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I’m DC RAINMAKER…
I swim, bike and run. Then, I come here and write about my adventures. It’s as simple as that. Most of the time. If you’re new around these parts, here’s the long version of my story.
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Smart Trainers Buyers Guide: Looking at a smart trainer this winter? I cover all the units to buy (and avoid) for indoor training. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
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In Depth Product Reviews
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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!
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.
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!
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 2023 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.
None… I’ll be in Amsterdam for a stag party. However, I’ll have two days off on monday & tuesday to go for a 2 hour climbing training on the bike.
Saturday: rest before Sunday
Sunday: local MTB race (annual event, start of series), 40km
The stuff here is pretty cool and awesome.Pellet mill, I got the meaning clearly and need no longer time to understand it. It’s really interesting.
on Saturday: 10k easy run, on Sunday: 15 miles running.
Friday: Easy 5km
Saturday: Recuperating from last Saturdays 50km race Lejonbragden link to lejonbragden.se with a 21 km trail race called Sydkustloppet link to sydkustloppet.se
Sunday: Rest day
I’m travelling and won’t be able to do any workouts. As I will be on high altitude, I hope however my travelling will have some beneficial effects on my fitness level :-)
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The plan is similar to last weekend – one day run and the other bike, in preparation for a trip to San Diego, which will include at sprint duathlon, the following weekend.
Hi!
Saturday : I might go running in the small mountains in my garden
Sunday : cooking and leisure day!
night mtb ride at sparrow hill
Running and relaxing.
Doing first durathon – Hope it stops raining…
Long run (7 miles) on Sat. and 2 hour bike ride on Sun., both with the baby while my wife takes the motorcycle safety course.
Retul Bike fit sat am… hope to get a 10 mile run in later. Sunday… scheduled for an 85 miler…ride that is. Gonna skip the La Jolla Half Marathon.
because of I’m in build 1 week 4 I’m planning my test on bike and run as well as easy seasion of swim as well as easy session of run.
Planning some OWS if the weather allows, and a 80m run. 9 days to my HIM race :)
I will do a big bike block starting today with 150 km. Thursday also 150 km. Friday only 75 km and 100 km on Saturday. Sunday I will do 100 km + a Sprint Triathlon and on Monday 170 km on the race course of Challenge Roth.
I hope I’ll make it through.
10k run
Training this weekend includes early morning 3km pool swim Saturday followed by a run in the afternoon. Sunday will be an ocean swim weather permitting and a 40km bike in the afternoon. Thanks for all your awesome reviews you have helped influence many buying decisions!
Well Sunday is my wife’s birthday, so that will be a rest and celebrate day. Saturday will be a swim/run brick.
Hi Ray,
After 5 days where the focus has been on my knee I hope to start again with mtb.Unfortunately long rungs should wait a little bit more.
Friday: easy jog for about 50mins
Saturday: long run 30-31kms, last 10kms faster
Sunday: Caving training
It’s great to hear from you and see what you’ve sent up. This is a great blog. You deserve an award of some kind. Thanks!
I’m going to my hometown (Oviedo, Spain) to see my parents and i’m planning to do a litte trail- run (12-15km) in Naranco mountain.
Hi,
i am planning to ride 120 km on the bike :)
Ondrej
werdna@email.cz
Friday: go swim
Saturday: social obligations in the form of a wedding of my cousin.
Sunday: hangover ^^
A Granfondo in France, called Les Six Bourgeois de Calais.
Hi, i am planning to ride 120 km on the bike :)
Ondrej
Last long run before the ultra next weekend.
Last long run before the ultra next weekend.
Friday: Easy run in Dublin
Saturday: I would like to do a PR and run 2 6:30 miles
Sunday: Go break some KOM’s on the road bike.
Long weekend coming up: a 90 km ride on Saturday, a longish run on Sunday, a day off with the wife on Monday to celebrate our wedding anniversary, and another 130 km (80 mile) club ride on Tuesday since it’s Workers’ Day here in Belgium. Yieha!
Doing my first tri this weekend and I am bricking it
I’ll do my first triathlon sprint at Etampes (France)
Saturday: 5k swim
Sunday: 150k bike + 10k run
Will go for a nice 10K run after long winter indoor running!
Completed my first 10k race of the season last week in 45mins so looking to go under that next time around. (2/3weeks)
The weekend looks like:
Thursday morning 5k 6am start
Friday morning 5 k 6 am start
Saturday – probably will do a m100
Sunday – 11k run
Start running barefoot from saturday…
Doing a ~85 mile bike north of Novato, CA on Saturday. Sunday a pool swim & run ~ 7 miles.
This weekend, would be a 18km night race in the trail :)
Hey Ray! This weekend have long ride Saturday and hopefully first open water swim,if the north sea decides to warm up,if not will bro hot fudge Sunday @beach :0)
I’m going to run to my in laws, not to fast so that i have a great excuse for not spending much time there ;). On Sunday i ga for a nice smoothe run with friends, looking forward to this!
Friday: Indoor Volleyball
Saturday: Beachvolleyball
Sunday: Beachvolleyball
And between the days, running&swimming and some fitness training
Friday I’m planning on doing some hill intervals for the first time in a while, take Saturday off, then a light 10 miles on Sunday
w00t!!!
joined!!! gimme gimme gimme :)
Preparing for a 10-mile race. doing a long run on saterday (1h30min) in an easy pace.
I’ll take it. Maybe it’ll inspire me to run distances needing the extra battery life.
10km run in preparation for my first half-marathon in Geneva, Switzerland!
What are your training and/or racing plans for this weekend ahead (Apr 27-29th)?
Hi DC,
Greetings from Poland here. On weekend I would like to break 20km distance (preparing to my 1st Marathon start on September).
Take care,
Thursday: 70k bike ride home from work, Saturday: 1.5h trail/mountain run, Sunday: 15k run
After two OD races in the past three weeks, this will be an easy weekend for me with some light training. And on Sunday I will take my wife on her very first ride on her new road bike with a BBQ at the end being the goal.
Friday I’ll simply do my 10km each way bike to work as I do everyday for the last 6 and a half years.
Saturday a 300km bike ride integrated in a local BRM.
Sunday resting from the Saturday long and hopefully successful ride, gathering energy to a recovery 10km run on Monday and the usual commute
Friday 3 miles
Saturday Country Music Half Nashville
Sunday rest
Taking the bike off the trainer and hitting the road for the first time this year.
Saturday 1H30 running 1H marathon pace , 2.7 mile swimm
Sunday 4h -5 h bikeride with 1h of race pace .
Fri – rest
Sat – rest
Sun – 85km ride
I hurt my calf about three weeks ago and since then I have been unable to go out for a run. Was out on a 3.4k run yesterday and it felt quite okay.
This weekend:
-1+ trainer or bike exercise Friday and/or Saturday
-A slightly “longer” run, 6 to 10k, on Sunday depending on how it feels
Got this years first halfmarathon next weekend so I hope it will go great :-)
I’m quite new as runner.
I will only have a 8′ run and 2′ walk x 3 times on sunday.
Probably just one or two of my normal 8½ km loops around the waterfront. All depending on my 4 month son, he is the boss at the moment! :)
Saturday: 10k trail run along the Rhine.
Sunday: Bike ride with my daughter and some fly fishing. :)
I hope this time it works. Else I’m sorry to double post.
I’ll do some 5-10km running and a 2-3 hour bike ride. That’s probably what I’ll manage to do. Hopefully a little more. :)
Friday I’ll do a semi-long run of about 15-20k depending on the weather and the route I choose
Saturday should be a bike-ride and Sunday indoor-spinning for fun with some friends :)
Hi Ray!
Friday:Rest
Sat: Rest
Sunday (not day of rest!)I will be doing this race!
link to facebook.com
It’s a night time 10km race around Dublin City starting at Trinity College where I am a student!
-Rhona
Friday: working
Saturday: barbecue with friends
Sunday: 10k
With a public holiday 1. may it will be a long weekend in Germany and weather forecast looks promising.
Friday: 1 hour easy run
Saturday: Cross-Triathlon (500m/20k/5k)
Sunday: Mountainbiking
Monday: Swim+MTB
Tuesday: long run + cycling with friends
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Saturday – Long Bike – Sugarloaf
Sunday – Long Run – Rock Creek Park
Hi ray
Just a short 23km training bike and some time run and swim:-)
doron from tel aviv
Just returning from back injury so going to start training for my first Duathlon of the year
Saturday – Run/Bike/Run
Sunday – Probably lay in bed in agony !
Fri Swimset Masters, Sat 75k bike, Sun 14k fartleg
long ride and 1/2 marathon.
Weekends are always busy times for me. It is the time for racing, long runs, long rides and trying to make up for everything I didn’t have time to do during the week (which mostly doesn’t happen).
This weekend looks particularly tricky:
Friday: Try and get my legs going after almost a week of rest due to incipient shin pains. Probably a 5k easy run. Swimming training with my local tri club in the evening.
Saturday: Race day! I’m looking at either a 5k race and try to see how the shape is coming along, OR a 26k trail race OR a sprint duathlon. Leaning towards the 5k, even though the 26k is probably better with respect to my upcoming half marathon. Duathlon will probably be fun but the timing is a bit off to suit me well.
Sunday: Long ride. By long I usually mean anything in the range of 3-5 hours. Looking very much forward to this, provided the weather stays in spring mode for some more days (Stockholm, Sweden, has been in semi winter mode last couple of weeks).
Thanks for a great blog, keep up the good work!
Saturday: 2k swim & 50 min run
Sunday: 3h Bike ride thru Essex, UK
I’m planning a 3 hour bike ride that includes a 8 mile TT. Sunday will hopefully be a long run if my hip is up to it followed by a long swim.
Saturday will be a 2-3 hour ride and a 1 hour run. Another run on Sunday!
Sunday I am going out to run around the historical sights of Ancient Rome.
Nothing really… It is my birthday so I will only have a light run on Sunday.
I took some days off – will ride off-road as much as the weather allows.
I have to train for climbing with the mtb, I have done only flat rides so far this year.
a swim on saturday and a brick on sunday!
On sunday there is a MTB race which opens the season for the most popular MTB racing series in Latvia (SEB MTB maratons), so I will take a part in it.
The racing season has already started with a few races in start of April.
On saturday we will have to go to work, to get a free monday (government swapped the days because of national holidays).
YVGN@NANA10.CO.IL
After completing a swimming marathon last Saturday i am now gearing up to take on a tough man challenge called “tough mudder” in 17 days…… not that I’m counting. Eek!!
Plus I have just agreed to my first tri sprint – 22nd July, all thanks to you for the inspiration and training tips/ hints :)
Ian F.
UK
Unfortunately, probably just a lot of reading on the stationary bike and elliptical for me–law school finals next week.
My plans for the weekend:
Friday: 10k tempo run
Saturday: Short run with my dog
Sunday: Long run on some beautiful trails
On saturday 200min bike followed by a 25min brick
On Sunday visit to Krakow :)
10 mile easy run on Saturday followed by a swim
Cycling with the family on Sunday :)
Enjoy your trail running!
Sunday 5: my first triathlon !!!!
I am planning to take a rest to recover from a periostitis :(
Running in the American Odyssey Relay from Gettysburg, PA to Washington, DC. So, I’ll be in your neighborhood sometime on Saturday.
Sa: 10 km race in Tikkakoski.
Su: Recover
Hello,
Most likely I will race with my 2-year old to the park to build some sandcastles!
Take care
Jurgen
I’ll be flying to the Galapagos Islands….any advice for triathlon training on an airplane!!
Saturday: First open water swim of the year! I am preparing for it to be on the colder side of chilly here in north England.
Sunday: Long bike ride around the countryside.
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Friday – Some gymnastics with the yongest (5year). I’ve neve done any gymnatics before the past year but the trainer lives just down the road. The purpose of father+child gymnastics is that the child should have fun while the father uses him/her as an exercise tool. I.e running arround with him on the shoulders, trowing him into the air etc. I’m amased what and old fart like me can actually do on an airtrack or trampoline without getting hurt when you have a soft mattress to land in. I also plan to take an hour on the MTB up/down a local track outside my door (~20-24km)
Saturday. Outdoor gymnastics show.
Sunday. 1-1.5 hour (~30km) on the MTB and 45min indoor swim (~2.5km)
It`s going to be a hard weekend for me….just partying with my friends,barbecue, and a tone of beer :))..hope to survive :)
On Sunday I’ll be running in a ‘night-time’ 10km race around Dublin city centre (Ireland), my third 10km in April!
Minuteman 5k in CT on Sunday!
Bad; moving this weekend and not training. Good; new place closer to the running trails for easier training in the future!
Second sprint tri of the season! followed by modified 2hr bike ride.