Heads up! Here’s your massive list of sports tech deals! This includes the Garmin Forerunner 965 for just $499, Garmin Epix for $429, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium for $735, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $299, (or Hero 13 bundle for $339!) and plenty more! Go check out the full list 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 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.
Norway intervals on the bike (4x(4-3)) (link to ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), trying to keep my lungs inside my chest.
Run 20 miles on Saturday. Wash, rinse, and repeat on Sunday.
Run 5k 2% incline @ 5.4mph then swim 8x100m 4x50m 4x25m avoid drowing
Just getting back into it. 7 mile tempo run on Wednesday. Yay!
Working towards an indoor triathlon (you know, one of the TriFreaks RainMain series) next month, so next week is my own little test (never done a triathlon before) to see how my training is going so far. So, I plan on hitting the Y for a 20 minute swim, then transition to the cardio room for 40 minutes on the bike, then a 40 minute run (which should be more than the 5k.) Looking forward to it, as well as a big glass of chocolate milk at the end. :-)
Running:
5km warm up
Then 20 x 300m 55sec, with rest 60sec.
Difficult choice when I win!!!
Sorry about the second comment, but good luck for the race, hope it goes to plan.
Warm-up+speed to start and if outside do hard starts throughout the ride, otherwise if inside mix in 4-6 speed drills during the course of the ride instead of the hard starts. After the warm-up do 30 min. @ SS then end with 10 minutes of z1 to cool down.
GOALS: endurance and easy threshold work; low training stress.
Planned Time: 1:00
Treadmill: 8 minute warm up, 4×5:00 Hill Repeats with 2 minute recovery.
750m Swim ( slipts of 8 laps freestyle + 7 laps breats stroke)
20km cycle
5km run
Full drill for the Sprint triathlon I will be participating in the coming week!! totally excited for my first ever triathlon and hope to be a part of many more in future :D
Cheers!!
30 patella mobilisations
30 leg raises
30 quad contractions
Calf stretches
4 times a day
Followed by reconstructive knee surgery on Tuesday to rebuild my ACL, and LCL from my hamstrings… Damn skiing ruining all my bike training!
30 patella mobilisations; 30 leg raises; 30 quad contractions; Calf stretches; 4 times a day
Followed by reconstructive knee surgery on Tuesday to rebuild my ACL, and LCL from my hamstrings… Damn skiing ruining all my bike training!
15Km on Saturday 2/3 at a 5:30 -6:00’/km… started training for my 3rd marathon
30 patella mobilisations; 30 leg raises; 30 quad contractions; Calf stretches; 4 times a day
Followed by reconstructive knee surgery on Tuesday to rebuild my ACL, and LCL from my hamstrings… Last time I go skiing as its ruining all my bike training
Looking forward my 5 mile race this coming Saturday! Oui! Oui!
Compte sur mon ptit bonhomme de 10 ans pour aider sa Maman sur le dernier mile… aimerais finir en moins de 40 mns, mais la barre est haute!
Merci! et congrats on your blog, a little Frenchie in CA
30 patella mobilisations; 30 leg raises; 30 quad contractions; Calf stretches; 4 times a day. Followed by reconstructive knee surgery on Tuesday to rebuild my ACL, and LCL from my hamstrings… Last time I go skiing as its ruining all my bike training
A:
5 minute jog to the gym
B:
Bilateral ankle pumps x 30 reps at 130 lbs.
Knee extension x 30 reps at 100 lbs.
Knee curls x 30 reps at 100 lbs.
Leg press x 30 reps at 130 lbs.
Dead lifts x 30 reps at 155 lbs.
Repeat B
C:
Ab crunch with knees starting at 90 then extending to the ground and back x 20
single leg bridging 30 seconds x 2 alternating legs
Ab bicycles with 8 second hold on each side for 10 reps
Supermans (45 seconds in T shape, last 15 seconds fully extended I shape)
Plank x 1 minute
Repeat C
D:
Stumble home
Running the Comrades Ultra (89km) in June, along with 18,000 other South Africans, so 70% of training is long slow distance with a bit of speedwork and hills thrown in to keep it interesting.
Plan to see how my new HR zones feel based on the VO2max testing I had earlier this week.
1.5 mile intervals tomorrow, as part of my training for a half-marathon at the end of March. Rescheduled from Wednesday due to an all-nighter at work.
Well, I’ve spent years and years training martial arts, but dropped it when I got to college. The past 5 years were all about sporadic runs and perennial hypertrophy workouts. Now I am 35 lbs heavier and horribly slow!
That said, my next workout will be a HIIT (high-intensity interval training). I’m not sure if it is the best suitable training for me, but I DO need to get back some of the explosion and acceleration of yore.
Basically, it will be:
i. 3-4′ run in a cool 6:30 min/km pace
ii. 20″ sprint like if devil was biting at my ankles
iii. 1′ slow walk to catch my breath back
then repeat it for the next 20 minutes.
40 mile ride up to skyline and back down. Then eat a shit load of In-n-out.
Hi,
just run for
10 min warm up
50 min 5:30 min/km
Saturday:
Erg
6 * 1500m w/ 3 min rest (at 6k pace)
Light row for technique, focus on starts
30 min drills
1 * Start 5, High 5
2 * Start 5, High 10
3 * Start 5, High 20
Stationary Bike-light, nothing straining
10 min relaxed
10 min heart rate elevated
10 cool down
Stretch hamstrings, hip flexors
Drink protein shake
22 miles in the hills up above Silicon Valley!
Run 5km
Squats x20
Push ups x20
Sit ups x30
Stationary Biking 5 km
Running 16miles at marathon pace.
I’m going to be doing some easy 3 milers for a while.. Easing back into running after an injury turned lazy break.. Garmin 305 is looking like it needs an update…
Friday – Celebrate friend’s homecoming party with 1L steins of beer
Saturday – 120 km cross-bike ride and try not to die
FS 1000 pull
BS 400
FS 400
FS 800 pull
Going to run 18K this Saturday. Practicing for my first half-marathon due in to weeks.
8km of hard trail run hopefully shaving off some seconds.
old but gold 5k run!
A brick workout with a twist.
On Monday I intend to swim 1km at the pool on the way home from work, then jump in the car and drive home. Then when I get home, jump on the road bike for a quick 20km circuit of my suburb before arriving at Football training. Given I play Aussie Rules, footy training usually consists of about 8km of running at high intensity intervals.
A brick workout with a twist!
Spin on trainer (1h 15min):
WU: 5min 90rpm
5min (1min 120rpm – 1min 90rpm)
6min single leg drill (alt 45sec each side)
4min 100rpm
MS: 50min z2 as 5x(6min 60-65rpm – 4min 90rpm)
CD: 5min
Trail Running with 26km, total elevation of 1400m
5km beach run with sand dune hill workout
Going to cycle 90km Saturday, endurance HR (around 150 bpm). Practicing to race La Marmotte this July!
Just a easy 5 ile srun trough the local forrest. Love that!
Today, a very easy 5k run at 6:00 min pace in preparation for Semi M Paris.
Since the weather seems to favor winter sports (currently -2C, snow expected) saturdays session looks like this:
90min zone 2 skiing with 10 minute intervals of even push skiing in up to zone 4. Supplement with 15min cool down run.
If the weather turns rainy, it certainly doesn’t look like it, the session is like this:
30-45min warm up run, 45min on the trainer (zone 2, yet high rpm) with 10 minute intervals of zone 4 power pedaling. Supplement with with >30min circuit training, especially arms.
The last, but certainly not the least, check how friends did in Abu Dhabi tri.
3h zone 2/3 run on Saturday, 2 March. Training for 56km ultra marathon on 30 March.
MARCH MADNESS:
– swim my age in miles in 1 month
– Run my age in miles in 24 hours
– bike my age in miles in 1 session
WUP Zone 1: 15 Min
WORK: High zone 2: 4×3 mile repeats:
Pace Progression: 5min@ marathon Pace, 4min 1/2Mar pace, 3min 10K pace, strides
CoolDown: Zone 15 Min
Trying to get back in the swing of things. Moderate 60min bike on trainer. Mostly in Zone 3.
Run 28km @ 6:00/km
I’ve got track repeats on the schedule for next week…
2 mile WU
4 X 400 w/ :20 recovery
4 X 800 w/ 1:00 recovery
2 mile CD
Chase guys at front of 70 group ride
Oh how I wish it were my Saturday long mountain run, but alas, instead it will be getting acquainted with deep water running: 5 minutes slow cadence, 2:15 fast, 0:45 slow, 2:15 fast, 0:45 slow, 3:20 fast, 1:00 slow, 3:20 fast, 1:00 slow, 2:15 fast, 1:00 slow, 2:15 fast, something like a cooldown. It’s based on the running intervals I can’t do at the moment, and given my (first) experience with deep water running today, it’s probably not enough.
Doing on of my weekly workouts according to the 20 Minute Power Accelerator (E3 Training Solutions) plan at Trainer road.
Next week is week2 so it involves Crag, Palmer and Pyramidal.
So it is treshold for me…
Weekend 400 track repeats with my 4 year old. I’m running while she hammers it out on her pink Strider bike.
5min warmup on a treadmill at recovery pace
30 minutes alternating:
running at 9-10mph at a 15% incline for 30 seconds
10 body-weight exercises (pushups, crunches, squats, box jumps, etc…)
15 min running at recovery pace with 0% incline.
5 min stretch/walk/skip
15 x 1min sprint/1min walk intervals
moderate run home from where i end up
2 hrs uphill above the limit
My first 30min cycling ride after beeing on crutches for 6 weeks!
Ride: 30 min warm up / commute to hills
4 x 800m approx 5 min climb
30 min heavy gear work / commute home
Brick Run: 3km 10km pace
Cool down
Currently in Marathon-prep. 8 weeks to go.
Adding some speed workout, so:
Intervalls
2k warmup
21x300m at 03:27min/km with 200m easy (6:45 min/km) in between
2k cooldown
Bike to/from work one day (30 miles/3k climbing)
Two 1 hour spin classes
30-50 mile ride on Sunday
Getting a KICKR for $600 would be pretty cool. :)
Want to swim 3 mile in one hour(open water), but……….how can I make my track(to check the distance) if there are no references :(
Hi,
Today, doing a little intervaltraining. (8x2m fast)
– 1,6 km warmup – Z1/Z2
– 2min Fast interval 5:26/km to 5:32/km
– 2min Slow interval Z2
– 2min Fast interval 5:26/km to 5:32/km
– 2min Slow interval Z2
– 2min Fast interval 5:26/km to 5:32/km
– 2min Slow interval Z2
– 2min Fast interval 5:26/km to 5:32/km
– 2min Slow interval Z2
– 2min Fast interval 5:26/km to 5:32/km
– 2min Slow interval Z2
– 2min Fast interval 5:26/km to 5:32/km
– 2min Slow interval Z2
– 2min Fast interval 5:26/km to 5:32/km
– 2min Slow interval Z2
– 2min Fast interval 5:26/km to 5:32/km
– 2min Slow interval Z2
– 2min Fast interval 5:26/km to 5:32/km
– 1,6 km Cool Down – Z1/Z2
I’m looking forward to all the new and interesting workouts!
Kind regards.
Thomas
(this is a workout in from the Runkeeper 10k in under 55m plan :-)
because it’s raining in Barcelona, do an hour of exercise bike at 10/100 and then 45 minutes of spinning
45 min. pool swim…The only goal of the workout is not to drown given I have not been in the pool for several months.
Saturday: Yasso 800 x 10, followed by easy 5k cool down.
Sunday: 20k LSD.
Today: 12k easy
Saturday: 22k <5min/km
Sunday 8x1000m 4:10min/m
Next two days: 20 km classic skiing, 6 km run (fartlek).
run to work (17k and try not to get run over), work a whole day, and back in the evening.
Warm up 2km, then run 10km increasing speed every 2km, cool down 2km.
Getin’ back in shape after 2 months winter break, so the plan for this Saturday is an easy 10K run
Transition training:
30min easy bike WU
then, repeat the following 4 times, pushing harder and harder every time:
10Km bike
3Km run
5min recovery
and then, cool-down.
Work out will be my first Super Sprint Triathlon – 400m/8km/3k. Can’t wait!
18 km. today and on Sunday a short run. After the weekend some speed training on the track.
-Swim-
Warm up with 600 Choice.
Main Set
3 rounds of:
6 x 50 (0:10) kicking on the kick board at steady zone 2 effort.
4 x 100(0:15) at endurance focusing on swim technique.
1 x 100(0:15) at VO2 pushing the pace.
Cool down
Planned Time: 1:00
a nice MTB ride trough the woods. About 60 km on a very technical track (lot of single track)
This evening: Go to local sports club, attend Bodypump / Spinning back-to-back classes.
I’m getting back into shape by increasing my every-other-day run mileage by 10% each week. So, this Saturday is a 5.5 mi. run through the nearby woods, and Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Sunday are no longer than 6.05 miles each. All run on trails in the nearby park that has about 20 miles of trails and another 5 miles of road.
Usually I run 4 times a week – it’s not a big deal. But now it’s worse – I started to learn not to drown – 3 times a week. I know one trainer and all the lifeguards at the pool – yes, it’s so bad ;)
15 Km medium range, and after that arround 45 minutes of pool series.
Getting ready for the Murcia (East of Spain) Media Marathon.
Thanks…. for all your reviews…
For the weekend, I’ve got a longer run planned while getting back into shape for the season. Should be about 2 hours, about 800-1000m elevation gain. With some snow still in place that should be a good workout ;)
Good warm up then off to favorite hill to reclaim my KOM title.
Escape from Alcatraz on Sunday….do races count as workouts? Sure hope so because after that I will be taking some much needed R&R
An easy group ride (70-80KM) and then running 10KM at 5:00 – 5:10 pace
I will run a 5 k and see if my knee is still bothering me.
A 30km long slow hilly session on tracks in the Aussie Bush :)
A random zone 2 13-16 km trail run fartlek where I’ll sprint 50 meters for every person I see on the trail.
I’ve had to refrain from training these past few weeks due to illness. However, I’m all well now and look forward to my favorite weekly (winter) Sunday routine: indoor spinning, gym class and then some stretching in the evening. Can’t wait! :)
The training plan calls for a 14 km run followed by a 2-3 hours bike on Sunday, but because it’s the only weekend where I can have a shot at the Strava long run challenge, it’ll be a 32.2 km run. Guess I’ll take a bus to go somewhere and then run back home.
I`ve planned to go trail running for some cross-training to my mountain biking routine:
5K easy run followed with 1K x 5 at treshold pace finished with 2K cool down run and some 20 minutes of proper stretching.
This is a good mix of endurance and strenght training that gives big boost to your legs that is needed for cycling, especially for mountain biking.
(woops, didn`t notice that I replied to a previous comment, so this is my actual individual comment)
Simply running 10K, keeping my heart-rate in zone 3 throughout the session.
I’ll put myself on the trainer and go spinning for half an hour or so, while listening to Gunter D’s Grote Botsautomix (Bumpercar Mix that is)
Doing a 60km steady, undulating ride, then a race pace 5km run off the bike. Getting ready for Victor Harbour olympic distance tri, next weekend.
After being lazy the whole week I plan to run 25 km today in 2:20. Most excited about longer runs is my dog :-)
I am getting ready for my first half marathon so this weekend I will try an 1hr 40min long run
Tonight training schedule: 20′ 75%, 4 × (5 × 100m uphill), 15′ 75%
For me, Monday is interval day – so, for next Monday I have the legendary Yasso 800s on my plan:
– Warm up (for me, that’s 20 minutes of easy running)
– Run 800 meters (or 2 laps around the track = half a mile) in a time that corresponds to your planned marathon time (i.e. if you plan to run a marathon in 3:28 hours, run the 800 meters in 3:28 minutes)
– Walk or jog recovery for the same amount of time (in the above example, recover for 3:28 minutes)
– Repeat 10 times
– Cool down
Next Saturday I’m going to prove myself (and to some other people too) that I’m capable of running at average pace lower than 6:00. The distance is 5 km and the aim is to break the 30′ barrier. Keep your fingers crossed for me ;-)
I’m planning my 1st run with my new Viiiiva Heart Rate Monitor this weekend! And its a first for me, never seen my heart rate while running :)
Training for the Nantes Marathon next April 21st, I have a 100′ run on saturday, with 3x3k at pace with 3′ rest.
I’m returning to the running world, so I’m doing a run-walk program and appliying the maffetone method to control my intensity.
My running workout today was 5’Walk+6 times ( 90′ R+90′ W)+ 5′ Walk ( at 126-136 hbpm).
Paris Marathon training so Sunday is 32km run. Want to do the last 20km at Marathon pace.
Just recovering from an injury, so simply running 5K at an easy pace.