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.
Braved the cold for back to back long runs.
A 5 mile group run through the secret staircases of the Berkeley hills!
13 km tempo run on Friday, followed by a leg workout at the gym on Sunday and some circuit training on Sunday!
Walked 20k+ steps at the Chicago Auto show and ran 10 miles on Sunday.
Short, steep hike up to 13,000 feet on Saturday, followed but a full day of skiing Sunday.
lap swimming on sunday
Sadly, I didn’t get any workouts in during the weekend (sick baby). I’ve rebounded with a couple of treadmill runs to start the week, with another on tap for Wednesday…a Fenix 3 HR would be an ideal training device for me!
A training of backcountry skiing. 1773 meters of altitude gain.
Two hour ride with a bunch of Z5 intervals (“a bunch” is the technical term for it). 8 mile run in 20 degree weather. Some good drill work in the pool.
Just an easy 45 min. spin on trainer because night to Sunday was used for 7 hour hike in forests. Which meant Sunday was lazy day.
Monday- Legs
Tuesday- 2 mile run
Wednesday- 1600m swim
Sunday-Skiing
Last weekend was active recovery on Saturday followed by a MAP test on Sunday. Good news! FTP is up!
Last long run before next weekend’s races.
I did a solid outdoor ride on Saturday, and some tennis for cross-training on Sunday!
Hello !
I went running on sunday night 13k in the hills of Lyon (France) just to have fun and try to get Strava segments.
So it was a bit of fartlek training :)
Unfortunately I didn’t get to train over the weekend!! My significant other was being deployed over seas so we spent the weekend packing, prepping and just hanging out. The week before though I got in a variety of rides in! I did the sufferfest video ISLAGIATT and some home brew power intervals
Saturday 12M run in the arctic cold, Sunday 2h indoors at Tailwind Endurance in New York
A leisurely gravel-hunting ride on the Saturday and Sufferfest TGTTOS on the Sunday
850m pool swim on Saturday morning, basically hard 100m sets between watching my kids learning to swim on the small pool next to mine. Good times!
Two days of elliptical work as my knee recovers. Folded in some strength work as well.
Started out with a 35K virtual ride along the coast of my home town (South Sheilds), then a real 12K run along the river in Dresden, and a similar 10 mile effort on Sunday. Managed to also fit in another bkool effort and a short ride in Slovenia to finish the week off.
I had a scenic 10-mile trail run
recovering from an injurie, so need a good news :D
A 2 hour-HM workout around the Mont Valérien, part of my training plan for the Paris Marathon in april.
75 minutes of Zone 3 on the trainer followed by a 30 minute run building to Zone 3. I followed that up later on with 80 minutes of snow-shoeing in Zone 1.
A 2.5 hour trainer ride while watching Olympic Trials!
I did an 8 mile run on Saturday and a 1 hour trainer ride on Sunday.
Just an easy 7k run, recovering from a terrible cold.
90 mns Zwifting on Saturday with a 12 mile snowy hike over the Brecon Beacons in Wales.
Skipped the long run this weekend due to the cold, but went snow shoeing instead.
The next couple days was still to miserable outside, so I hit the indoor track at work.
Today’s another skipped run day – to go ice climbing!
5k run on Friday – stood on massive thorn – barely left sofa for rest of the weekend…
Tue. Speed Work – 4 miles
Thu. Pace Work – 4 miles
Sat. 10k
TrainerRoad workout Friday, in the weight room Saturday, and another TrainerRoad workout Sunday.
I did a few short runs (3-4 miles). I’ve been trying to get some training going but the previous weekend attempted to tackle too much and hurt myself. I decided to take it slow.
A 3*20m injury recovery interval run- from a ruptured hamstring from ultimate Frisbee in November (still!).
Some tempo workout on Saturday and intervals in Trainerroad on Sunday!
Two interval workouts, a long run, and some easy miles!
I ran 4 miles both days- I’m trying to get back into the swing of things after a busy last 2 months of school.
First group rides of the year, 90 km on Saturday and 100 km Sunday. It was a good weekend.
This weekend was therapy to reduce scar tissue in the calf, which is causing plantar facsiitis… yay for gains!
A few Sufferfest videos (Blender, A Very Dark Place, and The Hunted) and some pilates on the off days.
Last weekend:
Saturday – run 5 miles and hot yoga class
Sunday – bike 50 miles and yin yoga class
Run/Bike/Yoga!
My in laws decided to visit for the weekend so the only romance I had was with the trails. Back to back 20 milers prepping for my upcoming 4th 100 miler.
Snowboard, snowboard, snowboard. Oh, and a little drinking too.
2nd place in Cat 4 at the UCLA toad race.
Easy 70′ brick on Saturday and national championship (duathlon) in Sunday :)
I had a 3000 m swim on my agenda, and threw in a hike in the woods, slowly working my way back from an injury and hoping to regain some trail running fitness.
4.5 hours on the turbo with TrainerRoad + Zwift.
Vertical. 25 miles and 6700′ vertical 5h 52 min all on trails, mostly with microspikes
Sadly very little as I was recovering from the flu… it was supposed to be a 1hr 40 run on Saturday then a 3hr bike and 40min brick run on the Sunday.
It sadly turned into a relaxing valentines weekend at a spa hotel with the good lady!
I am training for the 3rd part of the local winter running series which will be 20km. So I did some intervals for 30 minutes and kept un running for anther 40 or so.
No workout this week-end because of a small injury in the back.
did some unexpected snow shoveling, a quick run with the dogs, and a little weight lifting in the gym. still haven’t quite convinced myself it’s time to start training again.
10k Cross country skiing, – 2 deg C, KX30 Blue Ice Klister.
I did a 6 x 400m interval running workout on Monday, a body pump class on Tuesday, 3 miles easy on Wednesday, 5 miles easy on Friday, and a 5k race (in 0 degree weather) on Saturday.
Ran at -28C in Quebec city, -40C with wind chill!
A 2 hour bike ride was on the schedule but a midnight flat tire on the car resulting in 3 hrs of sleep meant no actual training was done!
Running errands when our newborn was sleeping and walking around the house with him in my arms when he was awake. :)
Starting recovery from double whammy of illness & injury.
First 2 day sequential training ready for London2 Paris in July.
A first-of-the-season bike ride and run.
Just a short 5 km run – because of beeing ill the week before.
Started with an Insanity Max 30 workout (that didn’t get done earlier in the week), followed by 25 miles on the bike. Sunday was just a normal 30min treadmill run. Would love to get a power meter or $ towards a carbon wheelset.
Zwift all weekend! Did the hunter’s challenge workout days 3-5, also some hanging leg raises on Saturday.
Just over 10k on a windy and rainy weekend :(
A slow and short ride on the trainer. Recovering from a back injury.
A nice Zwift ride on saturday, long swim and a short run after that on Sunday
It was supposed to be a 10 mil trail run but it was too cold and icy! Did two short 4 mi runs instead.
Took my son to a playground – ball pit, slides, chasing him around. it was worse than a 5K
I did some bike on saturday and i went to see my son fisrt run with inline roller skate!
3 mile easy/diagnostic check run with some mobility drills Friday to prep for a 5K race on Satuday. Lazy Sunday!
Watched the Olympic trials in person followed by 12 LSD miles on Saturday. Six easy miles with my dog on Sunday.
Went for a run in the hills on Sunday. My wife and I also went on short walks on Saturday and Sunday.
Just some PT after ACL surgery.
Hope to get back to running soon.
Absolutely nothing since I am recovering from a broken Clavicle. Would have been 10mi run Sat Morning + 60mi bike Sunday
Did the hyde park relays (19:41) on Saturday, followed by a 4k swim on Sunday :)
Saturday – long run (19k).
Sunday – walk in the country (8k) with the family, via village food fayre. Would call it recovery from Sat, but given I was carrying 13kg of toddler on my back maybe better described as a strength session.
20m threshold efforts…ouch!
I did a 6km relaxed run very early in the morning.
Parkrun with my kids on Saturday – still amazes me that my 6 year old does a 31 minute 5k with no stopping! Sunday I smashed a 4 minute half marathon pb! Happiness all round. :)
5km parkrun in my quest to get into the parkrun 50 club
75km bike Saturday with hill repeats (temperature -4 Celsius)
90km Sunday ride and 10k easy run (temperature a lovely almost tropical -1)
Cough, Cough, Cough. Sick and frustrated all weekend.
Slowly recovering so hopefully a coffee ride at least for this coming weekend!
The log said to do a swim, a bike, and a run…I actually ended up moving furniture all day.
Had been busy:
– Friday afterwork: 1,25h road bike ride
– Saturday morning: 3,5h MTB ride
– Sunday morning: 1h low carb run
– Sunday afternoon: 3,45h road bike ride
I did a 6km relaxed run very early in the morning.
Yoga and more yoga
Fartlek on Sat and long slow run on Sun.
An easy 1.5 hour coffee shop ride on Saturday and then a 11 mile run on Sunday … plus lots of yard work.
Saturday: 30x50m swim in morning and 3x3000m run in afternoon, and on Sunday 15k run followed by one hour easy spinning and some core training
Cross fit training followed by a session on my excellent cycling rollers, InsideRide e-motion
Endurance intervals on TrainerRoad and Yoga!
Team computrainer class with 6x5min pyramids, 1min steps ranging from 100%-120% ftp. Worst workout ever.
I did my long run during the week, so I only had a 4 mile run on tap for the Saturday. I cross-trained on Sunday (elliptical and strength training).
Slowly coming back from lung issues so a 8 miler that felt like a 14 miler! :) Thanks for the giveaway!
Saturday Morning: Strength
Saturday Afternoon: 40′ VFF Jog
Sunday Morning: 7×500
Sunday Afternoon: 30′ Easy Jog
It was my Rest & Test Week, the test of swimming were made during the week and during the weekend some relaxing workouts as: 1h:40′ bike ridding with the team-mates, 50′ of speed skills in the swimming pool with 2 good friends and team-mates and finally 35′ of running focusing in speed kills.
Best
60/4 mile brick on Saturday and a 42/4 mile brick on Sunday with a quick swim.
90 minute zone 2 session on the spin bike.
Swim and a MtB ride