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.
10 mile long run on a treadmill — because I am in Peshawar, Pakistan right now. :(
Saturday: Long Spin on the bike
Sunday: Repeat Saturday’s session!
Sat: 5 km with 4 strides
Sun: long slow 16 km
Wife is out of town, so it’s me and my son for the weekend. 60+ min trainer ride on Saturday night while he’s asleep and then some strength work while he naps on Sunday. Oh, and a good deal of pirate sword fighting and throwing balls in the air and catching them.
Well, this weekend I’ll be hiking up and down a Scottish “mountain” [sic]. But the weekend after the deadline, I’ll be running the 8-mile route of the Whole Foods Breakfast Run in Kingston, UK!
Two days on the trainer here because there’s still six foot snow banks outside! Envy you in Paris.
Saturday is an 11 mile walk with my wife who is training for a charity 20-mile event. Sunday will be a session with the Falkland Trail Running club.
Sat: 1,5 hour run+sauna
Sun: 45min run
I’m going to my first running lesson tomorrow! I hope to improve my technique.
100mls bike ride on sat then brick run then maybe 70k on sun to chill
Saturday: trail marathon
hoping for 5k PR on St Pat’s Day, enroute to my long awaited BQ at Portland…
Saturday – 35km run with 14km at marathon race pace North along Canal St Martin to out of Paris
Sunday – Rest and probably a sweet thing or 2 from a patisserie
Crossfit Open workout 14.3, 2 hours on the bike, 1 hour run. Plenty of Guinness.
Sure would be nice to get a new power meter…
at least a biking workout
Probably a long trainer ride and a swim.
Saturday – 8mi run
Sunday – Off Day
Getting out for my first outdoor ride of the season tomorrow.
Trying to ramp mileage back up, so probably a 5-7 mile run and some time on the bike trainer.
Today: 10Minute threshold run
Saturday: 20min recovery run
Sunday: 10K race
I’ve got a cross-training plan for Saturday, probably HIIT and then some yoga. Starting a new training plan on Monday for a half marathon in June. I have big PR plans for this one! Thanks!
skiing and sauna
On saturday the sofa, on sunday the Barcelona marathon :)
30′ easy swim Saturday
30′ easy run Saturday
Sprint race triathlon Sunday
Nothing too adventurous, 20K row Friday, rest Saturday and 30K on Sunday. Trying to drop weight after illness!
Saturday: Long run, 16 miles. Can’t wait, it’s going to be sunny in SoCal!
Sunday: Rest day, maybe learn some yoga. I don’t do yoga, but I’d like to start incorporating a short 10 – 15 minute yoga set into my nightly routine.
NYC Half-Marathon on Sunday
Friday night 2hr trainer ride, Saturday 1hr run before work, Sunday 3000y swim, 90min trainer ride, 6mi run
Trainer ride in the basement … Kickr, Trainer Road, and Netflix … cause it’s STILL so cold here … run outside on Sunday (if it’s at least close to freezing)
Sat – 1st 5 mile run after double stress fracture
Sun – bike
13k run on Sat and some strength training on Sun.
That’s weekend… I’ll spend much time with my family. On Saturday morning I go for a bike ride with my little daughter and spend the rest of the day with family on the pool. On Sunday early I go run and go to walk with family, include the dogs.
Yoga training 9-3 both Saturday and Sunday and a 6-8 mile run Saturday!
Ride on Saturday – high intensity, followed by some core training
Sunday long ride.
Both indoors!!! eek
a 40 miles SS bike ride in the wild and wonderful WV!!
Saturday off sunday 40 mile bike
Saturday morning Football training then a sufferfest training ride in the afternoon. Sunday a 2km swim in the pool, as we are currently enduring a cyclone (see link), and then a 10km run (outside if it calms down by then).
link to dropbox.com
Bike intervals and a run with Matt, Paddy and Molly (the dog).
Watching England win the six nations (fingers crossed!)
Sat; long swim
Sun; strength, cycle
Ski!!
Running a St. Patrick’s Day themed 5K on Sunday. Then devouring a slab of ribs and a few beers to celebrate.
A 5 mile race.
2800 yard swim at race pace
45 min run along the lakefront
watching the Chicago River get dyed green
mental preparation for Oceanside 70.3 in TWO WEEKS… WOOOHOOOOO
Some snowboarding and probably a 5-6 mile run.
Friday rest day
Saturday active recovery training laps, perhaps a few sprints though
Sunday out for a 120k long ride to mix it up!
I’m running a 5K St Paddy’s day race on Sunday in lieu of my Saturday morning long run.
Saturday is a rest day and then up early Sunday for a 16 miler at about 135 HR
2 hrs cycling on Sunday. Hot Yoga on Sunday.
Saturday: 60km bike ride + 10km run
Sunday: 1h swim
Depending on the weather tomorrow; if it’s too wet, 10K run with my fiance (we just got engaged last weekend!). If it’s nice and dry, hit the road on my bike to play around with my new Redshift Switch Aero seatpost!
-Ed
saturday: 10k run
sunday brick: swim 2 miles / bike 50 miles
Weights tonight, followed by cardo boxing tomorrow and a run on sunday!
Taking care of my kids … and oh yeah … 2 times 70k road rides
Double Spin class on Saturday and the Alamo Half Marathon on Sunday…
I’m doing a 5 mile St Patrick’s Day race on Saturday. Oh yeah — I’m 5 months pregnant and will be pushing my 2 kids (75 lbs combined) in the jogging stroller.
Sunday is up in the air, depending on my legs and the weather. But that day (regardless of legs or weather) we will start painting about 1000 sq ft of my house. That’ll be the upper body workout.
long road bike ride saturday and some orienteering sunday, hope the weather holds!
Finishing up rest week. Short run this evening, 3hr ride on Saturday, 3k open water swim on Sunday!!!
Going to be leaving Ireland tomorrow to return to the UK so gonna miss all Mondays St Patrick’s day festivities back home! Still, going to hook up with my adoptive UK cycling club on Sunday to train through some Oxfordshire countryside!
A long run about >20km on Saturday and recovery on Sunday.
90 minute water run followed by 30 min easy run outside
Tonight: Gym
Saturday: 140′ cycling combined with 40′ running @race pace
Sunday: FTP test
This weekend’s fun festivities will be an hour of run drills and core work followed by an hour and a half on the bike on Saturday, and then a “brick” workout at the St. Patty’s Day Sprint Triathlon.
Sat – 10 miles pace, then don’t drink too much
Sun – 20 miles, Z2, couch, nap
Doing some speed work. 4×400’s and 2×800’s. That’s it! Might do a short run on Sunday if I don’t party it up too much at a wedding Saturday night!
Marathon on Sunday.
Two days of skiing with some green beer in between!
5k jog on Friday, 16k race pace preparing for the Prague Marathon…and BBQ on Sunday!
Sat cross country skiing 1,5h and sunday 15km run
Saturday: 6 mile slow run with dog
Sunday: 10 mile tempo run
Run 35 milles sturday
Cool giveaway! I am running in the MJH 8K race tomorrow that raises money for the local hospital’s lung cancer outreach programs. Then grocery shopping, errand running, house cleaning, . . .
Thanks Ray!
Sat: 10 mile bike ride
Sun: Shamrockin’ Run 8K in New Orleans!
32k Long Run Saturday
10k recovery Run Sunday
Saturday, Run 12miles and swim 3,000
Sunday 3.5hrs
Saturday – Mining Country Challenge – 96 mile ride with lots of climbing
Sunday – 18 mile run with 12×1 mile intervals
Saturday: Swim 400m, run 10k
Sunday: Ride 35mi on the trainer.
End of a recovery week, so: FTP test (Sufferfest Rubber Glove + Strava), two swims, 90ish minute run.
Maybe take the tri bike for its first road ride of the year, but that’s not a workout–more just making sure my wrenching was correct.
Rock n Roll USA half marathon Saturday and Shamrock half marathon Sunday.
40 mile ride Friday, 70 mile ride Saturday, 40 mile ride Sunday, light weight workout Monday.
Sat: body check up with the help of Spartanova (excited!) + 60 km bike ride. Sun: long run over the hills of the Tour of Flanders + afterwards some well deserved Guinesses :)
It’s a gentle run tonight to a) Test out the new Brooks Pureflow 3 trainers and b) See if the calf muscle that went pop 3 weeks back has recovered yet.
If all goes well, then I have a longer run scheduled for Sunday as it’s a month to the London Marathon and i’ve lost a few weeks key distance training!
Fingers crossed!
I’m injured at the moment, so no workouts for me this weekend :(
Run Saturday, Ride Sunday, Lather, Rinse, Repeat.
8k @ 4:00/k on friday, (total 13k)
15k @ 4:30-40 on saturday (total 20k)
10k easy jog on sunday
Sprints. I’m trying to get my speed up for a half marathon Comox.
Saturday: take advantage of fair weather and get out on the TT bike.
Sunday: 23km hilly TT
My work out plan:
Sunday – 9 Mile run.
Monday – Indoor Soccer
Wednesday – 3 Mile Run Fast Pace
Thursday – 5 Mile Run
Saturday – 3 Mile Run Fast pace
Weekly Goal: 20 mile average.
I consider this evening already as weekend, so I’ll start weekend with a strength training session of about 1,5h focussing on upper body. Saturday I’ll probably do a 10km run in HR 3 zone and sunday, will be my day off for the week I guess (or maybe a long walk which is always good for recovery also)
Sat: 2.5 hour run
Sun: 4 hour ride
The plan for this weekend is a Sunday morning run with my Bro Mike D! :-)
50 miles bike ride
Saturday is a 45 min continuous swim in the morning and a 45 min bike ride later in the day. Sunday is 2 hr long ride followed by a 20 min recovery jog.
Saturday 5km run and Sunday play with kids and stay with my wife.
Saturday: 35mi cycling
Sunday: 90 min endurance run!! Let’s do it!
Coach Alan says:
Bike 1:50 mid-Z2 @ 95±5 rpm
4 x accelerations
:05 CD
or inside IT # 3
Saturday: 50-60 km in the French Alps, 2000 m of climbing
Sunday: resting :)
Saying again that this is the day, will try harder and harder to get to my goals! 10k! Means a lot!
50 Mile bike ride
Friday: snowshoe run 1:45. Zone 4 rolling hills
Sat: Brick – run 30 easy; bike 60 to include 6×4 min vo2 intervals, zone 5; run: 4×1 mile 7:30 pace
Sun: 2 hour aerobic run
On a skiing weekend to close the season…
50km bike ride on Saturday and easy run just to strech my legs on Sunday.