You Win–You Choose DC Rainmaker Giveaway!

IMG_1476

Because it’s the end of February (already!), and because this month got shorted 2-3 days.  And because I found two cake stands while The Girl was out today and they made pretty holders.  No, I didn’t tie those bows.  Or choose the colors.  It’s like a buffet table of devices.

This month, I’m going to mix things up a bit.  In the past I selected a gadget that I thought would be interesting to you.  This time however, I’m letting you choose which gadget you want to win.  Yup, if you want the Suunto Ambit– it’s yours!  If you want the Garmin FR910XT – same thing.  Perhaps you’d like the Magellan Switch – again, yours.  Whatever fits your training best (up to $500US), I’m giving it to ya.  Ok, actually, Clever Training is giving it to you.

For example, say you’re a swimmer – you’ll probably want the Garmin Swim.  Or perhaps you’re a cyclist, you may prefer a CycleOps Joule or Joule GPS devices.

IMG_1479

Or maybe you’re of the Suunto, Timex or Magellan persuasion – don’t worry, those are there too.

IMG_1478

Then again, what if you were eyeing that Wahoo KICKR trainer poking out there in the background?

IMG_1482

Well, no worries, we’ll go splitsies on it (yes, I checked, that’s the common spelling).  You’ll get a $500US credit to Clever Training and you cover the rest beyond that.  Shipping for items is on me, so fear not.  And, as long as it’s under $500 you just tell me which item and like usual magic occurs.  You can wander around their site and pick out your mid-spring present to yourself.

Except, you cannot use the credit for pony’s, bunnies, or kittens.  And, the credit’s only good for a single packaged item.  Toys R US midnight dash this is not.  So choose wisely!

To enter yourself in, simply:

Detail out one workout that you have planned for sometime in the next seven days. If it’s as simple as “Run 2 hours at hard pace and don’t die”, then go with that.  If it’s more complex like a track or pool workout, detail out the steps.  At the end, we’ll end up with what should be fairly interesting workout library (or, a lot of confusing advice).

Got it?

Entries will be accepted through Sunday night, 11:59PM Eastern time (March 3rd, 2013).  I’ll be giving one device worth up to $500US from Clever Training.   Winner will be chosen at random and announced on roughly Tuesday (unless I can’t walk after Sunday’s half-marathon).  One entry per person.

This giveaway is sponsored by Clever Training, which I I have announced a partnership with.  As you probably remember, by picking up sports technology gadgets from Clever Training you support the site.  And on top of that, all DC Rainmaker readers get an exclusive 10% off all products they sell (basically every sports tech company/gadget/device) using coupon code DCR10BTF (along with the link above).  And most of all, you support the site in a big way – so I appreciate it!

Note, if you’re US Active Duty Military – you can submit your entry via e-mail instead.  Note that this is ONLY for Active Duty military.  No panda trainers or ice cream chefs allowed via this method.  Mmmkay?  Thanks all!

FOUND THIS POST USEFUL? SUPPORT THE SITE!

Hopefully, you found this post useful. The website is really a labor of love, so please consider becoming a DC RAINMAKER Supporter. This gets you an ad-free experience, and access to our (mostly) bi-monthly behind-the-scenes video series of “Shed Talkin’”.

Support DCRainMaker - Shop on Amazon

Otherwise, perhaps consider using the below link if shopping on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but your purchases help support this website a lot. It could simply be buying toilet paper, or this pizza oven we use and love.

Tags:

2,783 Comments

  1. Shaya.

    Outdoor hilly ride Saturday, total time: 3.5hrs, Zone 3/4
    Work: 10 x 3′ uphill – Roll back for recovery
    Then 3 x 5′ strong/5′ spin – flatish – eg; Slcoal TT loop.
    Start and finish w/ 4 x 30″/30″ fast legs.

  2. Scott

    1 hour z2 bike @ 15 minutes, 3 interval sets of (5m z4 followed by 3m spin)

  3. Peter M

    Tomorrow I plan to cycle my 10k in the morning and 10k in the afternoon. The planned HR zone is 60-70%, as this is one of my first workouts after a nasty flu. Goal is to keep the impact low and start slow. Hope to fill the recovery time after with extensive walking and enjoying being out again.

  4. Knee injury on both legs stopped me for a while, but my physical therapist told me to try to run over the pain a bit as long the pain is not raising too much.

    So I will do a 3 mins warmup – 26 min at 5:30-5:40 pace (min/km) and a smooth 3 minute cool down.

    Cheers,

    Daniel

  5. Brian

    Just a 5-miler on Saturday. Fighting through Achilles problems, so nothing too hard 🙂

  6. I am doing a 4.5 hour ride with the last hour at threshold, then a 40 minute run at threshold/race effort with the last 15 minutes at 5k pace

  7. Peter Gal

    Tomorrow I’m hoping to have the first outdoor (after months indoor) horse riding training of the year thanks for the first reasonably sunny days and during next week as snow finally melted away, I’ll get the winter dust off from my bike and start going to work riding it again.

  8. Magnus

    I am just aiming to get some distance in this weekend. Looking forward to a two hour-ish run.
    The snow has finally melted.
    It is getting warmer.
    Marathon season is closing in 🙂

  9. Rich

    Getting back to running after 2 years on and off with an ITBS problem. So just building up the distance and speed. Got a nice 10k loop part road and off road that I’ll do on Sat.

  10. Leo Flindall

    City of London Interval Course – Creative interval training on the way home from the office.

    1) Start at office (near Tower Bridge) and run around half mile warm up to the Millenium Bridge Steps. (1)

    2) 10 reps of full effort sprints up the steps to the bridge. Jog back down.

    3) Run across bridge to south side of the river and run along the river towards the Royal Festival Hall. (1)

    4) On the Bank outside the hall do laps of ‘run 400m, 200m easy’. Repeat 6 times, up and down the South Bank. (2.25)

    5) Continue along the river and cross Westminster Bridge, past the houses of Parliament, and into St. James Park. (1)

    6) Run 1 full lap of the lake in the park at fast pace. Rest for 2 minutes. (1)

    7) Run around Green Park, into Hyde Park and around to Lancaster Gate (St. James, Green and Hyde Park all connect)

    8) Continue up the road to home. (3.5, Total just under 10 Miles)

    9) Warm Down.

    10) Eat LARGE bowl of Sausage and Mash.

    11) Collapse into Bed!

  11. Francois

    On Saturday I’ll be doing one lap of the Challenge Roth bike course on my Tacx trainer (i-Flow), at the same intensity I held in a half-ironman bike last summer. This will be a good indicator of where my bike fitness is.

    In the winter I really enjoy RLVs as they make the experience enjoyable. I pick a video based on what I want to accomplish and the video dictates the effort; no mental work required. Tuesdays are VO2Max intervals, so I look for short rolling hills. Saturdays are longer tempo work, so I choose mountain passes. On easy days I’ll pick a flat course.

    No sense being burnt out from doing too many 2x20s before even being able to ride outside.

    I’ll consider upgrading to a Wahoo Kickr if the software turns out great, but in the meantime I could really use a 910XT. 🙂

  12. 35 mile hilly route bicycle ride

  13. Leandro

    This one is from TrainerRoad, I did it last week and killed me at my new FTP (that’s what I get for bragging)
    Ride is called “The Thumb”

    WU: 20 min
    10min easy ride, 3 min at FTP, 2 x 1 min 100% and 120% FTP, clearing

    MS: 10x 3min 105% FTP to 120% FTP, 4 min recovery in between

    CD:4 min easy ride.

    It will be done this Saturday.

  14. Daniela S.

    Frosty 5K race on Sunday, March 3. Hope it does not snow. And maybe in the evening a short 45min bike ride on the bike trainer.

  15. Stu Duckworth

    Well…..

    Saturdays workout is my commute to work. On the way there, gentle Z1 warm up for 4 miles followed by around 250yds of submarine style paddling through a flooded road, hoping my BB30 doesn’t fill up with water (that’s if it isn’t frozen solid when I will need to go into icebreaker mode). Then 500 yds of recovery interval (AKA 2-3mph hoping not to fall off on the ice). A hilly 5 miles in Z2 followed by urban traffic light/roundabout Z4-Z5 sprints into the middle of Birmingham, UK avoiding taxis and buses. 8 hour recovery interval (or ‘work’ as it’s called) followed by 20 mile reversal of above route, in dark, and hoping for a tailwind to counteract the inevitable headwind from the morning’s ride.

    Stu

  16. Sebastian

    My plan is to run 20K on sunday.

  17. Jason Berry

    1.5 Hour Long Steady Distance Run on Saturday.

  18. ssandijss

    1 hour indoor cycliing:
    10min wu;
    10min Z2;
    10min just below anaerobic treshold;
    5min recovery;
    10min just below anaerobic treshold;
    15min wd.

  19. Mike

    The dreaded 30 minute FTP Test!!!

  20. I have a nice 4.5km 6% hill on my ride home. I plan to ride it in pyramid intervals: 1 minute on, 30 seconds bottom gear recovery, 2 minutes on, 1 minute recovery, 3 minutes on, 1.5 minute recovery, 4 minutes on, max effort for as long as I can hold it. That’ll be the top of that hill — if I don’t die first. 4 minutes recovery spin, which will take me to a false flat. Then I’ll reverse those intervals. And roll gently home.

  21. PMKofahl

    I’m a Spinning Instructor so my days goes something like this tomorrow (Friday):
    5:30AM Spinning Class #1
    6:30AM Abs
    7:45AM Stairs
    9:30AM Spinning Class #2
    10:30AM Weights (Bi’s and Tri’s)

  22. Dwayne Smith

    I be doing hill repeats like this link to connect.garmin.com

  23. Dion

    My plan is to run 30k saturday at 8 in the morning – not sure what pace. The point is to get some kilometers in the legs before Hamburg Marathon 2013. First run on that distance in minimalist shoes 🙂

  24. TriAbel

    Next tuesday:

    8 AM: one hour of swim drills

    8PM: 30 minutes of running.

  25. Florian

    Hi,
    Unless the temps start rising dramatically here in Austria, I’ll be keeping it fresh on the Tacx this weekend.
    Shooting for 2-3 hours.
    1) 15 mins warumup with 3×2 single leg drills & couple of high cadence efforts
    2) 1 hour at 180W (No clue what %FTP that is right now, haven’t tested in a while…)
    3) +10W every 15 Minutes until I start asking myself why I am doing all of this…
    4) 5 mins cooldown
    5) Refueling & Stretching
    happy SBR everybody!

  26. Henrik

    I will do a 2×36 minutes run in easy tempo at sunday, hopefully most of the snow is melted away here in Stockholm.

  27. Bob Lew

    Friday will likely be unseasonably warm, 60º F, in Washington. I plan to run slowly for an hour or two outside to celebrate pre-Spring, Global Warming.

  28. Rob

    Sunday’s track workout
    1600
    400 recover
    1200
    400 recover
    800
    400 recover
    400
    400 recover
    800
    400 recover
    1200
    400 recover
    1600
    400 recover
    Pass out

  29. David Keith

    recovering from a calf strain, so hoping to make it through a nice easy 3 mile run.

  30. Rod

    Running a couple of short 2.5 mile runs this weekend. No hills yet, keeping it easy to start the season. Push the pace the last mile.

  31. TrailRunner

    Running up Mt. Si on Saturday – unless there is a snow dump too good to pass up. Elevation gain is 4,167 feet in 4 miles. I go a lot slower down when it is wet, which is likely this time of year.

  32. Tisztul_A_Visztula

    A some sort of sprint duathlon event: 5km run, 20km cycling, 2.5km run

  33. Mike 'Woody' P.

    Easy Friday lunch run time tomorrow, 22 km/13.67 miles – yes, it’s a longer lunch break, I’m not THAT fast..

  34. david

    Warm up 20 minutes, then run ina progression for 45 minutes e cool down in a easy 20 minutes jog.

  35. Francesco

    1km warm up
    14 km run, medium effort

  36. Michael Neugebauer

    Doing a 3 mile run with obstacles Saturday

  37. Vo2 Max Swim Workout

    W/U:
    4 x (100 Free, 100 Drill, 50 Stroke, 50 Kick)
    M/S:
    6 x 100 Free Zone 6 Pace (1:00 R.I.)
    6 x 300 Free Easy (:20 R.I.)
    6 x 100 Free Zone 6 Pace (1:00 R.I.)
    C/D:
    100 Stroke
    100 Drill
    100 Free

    4,500 Yards

  38. Dack

    Tomorrow’s workout:

    5.25 mile run.
    .25 mile warm up at 12min mile pace
    .25 mile at 10 min mile pace
    laddering up on the mile(s).
    1 mile at 9:30 min mile pace
    1 mile at 9 min mile pace
    1 mile at 8:30 min mile pace
    1 mile at 8 min mile pace
    .50 mile at 7:30 min mile pace
    CD .25 mile at 10 min mile pace

  39. Justin Kong

    3 1/2 hour bike ride on Sunday at a zone 2 effort

  40. screwdriver

    Temperature is rising and snow melted down here in Kielce (Poland), so I think 15km run + 20km bicycle ride on saturday (first time this year) is a good plan 🙂

  41. Mark Nickerson

    Friday March 1, 2013 5:00am – Get back into the pool! Swim 1,850 Yards.
    Friday March 1, 2013 5:00pm – 5+ Miles along the Charles.

  42. LesR

    Trying to do 13 at race pace in prep for the Rock and Roll DC in two weeks

  43. John Wood

    Very simple workout this weekend. I have two HMs next month, so this weekend I plan on a progressive 2 hour out and back. One hour out at regular long run pace, then back with each mile slightly faster, finishing with last two miles at race pace.

  44. Classic 4×4 on an ergometer bike

    10min warmup
    4x4m at 115%FTP with 3m easy pedaling between intervals
    5min cooldown

  45. Emmanouil

    After warming up
    6X1000m fast downhill /1000m easy uphill
    warming down

  46. Robert P

    Pedal Stroke Efficiency

    -15min CP180 with minimum of 95rpm
    -5min 105rpm / 2min Recovery
    -3min 110rpm / 2min Recovery
    -1min 120rpm / 2min Recovery
    -3min 110rpm / 2min Recovery
    -5min 105rpm / 2min Recovery
    -32min CP180 with minimum of 95rpm.
    During each high cadence interval focus solely on the cadence.

  47. This weekend is Boot Camp weekend for my Team in Training group, so I’ll show up and do whatever they ask me to do for 7 hours straight on Saturday. And then again on Sunday.

  48. Edu

    4:15 in Barcelona Marathon

  49. Zac

    Climb Mt. Diablo on my bike.

  50. Kevin

    Winter brick. One hour spin class into a 5k rin at a easy pace

  51. Janne

    Take a approx 75 km training pass on my Tacx RLV trainer next sunday. I havn’t yet decided on the route, choices being:
    – Easy, flat “Training with Marianne Vos” (the whole course). But then it needs to be done in 2 hours.
    – Less easy with some nice hills, maybe the Schwartzwald. Doubt 3 hours is enough…

  52. Autumn

    Brick workout in preparation for Triathlon season that is coming up.

    Bike 30 minutes on the trainer at a cadence of 90 rpm or higher, as well as at a speed of 15 mph or higher.

    Run 30 minutes outside. Run as far as possible in the 30 minutes given (8:00 m/m goal pace)

  53. Lars Viborg (@larsviborg)

    Make a run n’ bike workout.

    2K fast running
    5K slow MTB
    2K slow running
    5K fast MTB

  54. Chris

    Just got a powertap so looking forward to a trainerroad 8 minute test to see how close the virtual power was.

  55. Mario Lira Junior

    Since I workout mostly on the gym, I´ll go with my simplest lineup
    40 minutes at the treadmill, about 9 kph (usually a bit lower than that)
    45 minutes at the exercise bike, somewhere around 150-200 watts, and around 75 rpm
    20 minutes at the elliptical machine, at about 10 kph and about 130 heart bpm
    Repeat that every two days.
    The other days include about 30 minutes in each of the machines, with differing speeds and resistances depending on the day, and somewhere on the 30-35 minute range of several weightlifting exercises

  56. Nick

    Run 7miles and do 30mins of plyometrics after.

  57. Richard Morrison

    Book my first half marathon on Saturday

    Go for my longest run yet (7 miles) on Sunday

  58. Nimsky

    Upcoming Saturday: 12-15Km @Marathon pace.

  59. Chris

    New powertap purchased so trainerroad FTP test coming.

  60. Tom B

    Riding the new bike about 55km out to the north head in sydney harbour

  61. Kay Estes

    Saturday’s Quadfecta
    10 mile run with 1-2 fartleks each mile from #4-8
    60 minute spin class
    60 minute Body Pump class
    Swim – 200 warm up
    10x 50’s on 1:15
    20x 25’s on 40 sec
    100 cool down

    THEN…snack, shower, food, beer, nap (pretty much in that order).

  62. Kay Estes

    Saturday’s Quadfecta
    10 mile run with 1-2 fartleks each mile from #4-8
    60 minute spin class
    60 minute Body Pump class
    Swim – 200 warm up
    10x 50’s on 1:15
    20x 25’s on 40 sec
    100 cool down
    THEN…snack, shower, food, beer, nap (pretty much in that order).

  63. Alex

    Run. For 1 hour. As fast as I can under -8°C weather.

  64. As spring arives, I’ll going 2km morning swim, 10km trail for lunch and evening 2 hours spinning. And then … beer or two 🙂

  65. Michael Mulvihill

    The Wednesday TTT Paceline Ride (4-6 participants)

    1 hour warmup to meeting point
    1.5 hours rotating pace line
    – First 30 min in continuous double-paceline rotation (averaged power 90-95% FTP)
    – Second 30 min 30 second – 1 minute pulls (averaged power 105-110% FTP)
    – Third 30 min folks get shelled, take the pulls you can handle @ 100% FTP
    1 – 1.5 hours home

  66. Paul

    Tempo ride – been adding 10-15 mins a week, up next week is 1:20 in zone 3.

  67. Gabriel

    Back to running after a month long break requires a 10k easy pace, with 1 min pickups every mile.

  68. Marianne R

    My next run will be on Saturday: 5km slow pace + 4 x 30 seconds as fast as I can (2 minutes between each fast interval). With snow storm coming in, it should be fun!!!

  69. Giovanni

    Sunday morning, a nice 40 Km ride in the hilly Cotswold, Oxfordshire… weather permitting!

  70. Olivier C.

    Les 100 premiers KM de Liège-Bastogne-Liège et ensuite une leffe blonde

    The first 100 Km of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and then a leffe blonde

  71. Mikel

    Easy run 4 miles.

  72. Noel P

    20 minutes warm-up, 4 x 2 min Single Leg, 4 x 15 min 80% w/ 2 min recovery, 10 min cool down… 1 x 10 minute beer.

  73. mins Gear rpm Details
    4 Small 90-100 Warm up / Loose up
    3 Bgx15 80 3 times 30″ spin ups and 30″ rest
    2 Bgx16 35-40 km/h
    2 Smx16 110
    3 Smx16 80-100 3 times 30″ left leg only and 30″ right leg only
    1 Smx16 90-110
    1 Bgx16 30-35 km/h
    2 Smx16 90-110
    3 Smx16 >80 3 times 30″ spin ups and 30″ rest
    2 Bgx16 35-40 km/h
    2 Smx16 110
    3 Smx16 80-100 3 times 30″ left leg only and 30″ right leg only
    2 Smx16 110
    2 Bgx16 80-100 High speed!
    4 Small 100-110 Cool down and stretch afterwards

  74. Chris

    Finished the Birkie 50K XC ski race last weekend in Wisconsin. Legs are asking for another beating so planning on a 20+ mile run this weekend for Boston Marathon prep.

  75. Jason

    Saturday is a brick workout. Pretty cold here so winter gear is a necessity. Probably end up riding 20ish then a 4 mile run.. Then, of course, we eat!

  76. Nathan

    Tomorrow, I plan to run two laps of a 12 km loop through the forest. Each loop has about 350m altitude gain/drop. When I ran it last week, the muddy ground was all iced over so I am hoping for better conditions this time.

    1 hour per loop. Not quick, fairly technical trails.

  77. Georgemoe

    Starting my 5k training hopefully by Sunday.

  78. Nick

    3-4 hrs on the bike, mostly z2

  79. Marcos

    Bike 80km folowed by 8k run
    10k warmup + 7x 10k progressive zone steady pace
    Run 2k z2 +2k z4 two times

  80. Marcos

    Bike 80km folowed by 8k run

  81. Ryan

    3x Strength Endurance efforts up a 4km hill.

  82. My run training for Sunday: 10 min. warm-up, 10 min. technical drills, 60 min. easy pace

  83. Marcos

    Bike 80km

  84. Derek Cornwall

    Take the new mountain bike out for a 2 hour quality trail ride followed by a 3 mile trail run.

  85. Paul Young

    30 minute run at 7min/mile pace tomorrow with a bit of Fartlek thrown in for good measure!
    Bike about 2 hours on Saturday morning
    Rest Sunday
    Build up training gradually over the next few months…half Marathon in September
    …lose 5Kg ballast as soon as possible….avoid cakes

  86. Tom

    Aiming for a 20 mile run at medium intensity on Sunday (praying the weather forecast stays nice) in preparation for Paris on 7 April! Good luck to everyone else on their way there.

  87. kdobson

    Spin class 45 min, straight away . . .
    Switch to stationary bike 30 min medium resistance
    Run 25 min (10 medium pace, 10 hard, 5 easy)
    Swim 20 min fairly easy
    2 Hour Workout . . . You’re done!

  88. Joe Y

    1 mile warmup
    4x 400 cut-downs starting at 1:15, dropping 3 seconds each time.
    3 mile cool down
    (training for mile run in track, not a tri)

  89. Cindy Bahena

    Saturday brick – ride 70, run 8; all HIM effort

  90. walk 60K with 2500m of elevation gain, and as much again of descent. Too cold for a swim in the sea at the end though.

  91. Vincent B

    Stepping up training as it gets warmer her in DC. 2km swim in the morning, 50 mile ride and then an easy 5 miles before it gets dark.

  92. Kay Estes

    Saturday quadfecta

    10 mile run with fartleks in miles 3-8
    1 hour Spin class
    1 hour Body Pup class
    Swim session-200 W5U
    10x 50’s on 1:
    5
    20x 25’s on 40 sec
    200 CD

    Eat, shower, eat, nap.

  93. Grant Ironside

    Supposed to be:
    2 hour long ride – endurance focus
    Z1 on flats and Z3 – 4 on hills
    All steady state riding with cadence at 75 – 90rpm

    Given the rain in Sydney it will more likely be:
    Sufferfest – Local Hero
    3×6:00 TT pyramids, 6x 3:00 tempo and power laps and 4x :30sprints!

  94. Stephen Morgan

    Trainer Road Donner 3x15min @ 95%FTP

  95. Matthew Aguirre

    Saturday 3/2/13:
    Morning Swim – Easy 10 min with a couple Sprints
    Afternoon Bike – 15-20min (Make sure bike is working correctly)

    Sunday 3/3/13: Race Day!! (Desert Triathlon International Dist)

  96. Julien

    Mon:10k easy run to work
    Tue: strength training at the gym
    Wed: Cycling on test track @ lunch time
    Running on the all-weather running track, after work
    Thu: Rest, deserved!
    Fri: Swim training with triathlon club

    WE: party!!!!

  97. 6 miles for the first time. Farklets the rest of the week.

  98. Ragnar

    15 km cross country skiing without the cramps

  99. Santi Machim

    500 easy
    200 one arm
    200 fists
    200 high elbows
    500 paddles
    500 pull buoy

  100. Jeff Haring

    Long run on Sunday in prep for April marathon, 17-18 miles at ~8 minute pace.