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.
60 mile tour de houston
I’m still a beginner, so my plan for the weekend is a 45-50 minutes run on sunday at a slow pace.
And since this is my first comment (I discovered your awesome blog less than a week ago), hello and thanks for all the very useful posts :-)
Friday evening: 1 mile TT as fitness test
Saturday AM: 10 mile long run
Sunday: Easy 5 mi
Today: Swimming
Saturday: Home Trainer
Sunday: Long Run
24 mile long run Saturday
8 mile recovery on Sunday
Just getting into running, hoping to get a 2-3km run in this weekend!
Competing in Abu Dhabi international triathlon. Woohoo!
Probably just out for a walk with the family; I’m rehabbing a dislocated shoulder and really can’t do much more…
Olympic Lifting training Friday evening. 5k St. Patrick’s Day Race on Saturday. 10 mile training run on Sunday. 2 fisted 12oz curls all weekend to celebrate.
A nice easy 50 mile bike from 4th and King Caltrain in San Francisco through Sausilito to Tiburon and back.
Maybe stopping at Tony’s pizza if I think I deserve it !!
Today (Sat) I’ll be doing a 140k road race (Queenstown to Wanaka, return, via the Crown Range… twice… ouch!) and then Sunday will be a 2h long run… it won’t be pretty!
We are training to get into shape for our wedding! We just starting specifically training for a half-marathon we are running in a few months, we will be going for a 4 mile run on Sunday.
Thanks for the giveaway! My plans are pretty simple. I have a 1600m track race on Saturday. I’ll do an easy 3-4 mile shake out in the morning. The race will be in the afternoon, and I’ll do a total of 10 miles for the day including shakeout, warm up, race, and cooldown. Sunday is just a recovery day, 2-4 mile runs at 6:20-6:30 pace. One of them will be in the morning, and the other in the evening/night.
6 mile long run! Its finally going to be warm here in DC!
Saturday: 1 mile of swimming and 30 minutes running
Sunday: 30 minutes running.
Long airplane ride to Costa Rica Saturday, then hiking in Monteverde National Park Sunday!!
Saturday: 10 mile time trail followed by a 40mile ride.
Sunday: Open water swim followed by an ambitious 17mile run.
Done quite a lot this week – enjoying the weather in the UK so:
Saturday – rest
Sunday – my first proper standalone marathon, 4 laps of a reservoir in Northamptonshire
Ocean swim Saturday and 11 mile run Sunday!! Thanks Ray!
Sat – Open water swin
Sun – Hikking in the Pyrenees
Saturday: 5K run
Sunday: 10K run
Since it’s kind of cold here (still) my usual winter short runs of 3-4 miles on Saturday and Sunday.
Mile swim tomorrow and technique work followed by a long ride on the bike! Make it rainnnn!
This weekend is race weekend!!!
Saturday I will relax and eat some pasta, because on Sunday I will run my first half marathon (21,1 km) at the Drunense Duinenloop in the Netherlands
!
Looking forward to the race. The weather will be great!
Long Run Saturday, swim on Sunday
Plan for the weekend is an hour of cycling on the trainer this evening, 5 or 6 easy miles of running on Saturday morning, then the Alloa Half Marathon on Sunday morning (with a mile or two of warmup/cooldown either side of the race).
Hike with Scouts trying to get them ready for Philmont Scout Ranch!!
Just a simple 30km long run :)
An hour or so today on my bike indoors and hopefully outside for an hour or so both Saturday and Sunday on the bike.
Rest day on Saturday followed by a 30-mile bike ride Sunday! Weekends are for recovery!!
Picking up my new Cannondale Synapse 6 on Saturday and plan on taking it for a test ride. If weather doesn’t permit then perhaps a dreadmill run.
Sat, 20+ mile run on a snow free path if I can tolerate that distance while recovering from a bad cold.
Sun. 7-8 mile social run around Ann Arbor with my fiends starting at the 5th Ave. Sweetwater Cafe. 8:30 if anyone wants to join us…
Friday evening…. Praying hard that the haze will be blown away when I reopen my eyes so I can run again (after being forced to stop running for a week due to the haze and high PM2.5 figure)
Saturday (hopefully), a 11km run through Upper Peirce Reservoir.
Sunday (keeping fingers crossed), a 24km run pass Seletar Airport, Yishun Ave 1 and Yio Chu Kang Road with the very people who help me achieve my very best marathon.
20 mile trail run in preparation for a 50 mile trail run next week!
Competing in my first Duathlon on Sunday part of the Training for my First Triathlon in May.
Couch time with my beloved tonight(friday) and on Saturday a 8km run- training for my first half marathon (Two oceans in April) and on Sunday a 32km cycle and an open lake swim of 1km(trainig for the irat ever ITU in Cape Town, South Africa). Super excited just to share with you! Thanks for the awesome reviwes!
Had plans to run in two 5Ks this weekend, but duty calls. Instead will spend the next 4 days on a submarine conducting training. Did get in a 6 mile run today before I have to get underway.
Saturday: Long run 25 k
Sunday:Bkool trainer, Sufferfest Blender
Coming out of hibernation to start training for a 10K in June. 30min Easy Run, then cooking some Irish food. :)
9 Mile Temp run tonight, 2.5 hrs computrainer followed by 3 mile easy run for Saturday, followed by 15 mile run for Sunday.
Saturday:
Regular Run
Long Strides with some Plyo work.
Sunday:
Ala Cheering on Course for the NYC Half Marathon on Sunday
followed by some ab-work
trying out the new Ambit2: swim 2000 bike 40 and run 10
Brick workout with the hubby when he gets home, downhill skiing on Saturday and rest on Sunday. A perfect end to a recovery week before kicking it up a notch for the next few weeks again to ready myself for a 70.3 and my first ultra in Switzerland.
Saturday: 45 mins cross training — I’m gonna swim this time.
Sunday: Long Run, 120 mins.
Some Endurance miles on Saturday & a little practice Crit on Sunday
Cross on Saturday and long run on Sunday…
Sat: RnR Half; Sunday: 40 mi ride + swim clinic. Yup, Tri training is in full swing.
Saturday: 100KM road cycle around Sintra
Sunday: 100KM road cycle around Lisbon
well for starters on saturday i will start by playing some video games until my 2 year old wakes up, then my old lady will go to the gym and I will take the 2 year old to a place where i can chase her around, i would really like an hrm for that.. following that we will have lunch then naptime, ill probably do a 2 hour set of video games again before returning to an evening of changing diapers and chasing the lil squirt.
sunday will be my day to myself so me and a workout buddy will get together to play some multiplayer games on the couch from 11- 3, so a couple of sets of that and maybe a burrito and pizza should cap off the weekend… my fitbit will definetly break 1000 steps!
Ten mile run in preparation for Rock n Roll San Francisco in three weeks time!
10 mile run Sat.
The kids will probably drag me out on a few bike rides and some practice sessions for baseball and soccer — those count as workouts, right?
50 mile ride/2mile run
3500yd swim
Oh holiday in Suffolk in the UK so no access to my bike. Will do a short 3 mile run with my dog Billy on some local footpaths and perhaps a longer 5 or 6 mile run on Sunday along the quiet country roads.
Then home Sunday and Monday I start more serious duathlon and 100 mile bike training…
Working Saturday followed by a slow training run on Sunday
An easy 5 tomorrow and then hitting the trails on Sunday!
4 easy miles with my dog on Saturday, then a hilly 10-miler Sunday morning.
Shortish run with family on Saturday (pushing Chariot), followed by 12 miler on Sunday. Forecasts are for sunny 10 degree C weather – spring comes to the frozen north!
Saturday morning 45 minute easy run and sunday morning a 2,5 hour bikeride. It will be a windt bike ride I think…
Leg workout followed by 45 minute run. Then on Sunday doing a LSD run
Sat: knee strengthening to help get ride of a bursitis…
Sun: 1h swim (25/50/100/50/15y with rubber around the ankle)
1.5hr swim Saturday + Shamrock Run on Sunday!
2 hour bike and 1 hour run.
12 miles running with 3×1 mike at T pace
Crossfit
6 miles easy
Doing the Instant Classic Trail Marathon outside of Richmond tomorrow and then another 6-8 miles on Sunday (training for the North Face Endurance Challenge 50 miler in June!).
20K trail if the weather for the weekend stays nice, it not, I will do something shorter.
Friday: 5 mile run, 30 minute swim, biceps and calves
Saturday: 2 hour bike ride, abs
Sunday: Attempt at 1/2 mile swim, chest
First outdoor ride and a 10k run
saturday: 15mile trail run
sunday: strength training
Run to Get Lucky 15K road race in Corvallis Oregon
Saturday: 2 km swim
Sunday: 1:30 easy run
Friday is a short 6 mile loop, Saturday will be a long run day of 14 and finishing up with a easy 5 mile loop to tidy up the week. Still recovering from last weekends 50K trail race.
Fri: Dancing at a concert
Sat: Walking the dog and 30 min. Hometrainer
Sun: 14 km run in the forest with local running club
Sat= race day! Early season sprint. Followed by 2 hr bike. Sun= 2 hr run.
Run 10K twice!
Sat: 4 hr ride + 30 min run
Sun: 1 hr ride + 80 min run
20K run Sunday
We are at sea on Saturday, so it will be strength training and some cardio. On Sunday, we will be in port, that means I can get off and go for a 10km run, over the bridge and into downtown Miami and back again. Some more strength training in the evening.
It’s looking like I’m going to spend much of my weekend at work, but hopefully I’ll be able to get an hour on my bike tomorrow while the weather is nice and maybe run a few miles at some point.
Swim. Bike. Run.
Sat: 5k fun run
Sun: 21 miler training. BSIM here I come!
for me it’s going to be simple – racing Abu Dhabi Tri on saturday, rest on sunday ;)
21km long run on Saturday to finish a 4 week phase – then Sunday will be 12km of XC skiing on our local trails here in the French Alps to tire myself before jumping on a plane to Portland, OR where I’ll be able to do a few leisurely runs as its a rest week.
Long Run on saturday – 14km for the Ottawa half marathon
9 mile progression run. 2500m swim and 60 mile bike on Sunday down in Galveston
go to the gym and running for 5km
Saturday I’ll be taking my road bike out for the first time since October and riding it as far as I can. There is still snow on the ground in Northern NJ but it’s finally melted enough to ride.
Sunday after spending time with the family, I’ll be browsing Clever Training for my prize :)
Saturday morning easy recovery run after last weeks LA Marathon. Sunday probably an other easy run.
I plan to do a 45 walk/run tomorrow (Sat) and then my first 5k on Sunday :)
My first cycling road race as a licensed USAC rider! Then a short run with my golden retriever and then a long run and swim on Sunday.
Just finished 200m sprints. Saturday I’m doing a LT criss cross workout, alternating just above and just below my LT. Sunday I’m doing the Crossfit Open 14.3 workout. Huzzah!
Heading out for a 10 mile long run on Saturday and an easy 6 miles on Sunday.
Friday: 40 min @ HRzone 3.5.
Saturday: Easy run.
Sunday: 12 km hard run!
I am going on holiday with my best friends in nature to relax :)
Great.
Friday evening starting with a 1hr run.
Saturday, after following livestream of Abu Dhabi Triathlon, go for a 3hrs easy bike ride.
Sunday: 1hr swim or 1hr run, depending of the feeling in my legs.
First open water swims of this year. In the lake on Saturday and Sunday. Very cold, but I can’t wait!!!
sat: work (reconstructing my rooms), easy run 1 to 2 hours, work
sun: work, ride on turbo trainer, it should rain, work
maybe swim or badminton if my wife would like to
80km bike ride saturday
2.000m Swim Marathon suday
Saturday will be a morning ride at glentress Scotland followed by an evening run session! Then Sunday it will be water rescue training and a road run at night!! Happy weekend folks
Easy run and swim on Saturday leading to Shamrock Half Marathon on Sunday!
DC marathon!