Heads up! There’s some pretty substantial sales that just started. For watches, the Garmin Epix is down to $499, and the Fenix 7 to $449, with the Pro editions also $200 off! Meanwhile the top-end Edge 1040 cycling GPS is down to $499, and both the Edge 540 & Edge 840 are also on sale. As is Varia radar for $149. Some incredible deals, and ll the deals are 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:
With TPC (The Pro's Closet), you'll save $40 on purchases over $200 with coupon code DCRAIN40 for tech and non-tech purchases!
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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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 and Equipment 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! 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.
I did 10 miles easy yesterday and will be doing hill repeats up a high rise bridge on Tuesday, 10×400 straight up for 0.25 miles. The cadburry mini eggs and cadburry cream eggs are too delicious to pass up and I go a little crazy for them this time of the year!
Run 45 miles over the next week training for my upcoming marathon in may.
5Km Parkrun yesterday, 5aside football tonight, then fit new kitchen tomorrow. A new take on a triathlon!!
Would happily do 2 ironmans b2b as i hate DIY.
24km trail run today to burn off some of the Lindt Easter eggs
8×3′ strong, 1′ base, total 1 hour run
100km TT followed by 8x1km at a little above race pace
a 4 mile run along with a short fun bike ride hopefully to counter the hot cross loaf I’ve been eating
Completely fell off the wagon. Visiting family and eating way to much. Normally 3 to 6 miles a day. Will be running that damn bunny off for a couple of weeks!
Absolutely pissing rain here in NC… gonna hit the gym for a crossfit workout (open workout 13.4 – a 7minute ladder of Clean and Jerk and Toes to Bar, ascending in 3s) in about an hour, and a 90 minute swim at 4.
Today is a 4.0 mile recovery run and then tomorrow speed session on treadmill or at track if above 40 and no rain :-) Love my Yellow Peep Chicks :-) but now got to work them off.
30 mile bike zone 3 on Saturday to easy the pain. Then another 30-60 mile bike zone 3 on Sunday to make the bad men go away from all the good stuff.
No workout on Easter – just some easy effort the day before to stave off all of the jelly beans.
90km Bike with 30min brick run followed by 5 easter eggs.
In Hungary, we don’t take Easter dishes easily…
An approximate 3-4000 calories are guaranteed throughout the weekend, so next week, I’m going to get back to hard work.:)
Mon-Tue-Wed: Easy morning runs+boidy weight strength trainnig, and an interval Tuesday afternoon.
Thursday is all out 3k military championship. Going for the podium.
Happy Easter everyone!
Bike / elliptical work (rehabbing a hip injury). I see lots of jelly beans in my future!
Due to the ministrations of both a Lindt chocolate bunny on Friday and then multiple Cadbury Mini-Eggs attacks yesterday, I’ll be hitting the bike for 60ish miles and a few thousand vertical feet around Philadelphia this morning before getting on the red-eye to the UK tonight with the express intent of gorging on cut-price chocolate Easter eggs tomorrow…..
No single workout could compensate for the mass of oh so tasty treats I’ve consumed so far- and Easter has just started here. Tomorrow I’m shooting for 2x45min at LT to at least take advantage of carbing up
Easter Candy was only two bites of 80% Coco chocolate. Yum. Workout is 10 miles with warm up of 1 mile, 2 miles Easy, 4×1 miles at HMP, then 2 miles cool down.
Inline skating for 7+ miles right down the center of deserted residential streets in the early AM of Easter morning.
I have a 2 20min FTP test for today!
I broked my RD and the bike is now at the shop. I wanted to ride this weekend but I’m pretty sure the mechs are eating chocolate instead of fixing it so I’ll just run till I drop. ( I hope I won’t really drop).
1 hour on the bike and a 40 min run.
13mi bike followed with 4mi run
“Let me know which workout you’ll be doing in an attempt to override any Easter-associated candy that may be consumed. If for some completely unexplainable reason you aren’t biting the head off of a chocolate bunny, feel free to just pick your Sunday workout (or nearest completed workout). Extra points for listing the Easter candy that put you in this predicament.”
(NOTE: I follow rules exactly how they are requested. You said to leave a comment with the following, so I did :D)
OK, enough humor… my hope is to take my new Tri bike out on the road today for the first time as it has been relegated to trainer for the two months of ownership. I plan to ride it a extra hard because I am conspiring to murder a chocolate bunny today. It’s chocolate rabbit hunting season!
Easy spin today, legs and weather permitting . I did my easter bunny burn yesterday, a 20 mile run. I’m training for my first marathon which is quickly approaching. So far I’ve actually not had ANY easter candy. I’ll see if I can’t change that today as well.
Still recovering from a knee injury, but will hopefully be doing a 10k steady run, today, with an hour in the pool later in the evening.
After an 18 mile run, I think 2 hours easy on the bike is in order.
My run will be a small run of about 5 miles with steady pace..
I was going to do my first brick of the year outside, but the pollen is coming down like snow, so back on the trainer!
Any candy my 4 year old leaves sitting around.
2 hour bike followed by 30 min ez run.
Bike is 25 min warm-up, ms: 2×20 FTP 4 min ez between 1×15 FTP rest on the time at IM power zone.
I’m planning on riding our local 1,000′ climb (Mount Scott) once for every 200 calories of delicious candy I eat. I may be out there for a while!
7.6 miles yesterday, 6 miles today. I think I might be able to eat a mini chocolate cream egg! =)
I definitely need to get a workout in today. To compensate for the wine I *have* consumed and the chocolate I *will be* consuming :-). It will be an easy run, and u also hope to get the bike ready so maybe a short bike ride will happen as well! Happy Easter!
Plan on running today around 5 miles. Went out last night so it’s a recovery. 10 mile race in 1 month.
Having eaten/shared the chocolate bunny……I will do a 9.5 mile Mountain Biking Trail ride through the hills of North Carolina!
I’m going to the track & will do intervals (6x @2:30 min hard, 1 min rest). Hard = 90% max heart rate. A warm up & cool down, too. ^^
Bike 6x(4×30/30) @ Vo2/Z5/Very Hard. Take 2′ easy between each set of 4×30/30s
Plan on running 18km to recover the food and wine we have consumed and will be this evening.
Just finished 10k run “hunting the bunny” !
Just finished my 10km Easter run. To make it a bit more fun, in the middle did 1km fast run. In the evening will do one of those nice trainerroad.com 90min workouts.
As our hills are still covered with snow and ice I did a 28km long run on the roads this morning. Should burn down the calories of the chocolate I am still hoping to get this weekend.
30 mi bike and 6mi run for polishing off an entire chocolate bunny.
Long tempo style workout tomorrow.
-15 Minutes on
-5 Minutes off
-15 Minutes on
I’ll be burning off some Reese’s and this massive brunch!
Box of four creme eggs = 13 mile run around Austin town lake! Got to be done!
Putting in a 10 mile run to make room for all the Easter ham I’ll be eating later.
I’d love to post up my workouts for today, or any coming up this week, but this cold I have had for the last two weeks has convinced me to shut it down for at least the next week while I try to recover. However, if I am able to recover quickly I will be attempting some 5x5x5s @110-112% for my first workout back on the bike.
Last longish run before Berlin half marathon: a “wintery-rather-than-eastery” 17K! As a reward: colorful eggs! the sweet tooth is missing in my dentition… :)
I’ve got a 10 mile run on deck. Haven’t done any splurging on Easter candy. But we had a board game day yesterday, and I ate too much pizza.
Short, easy run to recover from yesterday’s long run! and numerous chocolate rabbits… :)
18 mile run…it was my daughter’s chocolate bunny that got me!
At wake up “OMG it’s so late.. :O” (Forgot new hour)
Immediately 3km run, then a typical “sunday french breakfast”.
Little rest then going for 3h out on my bike. (No rabbit, No eggs, nothing to see) :(
Now recovery and looking tour of flanders!
My ‘endurance’ 2 hour ride as part of week 2 of the Computrainer PIG training program.
I’ll be doing an 8 miler to combat those pesky Reese’s eggs. Hopefully it doesn’t rain!
Special Easter run (when running in group):
– Form 2 teams,
– One person of each team announces his target time to run 1 lap around the track,
– The coach times the 2 “pace makers” of each team,
– The team that gets the closest to the target time wins a chocolate egg,
– Repeat as many times as there are members in each team…
At the end of the training, everyone gets to share the eggs won during the run. Some chocolate well deserved! We have done that last week with the mates and it’s good fun!
W&OD run – Cadbury Cremes, of course!
7k jog
Apple pie!
30 min trainer ride.
90 minutes easy swim !
Today is a rest day and I am on a taper for the Boston Marathon. So I have to watch how many peeps and chocolate chickens consumed today.
In just 2 weeks I will be representing Team CMT in the Boston Marathon. Team CMT has 120 athletes raising awareness for Charcot-Marie-Tooth. CMT is the most common neuromuscular disorder affecting 155,000 Americans, as many as MS. I will be running in the Mobility impaired division wearing number 21,109. To learm more about CMT http://www.run4cmt.com
I have calculated that my wife’s delicious brownies, and associated easter weekend chocs, will have me running for the next month no less than 25km a week… I wouldn’t have it any different though ;-)
Strength training today — injury prevention is key! And chocolate … lots of chocolate!
2 hour bike trainer
Hopefully I can get on my bike for an hour if my travels home are quick enough… Otherwise I guess I’ll start burning the calories tomorrow with a Masters Swim session.
For most recently completed, we were able to get a 2 hour run in yesterday morning while away from home.
I will run 5-6 miles tonight in an attempt to work off my daughters chocolate bunny. She can’t eat then entire thing, right?
Hitting the track. 6 x 1 mile speed work.
The 30 minute swim will counter act the over eating of everything except the chocolate. The hour bike ride is specifically targeted just for the chocolate. That sounds about right. Happy Easter!
Hopefully I can get on my bike for an hour if my travels home are quick enough.
For most recently completed, we were able to get a 2 hour run in yesterday morning while away from home.
5 mile run in snowy Wales. Can’t wait! Lovely friends bought us a massive Easter Egg…
5/6 km running
+
30 minutes of sprints
5k run in a bunny suite :-)
This year I went preemptive. No more bad feelings after eating!
hunt the bunny
7 mile run to work off that big Easter brunch!
running a mile for every easter egg I find in the hunt…im a sucker for cadberry eggs
Running off my Cadbury Eggs and Trader Joe’s Gourmet Jelly Beans today! Last long run before the DC Cherry Blossom 10 miler!
5k run and an 1 hour of Tacx Home trainer because of the 2nd serving of Ferrero Rocher.
Happy easter
Sylvie
2 hour easy spin on trainer
60 minutes of Z2 on the trainer then 60 minute Z2 run.
After munching on the kids’ chocolate goodies and robin’s eggs, followed by the obligatory smorgasbord brunch, I’ll be lacing up and running 6 miles @ HR zone 2. Slow burn!
6.5 mile taper before a half next weekend! Reese Peanut Butter Rabbits – get me every year :/.
8k run this evening at an easy pace.
Tomorrow I’ll try to head out for cycling – let’s see what the weather looks like :)
I’ll be lifting the remote control. Repeatedly. While screaming at my children to stop eating candy all over the house. Aw, OK…I’ll probably go for a run this morning, too.
I have a date w the spin bike.
Since it’s colder & there is more snow than on christmas i did a 20 km nordic skating run. #great!
Haven’t decided yet.
Going for a half mile pre-surf swim in the lovely Northeast waters!
Bike Ride. What’s tough about it? 20 year old steel MTB with a 5 yr old child on the back. Said child has consumed so much chocolate he weighs more than a kettlebell.
I am doing 1 mile easy run and maybe 1000 yards in the pool.
I’m not celebrating Easter, but I love chocolate so much….so, I’ll do Interval Training (2 mins runs: 1min walk) 5 sets or more in the gym.
50 minute fartlek run to make up for the chocolate pie (not really a candy) from last night.
After what seems to be a stomach virus floating around I will just be happy to make it out for a basic run.
Yeah my Easter was ruined.
After a 5 week break after the birth of my son, I’ll be back to work and back to lunch time runs.
So I’ll be working off 5 weeks of holiday plus Easter, going to be hard this first few weeks.
I am going out for the inaugural ride on my new Specialized Ruby bike this am, then for a 3 mile recovery run after yesterdays 14 mile run. Started Easter early with birthday cake oreos last night (so addictive), and plan on having a sugar filled evening including a reese’s peanut butter egg, hot tamales and cotton candy.
:)
1hr threshold run with 10min pick-ups at 10k pace….
Ive gone easy on the chocolate so nothing out of the ordinary planned. Hoping to spend a few hours on the bike riding hills, maybe try Norton Summit with a new pedal cleat position.
25 mile ride followed 4.5 mile run
I’ll go out later for a 20 mile ride or maybe a 10 mile run to burn off a reese’s peanut butter egg the easter bunny left on my laptop last night.
Yesterday a marriage to attend. Today, watching the “ronde van Vlaanderen” so a day of doing nothing. (Just running 1km with my kids 5&7 years)
Cadbury cream eggs will be fueling my 1-hour tempo ride (and outside no less! Spring is finally here in Chicago!)
For me it is going to be a breakfast poutine (Montreal). In order to burn all of these calories well it will be a long run, around 1h30. Poutine is the thing I missed the most when I was in Paris.