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.
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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.
Its my birthday weekend i hope that brings me luck! But for the weekend i am going on a long bike ride with my friends at Ohio state! Nothing too serious just fun!
Bike: Laps of the park at a moderate pace to build my base – and because I can’t stray far from home because my wife is due to give birth any day.
3 x 3 minutes just below LT with 3 min recovery
Repeat that 3 times with 5 minutes between sets
1 hr on turbo at cadence of 100… Plain and simple.
Run:
20 min E
15 min T
20 min E
5x 100m T
Swim:
WU: 300 SW, 200 K, 8 x 25 10sec RI
Main: 4 x
[ 200 mod 20 sec RI
2 x 75 Fast 10 sec RI]
CD: 100 SW 100 K 100 SW
As part of my preparation for my first half-marathon in April, I am going out Saturday morning for a run on Mount-Royal (Montreal) of about 17 km at a pace of 5.30 or less. We are planning to finish it up with a series of five times climbing a (long) stairway that leads to the mountain top. Should be fun!
Next workout will be the same as yesterday : walking as long as my body allows me to do it !
Long run of the week will be steady 8 miler xc, steady paced! Cautious return to training, free of injury and illness!
We’re preparing for the annual fools swim coming up which is 100×100 on 100 (1:40). So this saturday we’ll be doing 60×100 on 1:40 as a stepping stone.
Survive the first 100k ride of the year
60 minute workout:
WU: 10′ @ Z2 with 3 x 30″ (30″) spinups and 4 x 30″ one-leg drill alternating each leg (do drill twice with each leg)
MS: 3 x 10′ (2′) @ Z4-5
Balance of time @ Z3
Hopefully the weather will break and I will be able to get in a “long” run.
Long run for me would be 8 miles @ 9:15 / mi.
10min easy, 10min @ marathon pace, 2min. easy, 10min @ half-marathon pace, 2 min easy, 10min. @ 10K pace then 10min easy to finish the loop.
Swim 1,2 km without break. Teach BodyPump friday and at event http://www.beloud.dk saturday. 1 hour run today at lunch.
Just completed this today…in recovery mode now….
Long run 9.5 miles- done as 2 mile warm up, alternate hard and easy miles. Hard miles are at 7:30 pace, easy miles are at 9:30 pace, finish with easy .5 mile cool down
Swim- Easy long 1500m done as:
150 easy, 150 m, 100 hard repeat
This is a “staple” workout. Zone out and focus on your stroke and form during your easy and medium interval. Work your breathing and pacing during your hard interval. DO NOT STOP INBETWEEN INTERVAL. This is a continuous workout for 1500 m
I’m still in my down-time leading up to half-Iron training later in March. So, this Saturday’s workout will be a 9-mile run at Grant’s Trail (St. Louis).
Warm-up 20 min, 8x400m intervals at the track, and then 20 min cool-down run.
Since the snow is finaly gone here in Copenhagen I will be going on this years first run – 7,5 km around the local lake. The tempo wil be whatever the legs dictate but hopefully around 4:50ish/km.
I was injured so I’m working on getting back to my daily easy 10 at a sub 8 min/ mi pace. This should be done on a daily basis. I’m just heading out to run so my goal today is an easy 10 miles in sub 1 hour 20. Hoping to keep a sub 1 hour 30 min run until Sunday and work on lowering my daily 10 mi run to a sub 1 hour 15 min in the next few weeks.
On Sunday, I will run at 3.000 meter test as fast as I can together with my running friends in the track and field club IF Kville here in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Local hero from the suffer fest on traineroad
I’ve had a sore knee for several weeks, but it seems to be better, so I’m hoping to get out for at least a 5-7 mile run on Sunday morning with a friend. Shorter than my usual long-run of 10 miles, but I figure I should take a little easy!
On Monday a half an hour swim and then off to work
Tuesday 1 hour easy run in the evening, Wednesday half an hour swim in the morning and half an hour run at hi-pace when the rest of my colleagues eat their lunch. On Thursday 1 hour easy running and on Friday 1 hour hi-pace running. The weekend is for cycle touring. Usually 120 to 180 km with luggage.
Every day I race 15 min to and back from my work with my Brompton. I try to keep it solid every week, but sometimes add some rowing with a colleague.
Tomorrow is a run/workout day
run 1 mile
set of 25 regular push ups
run 0.75 mile
set of 20 dive bomber push ups
run 0.5 mile
set of 15 burpees
run 0.25 miles
set of 10 butterfly pushups
run 1 mile
Parkrun. 5 km max effort time trial, with a 2 km warm up/cool down either side.
Pool training this morning followed by 45 min on the stationary bike ending the day with my 1 hr core training with my personal trainer….
Looking forward to the Nautica Miami triathlon 7th of April!
Cheers
AD
I was injured so I’m working on getting back to my daily easy 10 at a sub 8 min/ mi pace. This should be done on a daily basis. I’m just heading out to run so my goal today is an easy 10 miles in sub 1 hour 20. Hoping to keep a sub 1 hour 30 min run until Sunday and work on lowering my daily 10 mi run to a sub 1 hour 15 min in the next few weeks. Hopefully, I’ll be back to a daily sub 7:30 pace in a couple of months. I’m in no rush to get back to normal. Getting injured sucks. Lol
My workout planed for saturday:
15 min @ Z1
80 min @ Z1
3 x 15 min SweetSpot
45 min @ Z3
10 min @ Z1
Tonight’s ultimate training on a turbotrainer:
3 x 5 x 40sec z.4 / 20sec z,1
3 x 5 x 30sec z.4 / 30 sec z.1
3 x 5 x 20sec z.4 / 40sec z.1
Dam this is hard!!!
I’m doing a hour of strength training and a 3 mile run on Saturday. Haven’t decided in what order yet.
I’m starting the 7-day 250km Atacama Crossing on Sunday so I’m going to be racing everyday next week!!
Saturday is a biathlon 1 mile run 15 mile bike then 2 mile run.
I wish I could just go out for a run after tennis practice, but I have ITBS right now, so I’ll be getting up at 5 a.m. tomorrow to do my 45 minutes on the bike in front of my TV watching Weeds on Blu-ray. It works and I don’t want to go on the roads in the dark and don’t have time after work this time of year.
I have a 9 mile tempo run scheduled for Saturday.
30 mile bike ride through San Dimas, California Bonelli Park on Saturday.
It’s that time of year again; ski and ride Saturday circuits.
AM:
Skin up 3, 1200 ft. runs in Little Cottonwood Canyon. (10 minute drive from house)
Blender break at house.
PM:
30 mile valley loop ride on old salt crusted bike.
Shower, beer break, chase wife.
8k run consisting of chasing after my lighter/fitter/faster/ friend up any incline, usually just shy of max HR.
Run 5k without walking
Run 1 hour on the ice and survive that :)
3K warmup
6*1000m
3K cooldown
Gonna hit the rollers for a 1 hour thrash hoping for a PB of 25miles in but i will probally have turned to sweat by that point and my wife will be mopping me up.
Planning to get my first summit of the year of Ireland’s highest mountain pass (the Conor Pass in Co. Kerry, hardly the Stelvio but the highest we have!) on the local club weekend spin.
Should come to 110km all in all with a full gas Jens Voigt inspired climb of the Pass (i.e. much muttering of ‘shut up legs’!) followed by an 80kph descent into the picturesque seaside town of Dingle and finished off with a mix of rolling road and intervals before a final short climb of Curraghmore mountain to reach home, a warm shower, bowl of pasta and the Strada Bianci race on Eurosport. Not a bad plan for a Saturday at all!
longish run on sunday.. +1hour
hoping to do it outside but might do it on the gym on a treadmill..
Going for a real climb on the mountain bike tomorrow after snow has finally disappeared here!
On Saturday i will…
Start with 15 min warm-up by running to my local mountain (hill)
Doing laps around the hill for about 45 minutes which will result in natural intervals.
Slow and easy downhill and fast and “springy” uphill.
End the session with 15 minutes of cool-down (except when i pass our small grocery, then i will have to increase the speed to maintain my facade of me being a fast runner.
Not a workout… but my first half-marathon….
13.1 miles, at a steady pace, finishing around 2.5 hours. (Finish is the key word though)
This Saturday – 95-minute long run @ zone 2 effort with 3-4 very short zone 4 efforts thrown in at random
Tempo run around Arthur Seat in Edinburgh, 5 mi (8K) 1,000 ft elevation, at 7mn30/mi
45min at an easy pace
Spin 60 min in Zone 2
15 X 60 seconds 95% effort 30 seconds off
Run 17 miles at 7:22 min/mile on Sunday.
My wife and I just had a baby, so I’m getting workouts in when I can provided I’m not too tired. It’s a “what can I manage today” approach. I am hoping to get a 7 to 8 mile, moderate intensity run this Saturday. But I also have the recent snowfall to contend with, so this may be done on the treadmill.
I will do yoga tonight and and early run in the morning.
Hi!
I’m leaving on a trip to Mallorca in a couple of weeks, for 7 day of cycling, and I would love to have the new Garmin Edge 510 or maybe even the 810 :-)
Reading some of the posts makes me ill. Running on a warm beach in the sand, hiking trails without snow, biking roads and hills with no ice, and swimming in warm ocean currents. Guess I should move from New England!!!
Sunday is my FTP test. Looking forward to it but at the same time concerned about the new number.
My next session straight out of my plan
Sat BRICK: 3:00 ride (60-70%MHR/RPE 12-14) + 45 min run
Eat & drink as you plan for race day. Run straight off of bike nice and easy holding good form.
Swim workout for this week:
Warm Up:
400 free (100 swim/100 kick/100 pull/100 swim)
3 x 100 (25 scull/25 clock/50 dps on 2:15)
Main Set:
17 x 100 free (interval pattern: 2 moderate, 2 faster,
2 faster, 2 fastest, 1 easy)
(choose fastest interval, then add 15 seconds for start
interval)
Example:
2 on 2:00, 2 on 1:55, 2 on 1:50, 2 on 1:45, 1 easy
2 on 2:00, 2 on 1:55, 2 on 1:50, 2 on 1:45
Or
2 on 1:45, 2 on 1:40, 2 on 1:35, 2 on 1:30, 1 easy
2 on 1:45, 2 on 1:40, 2 on 1:35, 2 on 1:30
200 warm down
I’m heading out abroad on the frosty weekend to Gothenburg in Sweden, so there won’t be any fancy workout, but definitely I’d like to take an opportunity to see the city a bit and go for a long running!
My goal is to manage to squeeze in my Thursday TrainerRoad 60 minutes cycle, a long swim and a 5K run while moving my employer’s site, complete 2 consulting gigs and spend a few minutes with my kids. Fun time, but that’s true for most busy professionals I guess.
Thanks again for the opportunity :)
I would love the 910XT. I’m planning starting cycling to a lake nearby and swimming across it. Right now I’m using a 500m rope with rubber duckies tied every meter to track my swim distances. I’d love to move beyond that. ;-)
A fun run on Saturday – being chased by zombies, 5K.
An interval run workout scheduled for Sunday – 7 miles in total.
– 1 mile warm up
– On a track, run the straights and slowly jog the turns. Total of 5 miles.
– 1 mile cool down.
2 hour ride z3 on climbs z1 z2 for flats
One hour on the trainer Sunday morning @ 6:30am (high intesity, something on trainer road) then get my 3 y.o. son fed and ready and off to swim class with him which is a different type of workout!
Going to be biking in the morning 40 miles and then putting in a 13 mile run in the evening to follow that up and you are right trying not to die would be awesome.
On sunday
1hour running at marathon pace
1hour cycling at 30km/h
I have a weekend long run coming up, 10-12 miles. Can’t go too long since have a 5k race in a week. After that start preparing for the Tri season.
Hi, next Sunday I’ll be running the 10 miles from Oostende to Bruges (Belgium)
tempo run
2 km warm up
6 km at 4:55 min/km
2 km cool-down
this sunday i plan to do a tour here in Flanders on the little hills like Koppenberg, Oude Kwaremont… and famous cobble sections. i’ll use my garmin edge 500. on link to bikeroutetoaster.com i’ll make the route, with a cuesheet, which i can then load into the garmin to follow.
i only plan to do the route, which will be around 70km
interested in
Garmin Forerunner 610 GPS Running Watch
It’s going to be a nice weekend with friends, and we are planning together a great hiking and for sure one long running in Polish mountains. Cheers! :)
Sunday is usual long run day and I want to try and run 25kms for the first time.
32K@5´15´´ helping a friend preparing the Paris marathon. Will definitely try the cupcakes at Bertie´s.
Going to be racing a half marathon, then chasing a 5 yr old around the rest of the day. No possibility of negative splitting that.
Sat (3/2) – The Woodlands, TX Marathon, pace – ???
Sun – 20M rec bike ride
Mon – Rest / stretching
Tues – Rest / stretching
Wed – 30 min elliptical trainer
Thurs – 5M run (rec HR)
Fri – Rest
Sat – 7M run (rec HR)
Sun – 40M bike ride
Monday – start Pfitzinger 55-70, 12 week schedule, bike & weights on off days
Saturday 50 mile group ride out of Danville, Ca
Groin surgery rehab run (longest to date) of 25x 100m @ 5min/km pace
I want to re-start to run again after my knee injury. That’s it!!
Going to a long, 10,000 ft climbing ride over 4 hills with a group. Will practice keeping my heart rate below my lactate threshold while holding the highest cadence possible.
1:15 min zone 1-2 bike ride
My plan is to go for a run outside for some interval training 8x 400 meter sprints with 400 meter rests. Hopefully finish workout without cheating on the intervals by running a flat recovery pace through them.
120Km by bike with some 1000 D+ (first real 2013 bike workout).
MTB ride, then 10 k run!!!! Great weekend!!!!
Training run of 10k at 1/2 marathon pace.
Tomorrow I’m going to try the ‘interval training’ class at my gym – here’s to hoping I make it through! Other than that I think I have 10miles run planned for Sunday!
Get 20+ miles outside on my bike.
Been indoors on the trainer (UGH) since the Blizzard dumped 30+ inches of snow on my home in Connecticut.
24K at an easy pace to have a great start of the weekend on saterday!
Light/easy run 3.5 miles – ending with some hill repeats
This weekend I’ve got my last run before taper starts!
6 Miles Easy followed by 6 Miles @ Race Pace
Also, not dying.
30minutes easy
3x 10 minutes hard / 1 minute easy recovery
30 minutes easy
Total it should be around 17km. When? Today:)
Warm-up
2 x 100m Lange afslag (3″ drijven)
2 x 100m Afwisselend 25m L-arm; 25m R-arm (na iedere armbeweging 3″ drijven)
4 x 100m Slepen – hand insteken op schouderbreedte
2 x 150m Enkel armen – met pull buoy en paddles
2 x 150m Oksel tikken
6 x 50m Benen – Plank – R10″
3 x 100m Duim tegen lang mogelijk tegen lichaam houden$
1 x 100m Gewoon
2 x 100m 25m om 3 slagen ademen; 25m – 4 slagen; 25m – 5 slagen; 25m niet ademen
2 x 100m 25m niet ademen; 25m om 5 slagen; 25m om 4 slagen; 25m om 3 slagen
1 x 50m Eigen stijl (los)
3 x 200m Gewoon (a tempo 3’00” – 3’30”) – paddles en zwemvliezen – R20″
1 x 100m Rugslag
4 x 100m Gewoon (a tempo 1’30”) – R20″
Cool down
Two hours of Curling. A rare treat for me, I usually do curling only 1 or 2 times per year.
NEW 5k PR:
Run 5k (3.1 miles) in under 23minutes (recovery from 50k permitting)
Easy 7 miles on Sunday to prepare for the BK Half Marathon in 2 months.
I’m coming back from a knee boo boo, so a 3 mile easy run this weekend. Followed up with a 50 min. elliptical.
Sharpen for early-season 5K race this weekend:
2 mile warmup
4 x 1200 at 5K pace w/ 3 minute walk
2 mile cool down
Running with the dog
Run 70min (30min normal, 20min fast, 20min normal)
An easy saturday-run for about 8k after recovering from a little flu.
Next will be a hard run to get in shape for a upcoming half marathon and the sason 2013. BTW: Thx Ray for the great work you do here.