Heads up! Here’s your massive list of sports tech deals! This includes the Garmin Forerunner 965 for just $499, Garmin Epix for $449, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium for $735, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $299, 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.
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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 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.
Putting on my Weekend Warrior Armor and attacking the Saturday morning group ride & a nice 3 mile recovery run Sunday.
Saturday: 90 LSD run in bootlegger canyon, NV
Sunday: 3 Hr ride- 30 min easy, 60 min moderate, 30 min Hard, 30 min Mod, 30 min cool down.
Cheers thanks for the contest
Not sure if this is working or not.
Planning a 2 hour ride in Zone 2, 3 on the climbs.
currently managing 5 miles, keen to get to a regular 6 miles three times a week without any aches! Running at slow pace HR 120 ish for a 55yr old!
Early Sunday morning, I’ll run down to Lake Zürich (4.5km at 4min/km) for a nice running meetup with my friends from http://www.cityrunning.ch. We’ll do 13km at 6min/km pace, with some 270m up and down the Zürichberg. Hopefully it won’t be as foggy/overcast as the last few days!
Tomorrow morning my first training with my son: I’m getting so excited!
Cycling, group ride, 90 km in the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro. Leaving from Barra da Tijuca, up to Grota Funda and returning through Vargem Grande. Then a good climb to Alto da Boa Vista, passing through Vista Chinesa, and ending in Jardim Botanico. Something like this: link to goo.gl
But only if it stops raining…
Week 8 in Hal Higdon’s Beginner 1 Half Marathon plan.
On Tuesday I’ll go out for 4.5 mile run at a comfortable pace of 7 mph. I won’t do much of a warm up or cool down because I’m doing it in the morning before work.
Not training for anything specific right now I have taken to running two courses repeatedly one a 4.2 mile around a local golf course, the second just slightly longer around a local cemetery. I probably won’t do anything more interesting than run those two courses. Also, thanks for the Rainmaker deal at Clever Training, purchases a FR310xt at a very pleasant price using it, after my 305 started failing.
Hill Day: Twenty minute warm-up on track, 10 minutes of drills, 4X400 build up, then run up the biggest hill I can find until I want to puke. Warm down, drink a beer.
Treadmill hill session
3x7k at 4.55/km, 4.50/km & 4.45/km
at random hill level 6.
40km power cycle around the island on the weekend
Today it was an endurance swim set:
Warm up: 3×75 build
Main Set:
200×2 Build :20 rest
100 Moderate :20 rest
200×2 Build :20 rest
100 Moderate :20 rest
400×2 Build :30 rest
100 Moderate
Cool Down
2×100
Total = 2350
My next workout is going to be my first long bike ride and I am aiming for 20-30 km. I know that’s not very far for a bike ride but it will be my first training bike ride and my first ride with click-on bike shoes.
A 2×20 (+ warmup) on the trainer, using Trainer Road of course, with my newly raised FTP-setting it’s going to be a lot harder than the last time.
2 mile warm up
6 mile tempo
2 mile cool down
Next training ride: Tomorrow, I’m doing a mix of Z2 base riding and some long Z4 climbing efforts over about 100km with around 1500m total elevation in the SF Bay Area. It’ll take me through Halfmoon Bay!
Recovery week for me, but I’m most excited about a 1000m time trial in the pool. I’m hoping to break 15 minutes, which has been a longtime goal for myself.
wu-300 swim, 300 pull, 200 drill
ms- 1000 Time Trial
cd- 200 ez
2000k Total
Sunday morning – 15km bike ride to the start of the event then ride 20km with my 7 yo daughter in her first ever organised bike event Gear Up Girl – River Ride :)
On sunday I will be doing around 100km on the bike or if it is raining really heavy the latest sufferfest – the blender!
Swim:
WU: 250 @ Easy Pace
MS: 1000 @ Moderate Pace
CD: 250 @ Easy Pace
Then run 40 min at roughly 8:30 pace
3hours run in the forest…
After 4 weeks cycling in Cuba I have my first competition next Sunday. Although I made a lot of hours in Cuba, Sunday will be my first speed training….
Oh and I would like to ditch my 705 for a brand new 810…
Heavy rain this weekend so will try to do my long ride on the trainer.
Will try to go 2hrs with 10sec sprint every 5 mins to stop myself going insane
Cheers
Andrew
Treadmill: 10min warm up run, hill interval at marathon pace 2min at 6 incline then 1min at 2 incline x8, 10 min jog at easy pace then 1min 6 incline, 1min 2 incline x5, 10 min cool down.
Gave blood today so taking it easy tomorrow
10 mile bike and a 3 mile run
Training for IM Brazil, tomorrow will be 160k riding followed by an hour run. Feel tired already.
20k easy bike riding with my husband running on my side.
Heading to LA for the weekend so am planning a nice long run along the beach :-)
I plan on going out for a 5 mile run on Sat. Just an easy run trying not to slip on the ice
A weekend off the long stuff after a 54 miler last week, so:
2 mile warm up to Cambridge parkrun, push the 5k hard, coffee & cake, 2 miles easy back home,
The new Sufferfest workout – “The Blender”. 1hr 40 min of trainer suffering.
I am going to do my first ever track workout next week. It is a ladders workout, but I don’t have the details yet. My goal is to not die.
The in-home, 0 kilometre triathlon by the non-triathlete:
1. Elbow yourself in the face while attempting a standing freestyle stroke, in the shower
2. Jump on the trainer (sopping wet) and go at 1000w for 2 hours
3. Run on the spot for 10 seconds
4. Protein shake
8 hour west coast NZ Mountain bike adventure tomorrow morning.
Tuesday 2 mile warmup, 4mile tempo on Woodway treadmill 9.5 mph, 1 mile cooldown
I’ve got a long run of 9.6 miles tomorrow; I’m gearing up for my first half marathon. Here’s hoping it goes well!
Thanks for running this giveaway!
200 warm up
4 x 200 @ 4:00 (1 – drill, 2 – build, 3 – neg split, 4 – swim 80%)
400 @ 8:00 – Pace
4 x 100 @ 1:30 – Fast
300 @ 6:00 – Pace
3 x 100 @ 1:30 – Fast
200 @ 4:00 – Pace
2 x 100 @ 1:30 – Fast
600 Swim All Out
200 Warm down
5k run
Kayak Erg – Interval Training. 12 – 4min intervals at 85%HR, rest to 55%HR then start next interval
1 mile warmup
2 x 2 miles fast with 3 minute recoveries
1 mile cooldown
Preparing for a half marathon in two weeks so tomorrow will be a 18km run with a target pace of 4:44.
I plan to do a 8 mile ride, then interval training on my run.
5 minutes warmup
.25 mile fast pace
2 minute walk recovery
Repeat 8 times
Cool down 5 minutes
Next sunny day in Seattle:
Hop on my Bianchi Sempre, ride from home down to Beach Drive in West Seattle via Lowman Beach Park, around Alki point and directly across town to the Mountains to Sound Greenway. Cross I-90 floating bridge into Factoria, and swing south on Lake Washington Blvd to Renton where I hook up with the Cedar River Trail. Out 10 miles and back on the trail brings me back to Renton, and I ride up the other side of Lake Washington, taking time to ride through Seward Park, and back up to meet I-90, then back along the Mtn To Sound to Holgate Street, then across town, back around Alki Point to Lowman Beach Park again, then home. A good 75 mile ride.
7 mile run, fartlek
Long run: 21k at zone 2-3
My weekly long run is tomorrow, 18 miles in HR zone 3. PS This is an awesome giveaway!
I am planning a 3 hour LSD on Sunday. Take it nice and easy. I am nursing tight hamstrings.
Run 5 miles – max pace followed by basketball. And I just sprained my ankle.
Run 4-5 miles easy followed by 10 min of strength training.
Swim warmup then 6×150 on the 2:30 and 6×100 on the 1:45. Fast lunch workout for about 2000 yds in 45 min.
slow recovery run for 40 min after swollen foot is better.
Working back from illness so just a two mile jog
Brick day: 1 hour on the cycle trainer (weather permitting i will try to ride outside but i live in Oregon so there is no guarantee) then a 5 mile run with a 7:00 pace. For the week I want to do: 2 hours of swimming, 5 hours on the bike, and 20-miles running.
Eight mile run on hilly portion of local half marathon.
My planned workout for sunday can have two variations depending on weather conditions. I’m going to la Cerdanya, in the catalan Pyrenees so I’m planning a mixed workout with snow.
Option A:
Biking from my parents home (altitude 1135m) to a cross-country ski station in France at 1800m of altitude. (about 35 km), then change the road bike for cross-country skis (taken there by car by my wife or a friend) and ski 15 to 20 km. At the end back to home with bike again.
Option B:
Running from home with the skis in the backpack to the closest cross-country ski station in Catalunya (about 8 km but ending up at 1900 m), then skiing 18 to 22 km (this skis station is less flat and I can end up training above 2000m easily), then running down home.
I think option B has more chances.
This weekend I actually have a swimming gala so, depending on the time I get back, that will be the main event, if I get back early ish on Sunday, I’ll be able to go for a short run (I’m limited to 5k runs by my Physio due to a bad knee); so I’ll probably work on intervals during the 5k run.
3 hours on hilly course including all heart rate zones. Boston ready!
I’m still recovering from a stress fracture of the 4th metatarsal on my left foot, so my goal is to walk briskly for 3 miles.
Easy ride with a collegue – 100km of just riding along.
Coming back from tendonitis – so it’s just 6×2 minutes on the treadmill with 1 minute rest!
Trying to get back on the training horse after a few months of traveling, so my main goal is simply to get in a 10 mile run at some point in the next week. I’m gearing up to train for another Ironman, and I’m a little disappointed that a 10-mile run will seem like an achievement at this point, but that’s just how bad my training has been recently :(
just getting out there and running 6 miles
Sat:
a) 3 hr bike ride
– 45 min Zone 1
– 1:15:00 alternating zones from 2-3 every/km
– 1:00:00 speed + cool (15min)
after bike:
b) 30 in run
– 15 at Z2 pace
– 10 at race pace
– 5 cool down
Got a couple workouts planned: 10mi run at target 8:15 pace tomorrow and 30mi road ride on Sunday (if the weather holds) at target 18mph avg. Third time running that distance, but first time riding that far…we’ll see how it goes! :)
Brick workout — 25 miles on the bike with a 3 mile run!
Nothing too crazy, only a 30 min tempo run.
Started running last year. Now I just picked up my first bike in 15 years and plan to go on my first ride this weekend. Would look really nice with a new Edge 510 or 810 on it!!
Plan to repeat my 8 min test on TrainerRoad and actually calibrate my new power meter (inRide on KK Road Machine). Sunday will be a 5-5.5 mile Z3 run on hills. I’m new to training on my training and contemplating a triathlon. Mostly doing it for fitness.
4x 100m in the pool. I’ve only done 100’s once or twice, but I *need* to get this breathing thing down.
Run workout
1k Easy
10 x 150m (30s) / 50m (40s)
2:00
10 x 150m (30s) / 50m (40s)
2:00
10 x 150m (30s) / 50m (40s)
2:00
1k Easy
My workout today, on bike:
6×6 minutes over/unders alternating 2 minute under threshold 1 minute over, 5 minute rest between sets.
Tomorrow’s workout will be an hour of spin class, followed by a 30 minute hill workout on the hamster wheel.
Mile swim followed by a 5k run
1 hr swim Sat. & Sun.
Baseball practice Friday night and swim some on Saturday and Sunday.
Race tomorrow, so I’ll be taking it easy next week. Probably just a few 6-8 mile easy runs.
The only competing I do is on Strava, so generally I don’t have a fixed training schedule. I’m hoping to get a 60km hill ride this weekend, total ascent 2km or thereabouts.
Towards June as running season gets closer, I’ll start training to a 12 week plan to get up to speed again.
2 hr bike in the sunshine (hopefully), enjoying the wind in my face.
Just finished a 5k race, next week starts training for upcoming 10k, working on upping the distance.
Run 4 miles
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 squats
Broken up any which way
Im 18 weeks pregnant, so not much training happening here. Im planning to get back into training once Im back at work part time, so thats in about 18 months! The prize would be great motivation to do it earlier! Thanks for the giveaway!
BIKE 2:30
Sure, this is a long workout. Of course, it’s less than half the time you’ll be riding in your big Ironman-distance race later this year! Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’ll be outside, full of volunteers, and exciting…but you’ve got to do it now, to do it right then. Have a good time with it!
WARM UP
20:00 warm up spin, easing into your long ride by slowly bringing your intensity up to 70%
DRILLS (30:00 total)
2 x 3:00 ILT w/30 sec recovery after each
— each repeat should be
3 x (20 sec one leg / 10 sec transition / 20 sec other leg / 10 sec transition)
3 x 4:30 Variable Gearing set w/30 sec recovery
— every repeat should be as follows:
3 x thru the following:
40 sec in “medium” gear;
20 sec in “easy” gear;
30 sec in “hard” gear
2 x 3:00 ILT w/30 sec recovery after each
MAIN SET — BIG TARGET!
This is a longer big target set, and will be used to track your aerobic conditioning at this point. This “Descending Ironman” set adds up to exactly 25% of the overall Ironman distance.
Start your watch at the beginning of your first interval, and check your split times at the end of each segment. Your HR should be constant @75% during the intervals, and can drop to 60% (no lower) during the recovery periods.
(11.2 miles / 18km / 33:00) @75% — recover to 36 min mark @60%
(8.4 miles / 13.5km / 24:00) @75% — recover to 1:03 mark @60%
(5.6 miles / 9km / 16:30) @75% — recover to 1:21 mark @60%
(2.8 miles / 4.5km / 9:00) @75% — recover to 1:35 mark @60%
COOL DOWN
Continue spinning @70-75% until the 2:40 mark (about 15:00)
15 mile mountain bike ride, going as hard as possible on every climb.
I plan on a spin down coast highway in San Diego (as the weather is supposed to be great) following working for busy season. Also, plan a run for the first time with the baby stroller. I wonder how it will affect my pace!
150km ride including a couple of good climbs in the Brisbane (Australia) area – Tamborine (7.8km @5.4%) and Mt Gravatt (2km @ 6.7%). FTP testing on the Tamborine climb. Last ride before a recovery week, so will push it fairly hard. Biggest challenge will be the weather – don’t think we’ve had a completely sunny day for 3 or 4 weeks! The ride might have to happen rail hail or shine!
Maintain a set pace for a midweek LSD (20k+)
For my workout tomorrow, I’m going to a group bike ride for about 1:30 in primarily zone 2, with a couple sprints of above threshold power, then an immediate :15 run off the bike at a pretty easy, light pace. It should be fun!
Still coming back from an injury, so Tuesday is looking like 40ish minutes at around 9:00 pace. Alone I can never stick to a pace that slow, so I’ve got a training buddy to keep me in line.
Fridays are busy days: This morning I did an hour at the gym doing strength training, followed by an hour and 20 min run – Just over 9 miles, first 50 min at HR z1-2, last 30 at z3-4a – and then 3+ hours on the bike/trainer steady in z2 this evening. Would’ve swam too, but after driving 20 minutes to the pool at 6 this morning I discovered it was closed today for a state meet: a sign on the door for the past couple of days would have been nice… By apparently that’s too much to ask for. Not cool pool, not cool. ;-)
10 min warmup on Kurt Kinetic road machine
40s all out, 20s recovery, repeat 10x
10 min easy spin
40s all out, 20s recovery, repeat 10x
10 min easy spin
Switch shoes and shorts…..
Repeat the above on a treadmill @ 1% incline
20 min Walk
I had a vasectomy last week. The doc said I should be able to do some light exercise this weekend as long as I didn’t go nuts… He was a funny guy. Maybe an easy 5km?
12 miles, nice and easy pace. Only 3 weeks before the Dallas Rock-n- Roll half marathon.
5-6 hours on my fat bike tomorrow
just couple of km for recovering
10 minute warm up, 20-25 easy minute run, and a 10 minute cool down.
4km warm up
30km @marathon pace
4km cool down
That’s it ;)
I’ll be doing my beach loop. 3 miles down, 1/2 mile beach run, then back home.
Thanks for another great giveaway.
5 mile interval run focusing on speed work tomorrow morning. Bright and early!
1 hour ride everyday with everything in it, intervals, high cadence and long distance on the weekends.