Heads up! The big Garmin annual spring sale has started, with $200 off the Fenix 8 (first sale to date!), $100 off the Edge 1050, Forerunner 965 at $499, the Forerunner 265, the new Instinct 3, and countless other Garmin products including inReach Mini 2. Plus the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium is on sale, and some Suunto & Wahoo product deals too. Full list & thoughts 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 2024 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.
Saturday 12mi run easy pace. Sunday 12mi run at 30sec/mi faster than Sat. The dang Peeps were my weakness this weekend.
Ran 8 miles yesterday w/ 4 of them build to 10 miler race pace (Cherry Blossom 10 miler this weekend!). And will swim a 4k today with some IM and fast 50s.
After my free for all on my kids leftover chocolate bunnies and jelly beans, went for a 1.5 hour trainer road ride and 2 mile run.
2 hours of riding saturday and 2200 yards in the pool this morning. too many chocolate eggs.
28.5 long night miles on Saturday night as a final training run for Zumbro. One bag of Robin Eggs and one bag of peanut butter eggs more than offset the caloric loss from the miles.
I’ll go for a 40 minute tempo run
A quick spin to the local reservoir, with a few accelerations thrown in for good measure. I ended up eating too much of everything, chocolate croissants, apple cheddar pie, ‘robin eggs’, sugar cookies, oh my! Hope my metabolism stays in high-gear!
A simple easy run…
Just getting some cardio in. I wish I had a rigorous schedule, but I just can’t handle more than that now. Working up to being able to go the distance again!
60 minutes on Kurt Kinetic road machine combating the effects of the chocolate bunny.
Been sick all Easter so that has put a dent in my running plans and I have just had a few nibbles on my 1kg easter-egg….
90 minutes on the trainer :)
Did the GI Jane Crossfit WOD (100 Burpee PullUps). Reese’s eggs are my weakness!!!
To counter the many, many, many jelly beans and yellow “peeps” (4 young kids), I took the bike out for a quick 16 mile loop around the area.
I regularly volunteer at a local animal shelter helping rabbits get adopted to good homes. Therefore my “pre-Easter jelly bean binge” workout on Saturday aptly consisted of cleaning rabbit cages for several hours! Note I also did an eight-mile run on Sunday, but that was easier. : )
Went for a 9k run in the morning and spent my afternoon participating in an Easter scavenger hunt where I apparently covered another 15k on foot.
Hopefully some long miles on the bike.
Jueves y Viernes estuve corriendo por la montaña y el domingo salí 1 con la bici porque tenía muchísimo mono pero no disponía de más tiempo.
45 min of indoor cycling in the local gym…
Caminando por la montaña, llevo 8 meses sin correr y por fin la semana próxima nacerá mi hija. volveré a preparar carreras de 10km
15 min warm up, 5 x 1500 at 4 min /km rest 400 m, 15 min cool down
40 something miles on the bike, the first half into a 20mph headwind, the second half with it at my back.
I ran my fastest 5k in 21mins. :)
3 days of walking and standing in line at Disneyland. 8am to midnight. Brutal! I’d rather run 26.2.
I am taking my two-year-old on an 8-mile hike. I put him in one of the kid carriers and take off from my place to Tecolote Canyon, here in San Diego, CA. Forced marches are great because it breaks up the normal everyday run, it is still super tough, the kid sees his old man working out. A weighted backpack is cool, but for real excitement, the kid shifts around and leans out forcing you to adjust your balance on the fly.
3 hour easy trainer ride watching the tour of flanders. Had cheesecake afterwards, then strawberry shortcake for dinner
2 hour ride on the trainer…followed by another peanut butter egg to offset all my progress!
11 mile bike commute
45 Minute Swim at lunch:
Warmup:
500 Free
300 IM kick
Main Set:
500 Free (get pace hopefully < 1:20/100y), 50 recovery
400 (faster pace than the 500 pace), 50 recovery
300 (faster than 400), 50,
200, 50,
100 (fast as possible), 250 recovery.
11 mile bike commute
This morning a slow run, for 50 minutes, not for burning “eastern chocolade”, but because I love to run
I did a 30 mi hilly bike ride. My favorites candys are the French big dark chocolate Easter eggs. But don’t get them from a grocery store. You need to go to a patisserie that makes their own eggs and rabbits. They are much better.
Went for a wet muddy run. It’s was fun
Hoi Ray,
My Easter run: only on Easter Monday a quiet recovery training, about 13 k. Recover form a half marathon race a week ago (time 2hrs 1 min) (http://www.venloop.nl)
a nice and slow 17km trail run with my wife to burn all the chocolate eggs… just finished
3,000m swim followed by 8km easy run. Easy peasy, lots more chocolate to eat!
8k run, at 5:30min/km, to get over those delicious ferrero rochers!
No workout for me this Easter weekend. Rest is the key to fitness.
I could use some chocolate bunnies after that swim workout, but I would be okay with a new watch.
22mi bike ride with my fiancee.
Unfortunately, no training for me as I have arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday. Hoping for a great comback from the nagging knee injury.
21 km run to repair the Sins of Easter ;-)
90 minute easy spin. Burning off those damned peeps.
21 km run to repair the Sins of Easter
2 hours offroad ride with my girl and a couple of her friends, and whilst they got themselves ready and went out for lunch I went for a 90min offroad run and enjoyed watching the Tour of Flanders.
22mi bike ride with Mario.
2 hours offroad ride with my girl and a couple of her friends
Swimming for 1 hour 2 days in a row. At the moment the only thing i can do, due to knee problems
5k run in the books after a Cadbury Creme egg!
Long Run 29km getting ready for Ottawa Marathon (May 26th)
21 km to repair the Sins of Easter ;-)
– Friday: 8km interval run
– Saturday: 16km cross-country skiing in beautiful, sunny weather.
– Sunday: 10km, zone 3 run in very icy, slippery conditions
– Monday: 7km basic run
I was mostly able to pass the Kinder-eggs to my kids.
Counting down the days to ITU San Diego with a brick Bike to Run. Third part of the brick was Jelly Bean consumption.
Not only did I eat some Easter chocolate, my kids b-days are this week, so I got hit with the double-whammy. Chocolate and cake!
It’s amazing what that will do to your body. So I am doing the following workout:
1) Simply walk
2) A Day’s Worth of Convict Conditioning
3) A Few Sprints
I have not eaten much chocolate lately, so I’ll just run 10k.
60 minutes low cadence chocolate egg burning session on a rowing ergometer.
I ran 18.5 miles on Saturday in an attempt to run off the two bags of SweetTarts Chicks, Ducks, and Bunnies I consumed the previous week.
Typical april fools day training
30km bike tour in windy,cold but sunny conditions followed by a much required gardening session
Well just ate cheesecake and skipped the easter bunny. Will resume with run training and hopefully some biking when the cold weather, ice and salt has gone.
4 x 1200 at LT pace
I am doing as many push-ups as possible, with a set in the morning and a set in the evening.
60 min spin on the trainer, burning jelly beans and watching the wire
One easter bunny get me the pleasure to do 40km on the bike and then a 10km run.
Next year I will stay away of these chocolate animals ;-)
This Eastern I doubled, with a 10 km run on the Friday and an 8 km run on the Saturday. And the only treat I had was a bown of vanilla ice-cream, after…! :-)
Going for the 12k after the 18k of last weekend blew my knee…
A 20 miler on the bike, trying out the duathalon course again after we sucked so much doing it on Saturday
cheesecake frenzy followed by 15 of running in circles
I went to morning masters where we did all out 50s until my brain exploded. Which only burned off about a third of the 9 million marshmallow peeps that I ate yesterday (*urp)
18 mile long run
As a Swiss native, I am usually very pretentious with the ability of my body to process all the easter chocolate… It always ends up in a smooth 12K run the next day in Geneva as I have to face the tough reality….
Happy easter
Just biked a 60 miler and 5K of elevation . Now I can eat those discounted easter bunnies (just the ears).
270 min ride with 3 x 15 min @ T4 and 1 x 45 min @ T3
One hour with my mountain bike
No chocolate, but chicken and waffles for dinner was followed up by a 50 mile bike ride with a few sprints mixed in.
Today started with 1400m in the pool, and I’ll be doing a 30 min run when I get home from work.
Will be getting out side and riding after a winter indoors. Long slow distance!
Sick over the Easter but got my 2.15/20 brick session done today followed by Butlers praline eggs and a large coffee :-)
Happy Easter
Easter started Saturday with a 4 hour bike and some beers with friends. Easter morning was recovery from ride and beer. That afternoon was full of holiday snacks and cheer with only a mild feeling of guilt for no workout. Late in the day the guilt and bloated stomach forced me to the treadmill. By the way, dark chocolate bunnies do not have any calories!!!
Hour trainer ride for me.
Today I’ve got Boot camp and a 40 minute Z2 run. Later this week, things start to get a little more serious though. I’m in this predicament because of mini Reeces Eggs – those are the devil!!
Sick over the Easter but got my 2.15/20 brick session done today followed by Butlers praline eggs and a large coffee
Happy Easter
I did a 40K ride followed by a 10K run. Leadman 125 is April 14.
Sick over the Easter but got my 2.15hr /20min brick session done today followed by Butlers praline eggs and a large coffee
Happy Easter
10 km easy run @ 5.30 min/km
Sick over the Easter but got my 2.15hr 20min brick session done today followed by Butlers praline eggs and a large coffee
Happy Easter
In order to loose some weight and burn a lot of calories I went on a long and slow run. At the end I’ve done few strong accents – run on the 10th floor and I was soaking wet.
There is nothing better to get energy boost and feel great even with more pounds after Easter :)
I’m training for marathon in May, so I have my long run on Sunday. This Sunday 22 km. After this I’m ready for chocolate.
5 Mile tempo run.
60 minute circuit training tonight, and 70 minute tempo brick tomorrow morning before heading to the airport. All to offset the seven-layer Passover cake that had way more sugar in the frosting than it appeared…
Just got back from a long trip. Sunday I did a 7 mile morning run and 6.5 afternoon run with my wife.
6-mile “long” run. Just getting back to running after a new baby. My Easter candy to overcome…Starburst Tropical Jelly Beans.
Any riding and weights I can get in at the hotel. Visiting my mom
A metric century on the bike (62 mi) on Saturday, to pre-burn the Easter desserts.
Any riding and weights I can get in at the hotel. Visiting my mom in California
3.9 swim to burn the Sunday roast….
Lake Champlain chocolate eggs with raspberry filling – no extra work, just a 5 mile run as scheduled.
Lord of the Treadmill: 29k on the treadmill (really bad weather) while watching Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring extended edition.
I plan a regeneration week after hard sessions at the table ;)
The peeps.
The peeps.
Oh my god the peeps.
(Are there enough miles to help me get over all the peeps?)
I don’t know, but I did 90 minutes of running before the peeps and 90 minutes of cycling afterwards. And yet I still dreamed of those little rainbow color disasters chasing me.
I preemptively ran a 5k race, took 1st in my AG, 14th overall…so I “earned” the right to eat orange and very cherry Jelly Belly Dips, along with some watermelon Nerds, and probably some other things…but I can’t find those wrappers anymore.
I went to a Crossfit class this morning and ran miles to knock off the candy weight added this past week. My mother-in-law loves to buy my wife and me Sour Patch Kids.