Heads up – Massive Sports Tech Holiday Deals List is Live!!! The Garmin Fenix 8 is $250 off (even the Fenix 8 Pro is $100 off!), the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on sale, the Garmin inReach Mini 2 is $249, the GoPro Hero 13 Black, DJI NEO, and a ton of other brands/deals, including Wahoo, Oura, Whoop, Polar, Samsung, Google, and more than 100 sports tech deals 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.
-
Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
-
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.
Recovering after this morning’s FTP test with a cafe ride with a mate ☕️ ?
Hoping to take my boy out on his bike while i run alongside…. or maybe behind if he goes too fast!
Going for an EZ run this weekend…should be good for relief after a stressful work week.
Unless it warms up in Chicago, two Zwift rides: Big Foot Hills, then London Pretzel.
Indoor rowing machine. Three times a day, 30 minutes each.
I’m going camping and hiking–river hike Saturday and mountain hike Sunday.
1/6th of an Everest for NYE Everest training
Trailrunning (running after the kids on a picnic) and a Nice bikeride
Probably going to sit around drinking beer waiting for the rain to go away
Weekend full of Rrecovery from an injury.
Two sites that I use frequently bc they have great products and great customer service. What an awesome partnership!
Tonight… on the Kickr bike for some base miles. Sunday out on the trails if I can true my taco’d front wheel by then.
A short workout, then a long drive to a long lunch with my short parents, socially distantly of course.
This weekend is getting back into it after slacking for a month since my 70.3 that I organized with friends.
So 7k run tomorrow morning, and 25k Zwift ride. Sunday, 30k Zwift ride.
Also very important, spend time with the wife.
Plan is to go for a run, unless my wife decides to deliver our first peanut this weekend… In that case I will be running to the hospital I guess…
Ride, rest, recover, repeat!
Hi from chile! Doing the first club road cycling training since March. Limited to 25 team members but still awesome!
????
Working and some zwifting
Family hike up a mountain
A slow recovery ride in Central Texas at Ft. Hood where it’s still in the 80’s.
On tap for this weekend: a trail run, participating in a local Women’s March, a Biden/Harris solidarity rally and hopefully some Netflix or Amazon Prime time.
A longish ride on Saturday and a run on Sunday with the kiddo in the jog stroller.
Weekend workout plans are a 70+mi ride on the road bike to prepare for a 80mi gravel ride next weekend.
Club Zwift race during Melbourne Iso
Easy Saturday and then Sunday BRIC! 80 mile bike and 13 mile run! shooting for 18.5 mph avg bike pace and 08:10 min/mi run. I need gear to improve!
CrossFit and a HIIT ride on Saturday and a trail run on Sunday.
My weekend workout plan is to give my thumbs and index fingers a heck of a workout while my brain wrestles with frustration as I play Dark Souls.
Sure, recovery for most of my body, but I expect it to be exhausting all the same. ;)
Saturday is an interval run day with some core work. Sunday is an easy ride and full body strength training!
Nothing special, gym in the morning and a 20 mile bike ride in the evening.
Maybe not very impresive, 10 km easy run on Sunday, hope weather will be fine
I have to start crawling onto zwift more before ZAtri starts but its perfect MTB and Gravel riding weather!!!
Fall color run and ride!!
Beautiful fall weather in my region, so will get out for a long hike on Saturday and then likely play bikes on Sunday/Funday!
I will be training for the Harrisburg Marathon. This is a real marathon on Nov 7 and 8 on City Island in the great capital of Pennsylvania Harrisburg
2 hour easy run saturday and maybe 30 minutes Sunday
My weekend workout plans are to ride outside in this beautiful fall weather! :)
Would love to win, but Backcountry.com will not ship free to Alaska like Clever Training does. So unfortunately I won’t be using their link to buy products.
“Some restrictions apply: Available for orders shipped to the contiguous United States only (excludes AK, HI, and international orders).”
Alaska and Hawaii get USPS service just like the other 48 states so they should not be penalized because companies refuse to join the 21st Century.
Saturday: MTB ride
Sunday: Run and… relax!
A bit of a run, a socially distanced pool swim, a bike ride and some tree felling (obviously)
Getting back in to the mix of running and biking.. winter fitness here i come :D
A long run and a bike ride.
My weekend priorities:
1) Long outdoor ride
2) Team Time Trial practice for WTRL Round 2
Simply 30km run and 2km swim.
Recovering from a pesky IT band injury. And eating M&Ms.
I’ve got a 10 to 12 miles run tomorrow then 5 on Sunday. I’ll hit about 50 for the first time since July.
Giving The Sufferfest a try for the first time.
30-mile bike loop and some muay thai.
Zwift audax ride between 2 seiling paint layers :-)
Thanks
Stride repeats on Friday and a long run on Sunday.
My weekend workout plans: FTP test.
Might go for a run on Sunday. Took some time off for an injury
zwift, as always
I had issues redeeming the promo code on backcountry as a Canadian. Switching to US, redeeming the code and switching back to Canada seemed to work.
Zwift Academy Segment ride and heavy lifting (cleaning out apartment) on Saturday, then Livestrong Virtual Challenge, watching Flanders, and some Netflix recovery in the evening.
Time to setup my new computer
WOOT WOOT!
Headed to the mountains to hike and relax (and social distance)!
Likely going for a long run on Saturday…maybe I can escape for a ride on Sunday.
Looking forward to a swim and a bike this weekend
1.5hr tempo ride and park run with the kids Saturday. 3hr ride Sunday, followed by classic British Sunday lunch whilst watching the Giro.
Recovering by walking the dog.
Swimming only this weekend. Taking a break from the bike to heal the back some.
This weekend sees me being brutalised by two Sufferfest workouts back to back!
I’ll make a long hilly run with a lot of my friends (about 20)
I plan on lifting and hitting the street with shoes or a bike
Always be pedalling.
Brick tomorrow with at 2 hour bike ride and an hour run!
Planning a 10K loop on Saturday morning, and an ocean swim on Sunday. Followed by some cheesy-bread khachapuri. Because carbs.
Run 10K on Saturday and 21K on Sunday. Probably…
LiveSTRONG Challenge this weekend. Virtual, of course, which really means do-it-yourself.
Easy rides on Saturday and Sunday
My weekend plans where canceled .
Planned the national duathlon championships.
Back to training for 2021
Well, I think Saturday I’ll go for a run, and Sunday… bhò? :-)
An early morning buggy run with my Son and a friend then looking at heading out with my Daighter on the Macride. Sunday’s for chilling ☺️
A couple of bike rides and hopefully Hot Yoga.
A medium run and then raking leaves. Hopefully some fly fishing on Sunday after a body circuit workout.
Winter prep the garden
Planning on a 10 mile run. And if the weather is nice, I’m thinking of a real casual just poking around enjoying the trees changing bike ride in the country. (hopefully with cows!)
Saturday Zwift long ride; Sunday funday …
Weekend workout plans are..
Saturday – Running club Flying 30s session at the track, followed by catching up on tonight’s Braves game
Sunday – leisurely bike ride in the Hertfordshire countryside, followed by another Braves catch-up (if required!)
Sat: working on my land in the rockies. At 9k ft elevation just walking up my 4% grade is a workout in itself, then add a wheelbarrow full of timber to take up the hill. Sun: MTB ride or maybe road. Undecided but most likely MTB on the new MTB.
One of the lasts bicycle ride outside before the end of the season, probably around 95km, windy and 8-12 Celsius
Touring a new city and yard work, along with a couple runs.
Long run Saturday and bike ride Sunday.
15 Km run on Saturday, rest day on Sunday maybe watch some football. Cheers!
Long run
Nothing crazy – just a long run.
I’m going to rake leaves and do some 12oz curls!
Weather was lousy this week, hoping for 2 longer bikerides this weekend
First celebrate my youngest daughters 18th birthday and than on Sunday a #burnmycake gravel ride.
Run today, tomorrow, and Sunday. Getting back into some serious training. Thanks Ray!
day1. cycling 100km
day2. cycling 100km
Saturday morning run and Saturday evening drinking.
Been snowed under with work all week so haven’t gotten out on the bike all week, going to paint the house and then hit the local hills to clear the head
Gonna try and get the wife out for her 2nd ride in about 10 years!
Trainer road ride on Saturday and a long run on Sunday
My plan is a long Trail Running sesson on Saturday and a long road run sesson on Sunday, and eat well between.
Workout plans consist of Zwift racing on Saturday and daddy daughter ice cream dates on Sunday
Racing an Ekiden race
Recovery (aka catching up on sleep)
I’ll be running back to back 8 milers this weekend!
I have 25 running miles scheduled for Saturday/Sunday.
3×20 at 80%ftp and 6×8-minute efforts between 88-94% FTP directly preceded by a 12-second round of big gear, high-force stomps.
Autumn is cyclocross time… aka playing in the mud
Exploded my left ankle on a pine cone while running last Saturday night so my weekend workout will be hobbling from my bed to the couch and back.
Trying to keep up with the kids!
Zwift academy workouts coming up this weekend
Weekend will involve a easy 5-6 mile runs, dog walks, and getting lost in a corn maze
Walk today and ride tomorrow. But I’m in Melbourne where we’ve been locked down for months to a 5km radius, although the one hour limit was raised to two hours and the curfew lifted a couple of weeks ago. So you can do all that at 10pm even hehe.
Tomorrow they announce more easing and we are hanging out for it. Imagine going 6km! ?
As the part of my half marathon plan for the 15th of november: on saturday a short 7km run, a bit faster than the planned race pace, and on sunday an easy run of 13 kms. Going to be a nice weekend with some rain and wind ?
Nothing programmed! for me :-)
On Friday night, I plan on sneaking in a 45min romantic lap swim with the wife while the kid goes to child watch at the Y. Then up early for what might be the last outdoor ride of the season Saturday morning. The rest of the weekend is jammed with the wife and I doing the kid/work tango. We are both teachers so that means distance learning lesson plans, grading papers, and the endless deluge of student emails!
I’ll be starting some short easy spinning on the turbo. This will be the first since I’ve had a bonemarrow transplant a number of weeks ago
TrainerRoad workout today. Long run tomorrow
Tomorrow running and on Sunday bike trainer and watching “De Ronde van Vlaanderen”!
If the weather is decent, I will do 35 miles on Sunday with the Bay View Bike Club.
Easy run on Saturday and watching soccer/football all day on Sunday!
Saturday is wine tasting in Napa. Sunday is most probably a gravel ride, or more properly tarmac with some dirt.
Two trainer road workouts and a mountain bike skills course! First time on a mountain bike since I was a kid and first time ever on a skills course.
Short run and a walk with my girl in a hopefully sunny weekend
Sleeping in – that counts as a weekend workout right? Especially with kids ?
Looking forward to another ride with my son (11 years old). So cool to have a little buddy to ride with! :-)
Getting back to walk/ run workouts
My weekend workout is a 45 minute swim and a 2 hour bike ride on Saturday, finishing Sunday with an hour long hilly, dirt trail run!!
Looking to maybe get some end of season deals on bike stuff. or maybe new go pro, or anything really
Zwift ride tomorrow and then will be on the bike outside to follow/watch my friend who is running her first marathon. Golf on Sunday #recovery.
No activities for me as I’m still recovering from a broken collar bone, hoping to get some good rides soon.
I’m trying to Everest this month and have fallen behind so I need about 6’000 ft of elevation this weekend…
Which isn’t easy in Rhode Island.
Based on the weather, looks like a trainer weekend. Peleton or Rouvy. Haven’t decided yet.
Thanks Ray, doing a great job.
Hopefully a couple sessions on the rowing machine, but the big work is top-to-bottom cleaning of the house for fall. Which is more exercise than it’s given credit for!
Hope it stops raining and can pop out for a decent bike ride on Sunday
My hope is that the wind and smoke die down enough to get in a serious ride. Living between the Cameron Peak and Mullen Creek fires we have been subject to 25-45 mph winds and serious smoke for several weeks.
Gotta be a TrainerRoad workout on Sunday
Cycle down the river trail down to the beach and back!
Netflix it is. Ran a marathon last weekend and start the off-season phase next week.
I’m on my way back from an injury, so a easy run on Sunday and for the rest lots of relaxing :-)
My weekend is Sunday-only due to picking up an evening shift at the hospital laboratory I work at (I’ll take all the covid sympathy points I can!). I’ve still got my two workouts, though: 90-minute sweet spot ride tomorrow morning on TrainerRoad, and Sunday morning a 10-mile long run.
My usual afternoon jog and bike rides in sunny SoCal.
Does cleaning the garage count? Sandwiched around that, I’m sure I will either run or ride, or run and ride, or ride and run.
Saturday long run, and a sunday long Zwift!
Riding the track bike working on my age category hour attempt
Back to back rides, making the most of a dry weekend
I’ve already completed a Train with GCN spin indoors (it’s started snowing a bit here), so next is Netflix tonight and maybe a walk with the family tomorrow!
After an unfortunate summer off the bike, I’m kicking things off again this weekend with some indoor rides.
Easy bike ride in Saturday along with a crossfit workout and a long run in Sunday!
I had an Ultra planned but they just canceled (day before) due to a forest fire. Gonna run the 50k anyways, just in a different trail and self supported
Recovering from a Cardio Version , whilst watching bike movies , reading all the latest DC Rainmaker reviews , and planning my next adventure ! Next weekend , I get the ok to ride again and explore ..
Gravel sportive on Sunday so recovering with dog walks until then
I’m going to explore the parcours for an off-road duatlon I’ll be doing next weekend!
Rest, all the rest in the world! :)
Racing my first ultra!
Running, strength training and some yoga.
Two hour sweet spot ride on Saturday and an endurance ride on Sunday.
I’m actually planning to get some strength training in by moving to a new apartment.
time to replace my 920 xt :)
Gonna find a trail to run/hike/shuffle before the snow season starts!
5k Sat, half marathon Sunday. Gonna be a great weekend.
Weekend will include a ride on Saturday and a hike on Sunday! I need to. Win
?
Well, Saturday the Gdynia half marathon, and Sunday 100k road bike tour. Let’s rock.
A 44.44 mile cycle tomorrow morning. Couldn’t have planned it better if I tried!
Yoga and/or tai chi or qigong in the morning, maybe Sunday mixed terrain ride.
I’m currently looking forward to a weekend of trainerroad workouts and watching the giro.
Bike ride with a friend along the beach.
I plan to reclaim my age group kom on the bike.
Bit of Zwift tomorrow for a few hours then family time rest of the weekend nothing to train for at the moment.
I am going to start my week-end with a saturday morning run outside, a quick supermarket run, then I will stay indoors with my wife and kids (due to the current pandemic restrictions), catch up with dcrainmaker latest blog posts, watch the latest episode of All the Way Up. Sunday it’s one of my kids’ birthday, but no birthday party due to the pandemic, so maybe, just maybe he’ll convince me to play Fortnite with him. Hopefully I’ll be able to get a another run either outside or on the treadmill. Wish i could go out for a nice bicycle ride, but mine was stolen some months ago and I haven’t been able to replace it ye. So I guess my wife and all my kids have a bike except me now… :-)
Doing a 40-mile loop around Seattle!
A nice long bike ride
My exercise will be building a quail cage and flying my drone.
Just got back from a mountain bike ride and hoping to do another this weekend
My weekend plans include me trying to find the fitness that I lost somewhere in March. Hopefully I can get outside on my bike, but will most likely sweat-up my pain cave!
Weekend long run with my run buddy on Saturday and golfing on Sunday!
Time to get a decent 20k run under the belt before the clocks change.
Watching the Ronde Van Vlaanderen and indoor cycling combined!
Hey DCR, I always enjoy your blog and video reviews – makes me wish I had more $ to spend on toys ;)
This weekend starts on Saturday with a 1h40 reverse tempo run (return faster than I start out). Then on Sunday is some strength/core work and a hike on the local trails if it does not rain. If it rains then I’ll spin on the bike inside and read a book.
Stay well, and I hope you have a great weekend too.
All the best, Mike from Canada!
Trying to stay cool, so at least one day on the trainer, the other on the gravel bike!
Probably a family ride with my wife and kids, andba short ride on Sunday if I’m in the mood :-)
Long bike ride outside- if the weather cooperates!
Mountain biking and hitting the Biergarten afterwards
Short bike down to the kayak club for annual autumn cleaning ?️
Couples rides and a lot of vegetation…
Tomorrow I do not plan anything, but there are always surprises.
The next day I will ride the trainer and watch the Tour de Flanders
Plan on long run on Saturday (~18mi), and for Sunday an hr swim workout, and if allowed to be away even longer a potential 60-80 mile ride for a virtual Tour de Cure ride.
hopefully it’ll cool off and I can run 10 miles without blowing up.
I am going to run a 30K trail tomorrow!
That will be a nice trailrunning above & beyond Croatia. ;-)
Kids’ time and then a run!
Most likely a short Zwift ride and a old boys game of soccer
Biking, Swimming, Running, and a 4th Degree Blackbelt Exam. Packed weekend.
We were going to spend it with friends but with changes in the lockdown I’ll be riding.
Hope it doesn’t rain, I want to ride a little tomorrow and a do a lot of climbs by sunday!!
My weekend looks like a bike ride one day and a hike with my wife on the other. If the rain clears out before sundown this evening maybe I get to sneak a run in too to start the weekend off.
Maaaybe a Sunday run, if the weather is not horrible…
Yoga and a long walk/run..
Couch, Giro and Flanders babyyyyyy!!!!!
Plan to do some hiking with the family to enjoy the Fall colors in the U.S. Mid Atlantic region!
New coach has decided to torture me with my most hated workouts – 4 hours of zone 2… snooze fest. All for the greater good I suppose
Saturday I have a 20 mile ascending pace run, followed by beer and pizza. Sunday I have a hour easy jog… with more beer and pizza…
This weekend I’ll spend on floorball coach theory training… :)
No training this weekend. It’s DIY and a slow bimble around the countryside in what could be the last sunny day of the year.
I’ll be giving my lungs a good workout cheering on the All Blacks against the Wallabies at Eden Park on Sunday. I’m privileged to be able to do that in the company of 48000 of my close mates. I don’t take this ability to congregate in a Covid free environment for granted and will genuinely take time to think of all of you who would love to be doing the same for your favourite sports team but can’t.