Heads up! The big Garmin spring sale has started, with $200 off the Fenix 8, $100 off the Edge 1050, Forerunner 965, Forerunner 265, and countless other Garmin products. 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.
The morning of the 24th of December, 10k workout to fit the rest of Christmas into my stomache.
Trying to “Workout” how to stop my son from screaming so my wife can sleep in on sunday after sacrificing my sunday morning long ride! :(
Bike on a trainer:
– 20 min warm up
– 5 x (3 min cadence 100 + 7 minutes cadence 90)
– 10 min cool down
I’m doing the “Cursa dels nassos” in Barcelona, a 10 Km Saint Sylvester race on 31 december afternoon. I’ll celebrate my son’s first year who was born on new year’s night!
Next Monday 8.12.2014 a 14k workout :-)
I have back-to-back 5 hours planned in the Swiss mountains next week in preparation for an ultra-marathon in 2015.
Thanks for the great site!
Pacers NYE 4 miler. Running because I’d like to set a PR in 2014, and I haven’t run a 4 miler since 2008, when my 5K pace was slower than my marathon pace is now.
Outdoor swim under the new night lights at the London Fields Lido. Brrrrrrrr!….
My wife and I are doing the Honolulu marathon. It’s our first, and we are doing it to show that her MS doesn’t beat her. The heat and humidity will be a challenge as it really affects MS patients.
We will have te annual Santa race, a 10k race where everybody is dressed as Santa
Go for a 10K run under 45min… My goal this year :-)
Tomorrow – 10 mile long slow run along the river watching the sunrise.
Thanks for all your hard work in 2014, it is much appreciated!
kick butt on the stationary bike today after work
The Suffer Fest’s ‘Blender’ is on the cards for my trainer session after work….fun….I don’t think so
When: Dec 5th
What: Jingle Bells 5km
Where: Raleigh NC
Happy trails…..
Sufferfest The Rookie after putting the kids to bed on Dec 25.
Moycullen Hill x3
Threshold pace to Spiddal
Steady state home
Lovely 50km of gorgeous Galway :)
Hitting the London Velodrome next week for a bit of mid-winter sprint focused work :)
Gonna try my first real Back-to-Back long run
13.1 both saturday and sunday next week
Riding Rails-to-Trails ride from my home in Neidormohr, Germany to Forbach, France. Grab lunch and ride home.
I’ll be doing my weekly 10k run on Saturday, December 6. Clever Training and DC rock!
“La corsa di babbo Natale”, a 10 km Santa’s race in Brescia (Italy), starting and finishing into the medieval fortress on the hill in the city center.
I’m planning to run the iconic Dartmoor Discovery Route in less than 6 hours – a 50KM road run with around 3000 feet of climb
should be fun!
10k Santa Race here in Poland. Hoping to break 41min. Cheers
35km classic rollerskiing tomorrow, moderate speed.
Cheers!
No race scheduled, but I’m planning on finally integrating a Sufferfest session in my training plan as soon as my rib fracture is completely healed.
Will go for a 3km swim on Monday 8th before starting work to test my waterproof heart rate monitor for the first time.
Track racing tomorrow: Scratch, Elimination, Points and Handicap
Rapha 500
Run around lake Bled here in Slovenia (cca. 5 km) with my “hope to be my girlfriend someday”:)
Sadly I’ve got no more races this year unless I can find a local Santa dash.
This coming Monday will be 12 x 400m repeats.
I joined runners world run streak so that’s keeping me moving. It’s going to be interesting because I am trying to log all the miles outside but living in New Hampshire where it’s cold and snowy already is a challenge
Last race of the year is my trail running clubs Yeti Spaghetti. It’s a fat ass trail marathon with awesome food and craft beer. Can’t wait!
Have decided intervals would be a good idea, current calf pain indicating otherwise!
Sessions to comprise of rotations of
200, 400, 600, 800, 1k, 800, 600, 400, 200 with 20s recovery
12 x 400m with 30s recovery
5 x 800m with 200m active recovery
Next week’s session is the 400s
Fullarton Wheelers Winter League event next week, lets see if I can make it 4 wins from 4.
A (going to be hungover) 5km Santa Run in the very lovely Battersea Park in London. To be followed by a whole load of beach running come the 18th
6k fast ”Santa” race under the snow on Dec 12th ;)
Even though it’s warming up in Australia, I’m only two week’s into a 12 week sufferfest training program. Got Local Hero and The Wretched next week to look forward to!
Last race of the year is new years eve race (10k) here in Berlin at Dec. 31. Looking forward to it !
no races planned, but i’d like to get my freestyle technique up to shape, get some miles on the trainer and do a 20k run
London League Cyclocross round 12, 28th December. Looking forward to testsing the new Garmin 810 I just picked up. Going to push for a new best average HR; 182 to beat!
In about 10 minutes, a five mile run around my neighborhood.
Last day of the year : Get up early and easy jogging, just to remember all the races this year.
Hi ray,
Tomorrow l’Origole : 80Km by night in the forest of Perray en yvelines near versailles.
Probably cold and wet. But funny (I hope)
6x minute hills at max effort with jog recovery. Vomiting optional.
After an injury enforced layoff I am getting back to regular running recently. Hope to start doing intervals again before Christmas – ideally a session incorporating 6 times 3 minute reps with 90 second rest between reps.
No races before the end of the year, but certainly many workouts. Scheduling to learn to swim finally!!
No races for at least a couple of months. Till then just a lot of training.
Corrida de S. Silvestre do Porto (10km) – Portugal
December 28th, 18:00
It is one of the classics in my town (Porto), and helps you burn the holiday calories… :)
Rodrigo Valle Teixeira
My longest run between now an the end of the year will be ~32km on the 27th of December.
Christmas Day family 10k
Christmas + DCRainmaker giveaway = Sooooo exciting :)
PS Yes that really is my surname
Silvesterlauf Werl-Soest, 15K race from one town to the next, biggest New Year’s Eve Run in Germany.
Fareham Wheelers supported by Solent Cycles Christmas Cross – 14th December 2014. Wessex League UK.
10-12k urban orienteering race next week
Pedal for Pancakes at All3sports on 12/06/2014.
DCRR’s annual Bread Run, where the entry fee is some sort of baked good.
10k cross country race part of the East Anglia Cross Country League – to be held at Whitwell in Norfolk UK next Wednesday. They say it’ll be muddy – Duct tape on the running shoes to stop them coming off in the worst spots!
25 km scheduled for the last weekend of the year.
I’m taking part in my local Triathlon clubs’ 800m swimming competition on 21st. A nice to take part in a swimming competiotion for a change :)
10km Monday evening workout, treadmill running, Budapest, Hungary.
Mountainbike ride through the local forest
The 350-mile Trans North Georgia Mountain bike route has never been completed in winter. Trying to do so in late December.
10 mile race in Bassingbourn this Sunday, not as prepared as I’d like, but looking forward to it anyway. Otherwise hoping for cold, clear weather for winter running in Lakeland over Christmas – no low cloud and mizzle this year please.
Skiing… as much as possible (weather limited)… if not that then normal 6-10km runs!
10th half-marathon distance run this year to wrap a good 2014 (in terms of fitness)
marathon run – 24. december afternoon
My favorite workout of December….as many laps around the Christmas buffet table as I can handle.
4 by 4 repeats next Tuesday. Short term goal, which seems to need to be extended to a long term goal, is to have all 4 repeats as close to or over 1km. Keeping a close look at the HRM, but it is kind of cumbersome holding the cycle computer :-)
10km night race in Knysna, South Africa on Wednesday the 17th. I’m hoping to PR and get under 39 minutes, but I’ve been slacking a bit the last week or so, so it may be tough going…
2015 Leadville 100 MTB race….going back for another buckle!
I start training for a half marathon PR on December 29, so I’ll be doing speed work for the first time. In between a warmup and a cool down, I’ll be doing 1/4 mile repeats.
70km road race on sunday!
A 40 km MTB Tour in Dwingelerveld, the 6th of December about freezing temp.
The D Ride – 45 miles in Detroit with a coffee stop at Astro.
Only training. Getting back to running a comfy 5k after spending 3 months recovering from a heavy concussion is hard enough. Then on to a half marathon in the end of march.
I’m doing a Jingle Bell 5k with my family.
Dragon Ride Medio Fondo 153km Wales in June
Newton Challenge 25km before new year
Hotel gym session today in Dominican Republic on work trip.
Will run one of my favorite 10 mile loops in the front range of the Chugach several more times before the end of the year, and probably ski it too.
First HIM this summer in Racine Wisconsin.
Running a brisk 5 miles today in chilly Chicago towards Mission to lose 15 lbs in 18 days for trip to Jamaica on Dec 19th. My sons won’t let me remove my shirt at the pool if I don’t.
a 21km with 600m of elevation for a night trail on December 6. Hope te do better than last year :)
My virgin marathon!! Hope to clock a good time, and maybe in the future I will be training for the Boston :)
50 mile Endurance ride
To restart running! (After more of 4 months knee problem….)
14km trail run along the Merricks Trail on the Mornington Peninsula next week!
MTB in the Peak District
2 mi recovery run with 100m walk/run. It’s part of the recovery process and return to normal running after knee pain.
Hill repeats until I can’t take anymore or my knee explodes.
Doing my normal 10 miles a day (2 x 5mi) run. It’s exhausting, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Redline strength intervals. 5 minutes on rower at 2min/500m followed by 10 burpees. Repeat x 1hr.
A trail half marathon in my local hills, the “Pentlands 7 Reservoirs Half” on Sunday :-)
Half IronMan distance by myself this weekend!
A 90 km ride along the Stuart OGrady Bikeway at 145bpm tomorrow morning.
The 10km “Christmas Caper” in Adelaide, Australia.
10k race tomorrow!!! Feel great :)
Phoenix CC CycloCross race on boxing day!
Better go easy on the Christmas Pudding!
6000yd swim Saturday
Run Rudolph run is this weekend!
10k run on sunday!