I am a duathlete!! Yesterday I completed my first duathlon, the full distance at London Duathlon – a 10km run followed by a 44km cycle and then a 5km run. It was my first multisport race (transitions?? omg!) and I loved it!
I am a duathlete! (and Flash sale!)
Tutorial: Make your own tri-belt!
I’ve signed up to race my first official duathlon in September (that’s run-cycle-run if you’re not familiar) and one of the things I need for the race is a tri-belt, which, having never done a triathlon myself, is something I didn’t own. A tri-belt is essentially an adjustable loop of elastic with two smaller elastic cords sticking out that you can affix a race number to.
The purpose here is to be able to attach your number to it so you can easily display it on your front as you’re running, and on your back as you’re cycling, without having to re-pin it in place! But when I went to purchase one, I saw how simple they were and thought “I could make that!” And honestly, it was so easy, I’ll show you how to, too! Hint: these also make great gifts if you’ve got a multi-sports athlete in your life!
Hot pink Rouleur x Tenacity Shorts mashup
When we released our Tenacity Leggings last fall, I may have mentioned that the waistbands between them and our Rouleur Leggings were interchangeable, but it’s another to just SHOW you that they are! Being able to mix and match between the two gives you so much more flexibility and the opportunity for even more pockets – so guess which one I did!?!
Yes, of course I opted to use the Rouleur Shorts bottom with the banded hem and folded side pockets (from View A), combined with the Tenacity Leggings waistband with both the wraparound mesh pocket and the integral back pocket. So in total there’s 7 pockets in these shorts!
On top of wanting to demonstrate the interchangeability, I also wanted something new to wear for a local half marathon I was running in Richmond Park. I was hoping to be able to race it, but seeing as how it was only 3 weeks after I cycled 100 miles, it meant I really only got one solid week of training in between a recovery week from the ride and a taper before the half. So if I wasn’t going for a time, I may as well look good, right?
Completing the Alpine Cycling Set (& 100 miles!)
When I sewed myself the Alpine cycling kit last summer, I didn’t make a sports bra to go along with the Surf to Summit Top jersey and the Rouleur Leggings bib shorts, even though I’d done so for my previous two cycling sets (rainbow in 2019 and Tokyo-inspired in 2020). This was because I didn’t really think I’d have enough fabric left as I knew I wanted to make Tenacity Shorts and a Versatili-Tank with it too, but also because I figured I had enough sports bras and it didn’t really matter.
But apparently I do care, because in the months of cycling in the kit since then (99% of which was on Zwift!), it kinda bugged me that I didn’t have a matching bra – petty, I know, but easily fixable! So once I decided that I’d be cycling RideLondon’s 100 miler in this kit, I pulled out the leftover scraps to see if I could piece together a sports bras from the bits of fabric and upcycled race tees. And the answer was “just barely”!
Green pocketed Versatili-Top (with tutorial!)
Today I wanted to show off a new Versatili-Tee I made myself since the launch of our Versatili-Tops pattern (which includes both tank and tee versions), since I took my own suggestion from the Variations section at the end of the pattern instructions and added a back pocket! This is a really easy addition that only adds a few minutes on to the construction but makes it even more useful, especially for low-impact activities like hiking or cycling.
For this Tee I used some forest green aerated polyester activewear fabric that’s been in my stash a few years. I believe it was an ex-Tracksmith deadstock fabric I bought from FabricMart (US), and it’s nice and cooling with the micro-holes, plus it’s got a lot of good stretch and recovery, too. However, those holes were created REALLY off-grain, which made cutting out a bit more challenging than usual since I needed to fold and cut based on the orientation of the holes instead of the selvedges. But perhaps this is why it wasn’t used in RTW and was sold as yardage?
A long sleeved bamboo Versatili-Tee
As you all know, I am a huge fan of bamboo jerseys for workouts when you won’t be sweating so much (I see you, yoga and Pilates fans!) so I knew I had to make one of our Versatili-Tops samples in it! The pattern not only comes in Tank and Tee versions, but the Tee also has your choice of short or long sleeves, which means this one pattern really can work for both summer and winter workouts.
A merino & mesh Versatili-Tank
Even though you all got a sneak peek of the tank version of our latest Versatili-Tops pattern last Fall when we paired an early Alpine print version with our Tenacity Leggings, I wanted to focus today on a different version made for the full pattern release – which even made the pattern cover!
A short sleeved Versatili-Tee
Thanks so much for all your love (and purchases!) of our latest Versatili-Tops pattern! It’s great when you all are just as excited as I am by a new design, especially when it’s one that’s been in development for so long.
Versatili-Tops pattern – out now!
Please welcome our newest activewear sewing pattern, the Versatili-Tops! This is actually two distinct tops in one – the Versatili-Tee (get it now?) and the Versatili-Tank, which share the same back piece and feature a front that wraps around to join it.
A snake-print Tessellate Hoodie
What better way to kickstart January than with activewear, amirite?? Especially if it’s a pattern you’ve sewn a thousand times before, in a fabric you love, and made entirely with stash fabrics. Bonus points if it’s also essentially a clone of a garment you already own so you’re pretty much guaranteed of success!
In the years since launching our Tessellate Tee pattern, I found myself wearing the turquoise, yellow, and claret hoodie sample (featured on the pattern cover) for nearly all of my coldest runs – I can’t even tell you how many early morning run commutes this came along on! The key here was that I made it in Funkifabrics’ “thermo” fabric which is essentially fleece-lined lycra. It’s stretchy with great recovery, and has a smooth exterior, but the interior is fluffy and fleecy like the inside of a sweatshirt, which makes it really warm. I often paired this hoodie with a pair of Steeplechase Leggings I’d also made in black thermo, and the combo is one I’d wear on my coldest and wettest runs or cycle commutes.