Heads up!!! Here’s your massive holiday sports tech deals list! This includes the Garmin Epix for just $419, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for just $699, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $249, (or the brand new Hero 13 or $299!) and plenty more! Go check out the full list of 100+ deals here!
I’m DC RAINMAKER…
Here’s how to save!
Wanna save some cash and support the site? These companies help support the site! With Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with either the coupon code DCRAINMAKER for first time users saving 15% on applicable products.
You can also pick-up tons of gear at REI via these links, which is a long-time supporter as well:
Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back as an Amazon Associate. No cost to you, easy as pie!
You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.
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Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
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5 Easy Steps To The Site
1
In Depth Product Reviews
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
2
Read My Sports Gadget Recommendations.
Here’s my most recent GPS watch guide here, and cycling GPS computers here. Plus there are smart trainers here, all in these guides cover almost every category of sports gadgets out there. Looking for the equipment I use day-to-day? I also just put together my complete ‘Gear I Use’ equipment list, from swim to bike to run and everything in between (plus a few extra things). And to compliment that, here’s The Girl’s (my wife’s) list. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!
3
Have some fun in the travel section.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
4
My Photography Gear: The Cameras/Drones/Action Cams I Use Daily
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds (including drones & action cams!)! It’s a nice break from the day-to-day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
5
The Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2023 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
Getting ready for the bike season, I’m going to attempt to do TWO Spinervals workouts back-to-back…I’ll have to keep a bucket close to me just in case, should be interesting.
Sunday 2nd time on trainer with new to me powertap.
Tues more roller riding
Thurs even more roller riding
All while watching paris-nice and hoping I don’t fall of the rollers
also waiting for the @#$% snow to melt so I can start going up hills and down…..whooosh I live for the down and earn it with the up! fat guys go FAST down the hill :)
5 weeks to go for the Vienna City Marathon and I have on the schedule the following:
Tuesday 5km easy-going: 6min/km
Thursday 13,5km fast: 4:40min/km
Sunday 30km testing: 5:30min/km
Running,
Next Tuesday in the Juan Carlos I park in Madrid, Spain (about 1050km flight distance from Paris :) )
1600 m X 2 @ 4:15 (2 min. rec)
+ 4000 m @ 5:30
+ 1600 m X 2 @ 4:25 (2 min. rec)
+ 2000 m @ 5:10
First outdoor ride of the year on sunday, Check if bike is OK and ride for 2 hours.
Run 9k tomorrow morning at 5:30 min/km
Monday I will hit the gym for a cardio workout (likely the elliptical) and then give yoga a try for the first time.
1km warmup
6x1000m @ 3:55, 1 min rest
2km recovery
hit the streets for a 15 minute warm up
6x: 1/2 mile run – 50 crunches – 25 push-ups – 50 flutter kicks
10 minute cool down
Here is my run workout for today.
WU 10′ EZ
MS: 2 x 1.5 Mile (5′), 1 x 1 Mile (5′) @ z4/Hard. Remainder of the run should be at z3/Mod-Hard.
CD 5′ EZ
Here is my run workout for today.
WU 10′ EZ
MS: 2 x 1.5 Mile (5′), 1 x 1 Mile (5′) @ z4/Hard. Remainder of the run should be at z3/Mod-Hard.
CD 5′ EZ
Just coming off a 6 week break from running, due to a stress fracture, so tomorrow is just a 1200m swim with a 20min light run to test out the foot, then a 60min interval session on the bike later in the evening.
Torrow I’m doing a run/walk long run, 800 m running, 400 m walk, 1min/km over my
5 km tempo. Total distance about 11-12 km. Looking forward to a sunny day running with teperature just above 0 C.
Easy run of 45 minutes at zone 2. Just getting back into the swing of things after being injured for 6 months.
easy 5k run, circuit strength training and 5k run cool down
Swim workout:
WU:
300 free
150 kick
300 pull
Main set:
5×100 drill down/swim back
15×100 1-5;6-10;11-15 decend on :15 sec; 30 sec between every 5
Cool down :
150 EZ
2x 10km runs at 5min pace
1x speed day
1x friendly run with the neighbour
1x lonesome Sunday
A bit of Cross training for me in the park – Boot camp style
Dynamic stretching warm up
5 min gentle run
Circuit session – 45 minutes followed by warm down.
Session includes sprints along with everything from press-ups, sit-ups, burpees, squats, squat thrusts, plank (various variations)
Really good for fitness, balance, strengthening core muscles to reduce injury (touch wood!)
I plan to do 3 training rides using trainerroad and the sufferfest videos.
60mile on the bike with a couple of hill repeats.
9 mile long easy run in preparation for a half-marathon – the longest continuous run I will have completed up to this point!
Run 8 miles with 10x100m strides. Nice giveaway!
Run for 15km at 5min pace
i intend to restart training, with a half-hour each (bike, swim, run)…
Hope I make the restart this time
thanks
pedro.
5 sets of 5min at 5k pace with 3min Rest
The workout I had planned today was short and sweet but a good power workout…5 miles of snowy trails at 10 above 0. Had a wrench put in the run when mama moose and baby took 15 minutes to yield the trail to myself and 3 dogs.
Will go swimming. Simple endurance.
I’d like to get over this cold so I can resume my training.
Up next on Trainerroad is a workout called Carson.
In the process of recovering from a long-standing injury incurred during IMMT, I plan to start back on the stationary bike and possibly treadmill.
Training for Boston, so today was a hilly 17 miler, “easy” pace. Temps ranged from -9F in the lowlands to +20F in the hills on icy roads and snowy trails, so dressed for the cold and wore my IceBugs. Didn’t encounter the moose that delayed Carol, but it was a beautiful, sunny day, and I loved every step. Wished I had had the dog I ran with yesterday in harness for the long uphills though!
Every other week I am trying to complete a 100km ride around the hills of Melbourne. This coming weekend, I’ll be by the beach so I am planning my 100km through the rainforest behind the beach and then a recovery swim in the ocean.
Swim Workout
500 Warm up
15×100 hard with 10 second rest interval
500 pull
500 moderate to easy
200 breast stroke (or any non-freestyle stroke)
10 min EZ spin warm up
1 min climb 80% RPE, 1 min recovery spin
2 min climb 80% RPE, 1 min recovery spin
3 min climb 80% RPE, 1 min recovery spin
4 min climb 80% RPE, 1 min recovery spin
5 min climb 80% RPE, 1 min recovery spin
Then, back down the ladder
10 min EZ spin cool down
In about 5 minutes I’ll be starting Eclipse on Trainerroad.
I intend to run, within the next 2 weeks, 10k for the first time since last October!
I’m planning doing some hill intervals to kick start my cycling training. It worked wonders last year and I have some big goals on improving my times this year.
Just a noob here… 4 x 10minute run with 1 minute walks in between.
Stage 6 repeat of tour of sufferlandria. Ride the wretched and immediately follow it with the longest scream.
I’m currently tapering for the DC Rock ‘n’ Roll in less than two weeks. Today I completed my LSD 12 mile and will have Monday as a rest day before Tuesdays leg opener.
Tuesday
4 Miles recovery – 8:30 pace
I’m going for 3 mile run but the river in my town!
Open Water Swim: 4 x 750m, 2 min rest between each effort.
2 hours running totally aerobically with at least 1000ft of vertical accumulated.
Just getting back on the bike after a few months break so low intensity and short duration:
Cycle to the top of the hill and back.
Next time go over the hill to the bottom of the other side and back
After that go over the hill to the bottom then 10kms to the round about and back.
A 10 mile run with 8 miles at Marathon pace
Mine will be a trainer workout. 90min. 10 warm up, then a pyramid of 5min intervals of different speeds up to full at the top. 10min cool down.
Ramping up…3 HIM’s coming up in a few weeks/months:
3 hour spin following with 1 hour brick.
15min – WU
5min – 5% over threshold
5min – easy
6 x 2min x 3min – 30% over threshold
10min – CD
Thursday: I’ll be doing a 3 hour zone 2/3 endurance ride in the morning, and racing a criterium in the afternoon/evening.
Wake Up. Run 40 Minutes. Shower. Go to work.
Still easing back into training for Pittsburgh Marathon from shin splints so doing an easy 7 miles followed by 1000 meters in the pool. Trying out new shoes also, so should be a fun workout!
Tomorrow will be one hour on the bike trainer in Zone 2.
My early season swim workout:
15 minute warmup
5 x 100 on 2:00
5 x 50 on 1:00
200 with technique drills every other lap
100 cool down
Have a V02 workout scheduled for Tues. 4-6 x 5min w/5min Rest in between intervals – 106% – 115% of FTP.
Easy run to explore the new suburb that’s being built around the corner
This trainer workout is intended to build strength whilst preserving a focus on efficient pedal stroke.
Warm up: 15:00
Single-leg drills: 5 x 0:30 each leg with 1:00 spin between sets
High cadence drills: 5 x 1:00 @ 105-110 rpm w/ 1:00 spin
AT build w/ mixed cadence: 10:00 build to AT, alternate 1:00 each at 90+ and 60-70 rpm
Recovery: 5:00 easy spin
Power: 5:00-15:00 at lactate threshold (can build to LT if early in season)
Cool down: 10:00
Run 6 miles with 10 1-minute sprints.
Bike 45 miles with some olympic-distance race pace thrown in there.
swim
600m warm up
18x100m in 1’25, 10secs rest.
4′ rest
2×400 in 5’45
400m Cool down
6.25 mile run at half-marathon pace.
Yesterday: Snowshoe 3 miles.
Today: Cardio intervals x 30 minutes. Strength training arms x 30 minutes
Tomorrow: Spin bike 60 minutes indoors
Tuesday: Strength training legs x 45 minutes
Wednesday: Swim
Thursday: Hot Yoga x 60 minutes
Friday: Off
Repeat. :)
Sarah
http://www.thinfluenced.com
This week my only workout will be to shovel the snow from my parking space ;-)
Today was a quick run followed by some tough mudder specific strength training.
Today was a quick run followed by some tough mudder specific strength training
Swim somewhere between 1,000 – 1,250 total meters to get aerobic endurance up.
Ride the trainer during the hockey game endurance pace. High tempo during commercials and power plays.
This week I want to work out what my maximum heart rate is.
So this week I’m heading off to Nigeria with my bike!
Once I get there, my aim is to find a bunch of feisty hyenas out in the country side and entice them into chasing me by dragging some raw meat behind my bike.
I’m going to be seriously unhappy if I lose signal on my heart rate monitor and have to find some more hyenas to chase me.
Long run of 8 miles planned for this Thursday.
Actually get outside and run instead of talking about doing it.
Biking Farmer intervals! I live in a farm town. 10 mile straight county road. Farm houses are about a quarter mile apart. Hard to the first chicken farm then easy to Mr. Roses cattle farm then hard again to Thomas cow farm etc. That out to get the winter rust out of the pipes.
Wednesday: 90′ brick ride with 3×10′ @ 265w w/5′ RI @ 210w starting @ 50′; 30′ brick run
Swim:
2x 100m warmup
3 x 500m
100m cooldown
Goal #2, buy a watch to actually time myself as I don’t have anything right now! (Considering the Timex Run GPS 2.0??? vs other great DCRainmaker suggestions)
Training for tomorrow morning:
50 minutes running
– 5 minutes WU walking
– 40 minutes 8x (4 min running, 1 walking)
– 5 minutes cool down walking
Use the rowing machine to do 7000 meters each day for the next 7 days.
A lovely 3 hour trainer ride, blah!
I’ve got a two hour ride on the spin bike while watching old Ironman event coverage. Thanks Ray!
Brick workout tomorrow night…