Pattern: Fehr Trade Duathlon Shorts

I ran a marathon!

The past few months have been extremely busy with training and working, I barely had time for sewing. And I definitely had no time for blogging. But I did get a chance to sew up some exercise shorts which were a re-do from one of the first times I attempted to sew workout clothes.

Back in the days when I couldn’t even fathom running a full marathon, I had made the capri length version of this pattern to wear for a half marathon. The pattern was easy to follow and the pants easy to sew up, but what I didn’t understand at that time was how to size them properly. I was going off of finished measurements, not remembering that running pants are supposed to fit tight and stretch over your body. Therefore the measurements should be smaller than your normal pants measurements. I ended up making them a size large, which fit extremely loose at the time. To make matters worse, I ended up losing some weight after my initial wear, which made these pants basically useless for exercising in. It was a bit disappointing since I really liked how they came out. I knew I had to make another pair at some point, and this time I would not be afraid to make a smaller size.

Even though I use these for running, they are technically bicycle shorts. I actually like to run in longer shorts because it prevents thigh chafing. I had gotten this bicycle fabric a while back because I thought the print would look cute for a pair of leggings. I happen to have the pink and purple spandex, which made a great contrast for the side pockets.

As I mentioned, my first attempt was a size large. These are a size small, which seems like the perfect fit for me. This time around I also used a twin needle for the a double row of stitching on the waist and hem. I didn’t need to do anything special to prevent the tunneling of the fabric, so it ended up being a good gamble.

Even though I made these right before the big race, I did not wear them for the marathon. However, I did do some sewing for the main event. I knew I needed to fuel up a lot since I would be out there for many hours, so I sewed up a few arm bands made from a free pattern by Fehr Trade that I had also made years ago. I also made a running belt to match, all matching the red, white and blue of my marathon outfit. The fabric was softer than spandex and the belt stayed in place a lot better than other ones I had made in the past. It was nice to have another way to carry fuel, since my pants pockets were already stuffed to the gills.

I haven’t had a chance to wear these new shorts on a run yet, I just put them on for a celebratory photo with my marathon medal. This marathon ended up being pretty special for me as I ran it with a giant group from my running club. We trained together all summer and fall and traveled to Washington DC for the main event. The weather was beautiful, the course was inspiring and even though I didn’t get quite the time I wanted, I did end up with a personal best. I’m not sure what my next running goal will be, but when that time comes, I’ll be ready with some new gear.