my smoothie/juice recipe book which I have to make every recipe out of, I’m going to make one in a bowl!
River recently posted..Books Written in the Present Tense
YUM that looks great! fresh berries are pretty expensive here in New Zealand, and I’m getting sick of frozen ESPECIALLY when you show me all those wonderful flats you keep getting! luuuucky!
Emma (Namaste Everyday) recently posted..Dominion Road School
I was supposed to run a half marathon in Raleigh last weekend but ended up with tendinitis and couldn’t run. I wasn’t about to lose out on that money so I found a friend of a friend willing to buy out my entry. I went to the expo and picked up the bib and shirt and handed them off to the woman. I think its fine as long as you aren’t competing to win/for points!
The shirt makes it all worth it, right? Awesome food pics! Looks delicious:)
Karolina recently posted..Do You Let Suffering Transform You
Aww thats bummer you can’t do the race. I’m always worried I’ll have to back out, hasn’t happened *knock on wood*
I’d definitely get the shirt too!
Lauren @ Team Giles recently posted..Weekend Inspiration
I backed out of a half once because I didn’t train for it. Does that count?
Lee recently posted..What I Do After A Half-Marathon
Yes! I was supposed to run the Disney Half as my first race last year. Ended up with a weird abdominal injury that made it hard to move at all (much less run 13.1 miles). I went on the trip anyway to support my friend who also ran, and I was SO sad not to be one of the competitors. I picked up my shirt but I’ve never worn it…it is a bit of a sad souvenir.
But now that you pointed out that it is now a $140 running shirt(!!), I think I may need to pull it out of the drawer soon….and hopefully next year I will have a Disney Marathon shirt as a memento of a race I did finish!
Alison recently posted..In the Zone
I think wearing a shirt from a race you didn’t actually run is fine
I am here to comment on the fact a lot of people are saying their registration fee is for a charity and many times it really isn’t. Racing companies (for profit ones) make a lot of money off races-many of the people “working” the race are volunteers and are not paid. Take the WTC ( world triathlon corporation who owns the ironman races)
There was a great letter to the editor in runners world awhile backmabout this same issue
Tami recently posted..On Sunday
I can’t wear a shirt if I didn’t do the race. I had signed up for the Shamrock Half Marathon several months ago, and then had some knee problems. The race was on Sunday, and I knew I couldn’t do the whole 13.1 miles, but I went anyway, got my shirt, and ran 7 miles of the race, so I feel like I earned it. Of course I didn’t get all the finishers’ goodies (hat, t-shirt, medal) but that’s fine. I didn’t earn them! I had a great time with friends and enjoyed cheering them across the finish line.