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:
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You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.
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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.
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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!
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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.
They call me the Forerunner Expert of The Netherlands but compared to you I’m a Garmin newbee! But testing the FR610XT for the Dutch/Belgium Runners would be an nice job to do… All I need is a FR610 :)
Keep up the good work!
Planning a ton of running in preparation for my first Ironman this November…would love this tool!
DC.
Thank you for all your helpful information on products! We appreciate all you do.
Keep it up!
JB
No special Easter memories really. Plan on easy run on Saturday and hopefully make it to the pool for 2000 yds on Sunday. Struggling with post marathon heavy legs. Saw you and “the girl” at Rumpass, but couldn’t make it over to say hi. Good race.
Planning to run to church on Easter Sunday. Lol. Bet that would go over well.
My daughter was at that age where she was very excited about Easter, so we probably went a little overboard with the hidden eggs that year. She was finding another egg every couple of months. I was convinced she was filling them up and re-hiding them because I couldn’t believe there were any left, and I certainly never found one. I think the last one she found was almost a year later.
Ray, I’m spending Easter Sunday in the air, I’m flying 19 hours from New York to Singapore, by the time I arrive Easter is done and no eggs for me ;-)
Would hide about 30 mini eggs each year but rarely found them all.
I guess I shouldn’t be greedy, but I’ll give it a shot anyway!!
I guess I shouldn’t be greddy, but I’ll give it a shot!!
My mother inlaw, while cooking a feast for many, found enough energy to help my boys color some eggs … that weren’t cooked. Needless to say, the next day while hunting for them, some got dropped in the house. Funny, or just messy … you be the judge.
Thanks for doing the giveaway DC R., your reviews are great.
Saturday: 63 mile group ride (21+) followed by Level 2/3 yoga class.
Sunday: 53 mile group ride (20+) followed by 14 mile run (10 min pace). I still have a ways to go on my run speed and a 610 would be a great help to improving that.
Ran 5 – 5K’s this week and 1 long run of 6 miles
Depends on the weather, been raining a lot. Hope to to a 40 to 50 mile bike ride
Depends on the weather, been raining a lot. Hope to to a 40 to 50 mile bike ride
Light weekend. Relatively short run on Saturday and ride on Sunday.
Well, I’m doing a 65 mile ride on Sat w/4300 feet of climbing and then doing a 3-40 bunny ride on Sunday w/ears.
I got a 24h run coming up in June so I better get some miles behind throwout this eastern holiday.
But tomorrow we are going to my moms. She has some kind of deal with the easter bunny and my 6 year daughter is looking forward to find some eggs.
Do a nice (hilly) 50mile bike ride on Saturday , probably with some rain showers in Portland, OR. Good to know the watch is waterproof, definitely needed here ;-)
Welp – workout for the weekend is a block on Saturday of 2.5 hour moderate ride followed by a 45 minute moderate pace run. Sunday is pool day…around 8kyd or so.
As for Easter stories…my grandma has always insisted on making butter mold lamb (religious signifigance); Well last year she made it…opened the mold and the head fell off. She insisted that no one take butter from the mold so it just sat in the middle of the table. We threw it out 2 days later.
Yoga! Training season, shmaining season. :)
Last year on Easter Sunday, I got up early for my usual Sunday morning long run.
Forgetting it was Easter, I was astonished when I encountered a group of women running on the trail while wearing rabbit ears.
DC,
Wow, not even released and you have it already as a give awawy.
Great job!
YouYou
No funny stories about Easter but some about just about everything else.
So… onto the weekend workout. 8 mile run on Sunday following an impossible 10 course Saturday, holiday-style dinner. May not be a marathon but with the extra food and the holes in my worn out shoes I’m sure that it will feel like it is killing me.
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I’m training for a 15 mile race on Labor Day weekend.
I was at the age where I had just stopped believing in the Easter bunny. I woke up Easter morning to see a huge rabbit running across our back yard, upright on two legs. “Oh darn! I was wrong,” I thought. “There IS an Easter bunny.” I was relieved to find the E bunny had still left me candy despite my temporary disbelief. (Turns out the teenaged neighbor girl was playing Easter bunny for some kids down the street.)
No working out this weekend. Just hanging with the family.
Sign me uP!
I have no funny Easter stories, so my planned workout this weekend will be swimming on Saturday morning and a run later, then plenty of eating at Easter brunch, followed by a long run later in the day. Or perhaps I should change the long run to Saturday as my belly will be way full on Sunday? Hmmm.
Forecast says lots of sunshine. Will take bike to work and back tomorrow, long ride Sunday, long run Monday. Home-grown roast lamb Monday night – let the bunny roam free.
No funny stories, but my plan is to ride my bike as much as posible :)
I will have a time trial with my running club on Saturday.
I have been getting back into the groove of things since spring hit last week here in Northern Alberta! A Garmin 610 would really help me train! I will be training all weekend to help take off this winter weight! But the Easter ham will be so tempting!!
This easter will be very special such its the first easter of my newborn, we’ll spend it in family with some boating as well !
Spring is coming late to the great state of Alaska, the snow receding but the trees have yet to bud. Nonetheless, our local feral rabbit, Buddy Rabbit, is already making his appearances. Fed by just about every house on the street and chased by many local little dogs, Buddy is an institution.
I have a 3 hour long run planned this weekend as part of my last taper weekend before my first marathon in Cincinnati at the Flying Pig Marathon.
All this talk of Pigs and Rabbits is making me hungry. I have to go and eat now…
As much as I love my FS305, satellite coverage up here is weak
In australia they are trying to change it to the Easter Bilby since rabbits are so destructive!
Attacking Montgomery Hill Trail for some hill training this weekend for my first ever half marathon in SF!
Got some bunny hops in mah beer! When did the easter bunny get this drunK!! You should call yourself the DC PAINmaker! No Bunnies can hide from you!
When I was growing up, the annual candy hunt was a very competitive event between my younger brother and me. One year when he was too young to know better, I waited until he had some candy and said “Go show mom and dad how much you found!” He bolted upstairs while I proceeded to clean the house of every last piece. My parents got the last laugh when they made me split it with him.
Once is stops raining, the plan is to have a couple of casual road cycles around the local rural block.
Recently I picked FR210 over 405 (stupid bezel), but the 610 with its vibration alerts (why are those so rare on sport watches?) looks quite attractive…
When we were little, my grandpa took my brothers and me to an Easter egg hunt. We were very excited up until the point we realized the eggs were real, not plastic and filled with candy!
I’m in!
USMCXC
This Sunday will be a hilly run in anticipation of Wildflower followed by overcompensation with caloric intake with friends.
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20 mile run on Saturday which should put me over 50 miles for the week. If only I was actually training for a race :)
It’s my birthday on easter…and I’m turning 40 so I think I’ll run 40 minutes and eat 40 eggs? I guess that sounds more nauseating than easterish….
Got nothing on the Easter front, but after a few days of travel for a funeral and running the La Jolla Half last weekend, I plan to do a long run along the coast and dedicate it to my 95 y.o. grandmother who passed away this week. She was amazing!
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Planned workout? It’s the first warm weekend in the frozen north (Winnipeg), so it will be first long bike ride of 2011!
Funny Easter story? Getting up ahead of my girls, hiding chocolate eggs. The dog, unknown to me, followed along and ate them, foil wrap and all. The result, no hidden eggs and a pukey dog. (He came out alright, though).
Sunday’s going to be the first long run on my way to my first marathon in September.
This would be a great motivation to restart some serious run training after coming back from a holiday (loved the eating and traveling article bytheway, another topic to consider is where to find places to work out when you’re traveling. I was in NY for two weeks and couldn’t find a single pool that wouldn’t charge me 30$ for a day pass…)
Here’s my funny easter story:
Every major holiday i like to do little things to surprise my wife. I usually hide little things around the house, in places where she’ll uncover them through the course of a normal day. Last year, I hid a couple of rubber duckies which she collects, and at the end of the day she still hadn’t found them. When I went looking, I couldnt find them either. I’d hidden them so well, even I didnt remember where they were. A year later, theyre still missing.
I am planning on my first century ride in preparation of a bike race next month… Wish me luck.
And as usual.. Awesome giveaway!!
Thanks- I really appreciate the detailed information. I have the first version of the 405 but the 610 looks great. You gave all the details that I would ask about.
I’m looking for a running watch, stopped by your site and all the reviews, and now giveaways?? I’m in!! This can definitely help me registering the altitude changes while running here in Quito.
Planning to taper on Friday and Saturday so that I can catch the Easter bunny on Sunday :)
Looking to get a GPS watch to help train for my first Marine Corps Marathon this year as well as other runs in the DC area.
I am going trail running wmy dw – perhaps we will see the big bunny himself in the woods!
When my oldest daughter was 2(now 5), my wife went all out w/ a big basket, toys, candy, etc…my wife was pretty excited. when she woke up the next morning, video tape rolling, turns the corner, enters the living room where the HUGE Easter display my wife put together…she walks right past it and starts playing with her “old” toys. never even ackniwledged the Easter display.
The Daytona Easter Beach Run T-shirt is always so-ugly-it’s-cool… looking forward to getting another this Saturday! Follow up the race with some post-race Bubba Gump shrimp for recovery!
Hoping to get in a long run before going to see the Capitals play the Rangers in Game 5 of the NHL Playoffs!
I plan to go camping by the beach with family and friends. Relax, riding bike and surfing are in mind. Of course, on Sunday a big BBQ follow by Easter chocolate eggs are planned for my two little ones, my boss (I meant my wife) and friends. It will be good to have a Garmin!
no funny easter stories. 5 hour ride and a short run saturday. 22 mile run, 1 hour swim and 1 hour bike sunday. making up for giving up chocolate for lent.
Thanks for the opportunity to participate in your giveaway. I enjoyed your review of the 610. I’ll be doing a 4 mile run out of Hal Higdon’s Spring Training program.
I’m running a 4-mile trail race on Saturday, and will go for an easy bike ride on Sunday.
I will also eat candy! I just don’t have any funny stories.
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My family loves all-you-can-eat buffets, so when they came to visit me freshman year in college for Easter, they used my guest passes to eat with me in the dorm cafeteria. Twice!
How embarrassing.
I don’t have a really funny story that involves me directly, but I lived with a guy in graduate school who would celebrate Easter by eating (read: inhaling) entire trays of marshmellow Peeps. It was an awesome, and terrifying, thing to watch. Needless to say he was a large man, and he would have no use for a FR610. I, however, would really put the FR610 to use!! :) (And my FR205 is about to explode.. it’s too old).
Thanks for having this contest, I really love your site and reviews. Thanks–
This weekend’s workout will be a 6 miles run with my running group!
It is not my story but my wife’s. The night before Easter she would color eggs with her dad when she was a kid, not fake but real eggs. He took it as a challenge to make finding the eggs harder every year. The problem was he would forget where he hid them and how many he hid. So as my wife got into her teenage years there would always be one or two eggs every year they would have to find using the smell test a few days later. Needless to say we still color Easter eggs in our house, but we only hide the fake ones, lesson learned.
This new Garmin looks awesome!
Plan an 8-miler on Saturday followed by 3 on Sunday evening.
Thanks for all the great unbiased reviews!
Hi Ray- Enjoy reading your blog and congrats on getting married! No funny Easter stories, but I will be running this weekend….getting ready for a fall marathon. Have a great holiday!
Every year at my grandmas house we have a huge Easter egg hut with a prize egg worth $75. She goes out after lunch with all the other older people to hide the egg, but she gets to hide the prize egg. Well this particular year it was the last egg out in the yard and she forgot where she hid it and could not give us any hints. Come to find out she never took it out of her pocket and it was found when my little cousin of 5 years old did a cop style pat down of her.
Been looking at your blog trying to decide between the 305xt and the TGT.
hill repeats
Plan to go mountain biking for the first time this Sunday, and to ask the Easter Bunny for a new Garmin Forerunner 610 : )
80miles on friday, 7,000 yards and tempo run on saturday, and 5am trainer ride on sunday before church, not quite into the whole bunny thing.
Easter cinnamon buns, church, more church, big nap, dinner with best friends, after-dinner “tempo” walk (basically we just try to keep up with the dog!)- perfect day!
Hi. This is the first time I have posted on your blog, but I read it all the time. I love your reviews, they are always so in depth and honest about the products. I love how you provide comments, pros and cons as well as video reviews. Before I buy any running product, I check dcrainmaker.com to see if you have reviewed it. I also love your other posts as well.
As for a funny easter story, my professor has a young child (2 years old). Him and his wife didn’t know how to explain the easter bunny to their son and how the easter bunny is related to Jesus. In reality, the easter bunny has more to do with the coming of spring and new life than it does with the death and resurrection of Jesus, but the couple didn’t know what to say– so they told their son that Jesus died and left the easter bunny behind for us to remember. I wonder how long their son will believe that story.
Thanks for the opportunity to win a Garmin Forerunner 610! I am so excited for this product. I really hope I win! Either way, thank you for all that you do.
My mother slipped into my luggage a box of chocolates before I headed back north for school. I remember looking at my bag among others sitting in the sunshine on the tarmac as our flight was delayed for 1 hour at the gate. When I arrived back at school my mom called and asked if I liked the treats. I said it looked like someone had treated themselfs to a poop all over my clothes.
Thanks for your reviews! Hope I win otherwise I’ll be picking this up soon.
Plan to restart running after six months of intermission. Won’t be easy though. But I can use some extra motivation if I get a certain little gadget. :P
ilkdrk@gmail.com
I am going to a the whole coco bunny this year… and not that wussy hollow one! Then off to a quick polar bear dunk.
Awesome looking garmin!
Polar bear dunk in the morning, then I am going to eat the whole coco bunny this year… and the not that wuss hollow one!
Polar bear dunk in the morning, then I am going to eat the whole coco bunny this year… and the not that wuss hollow one!
I’ll coach some kids at a local rowing race on saturday.
Racing an adventure race this easter!
Greets from Italy!
Ale
I live and train near Javier Gomez, in Pontevedra, Spain and i need the F610 to know the training paces to be the number one of the TRI world.
Sorry, no funny Easter stories here! I am planning to rest this weekend and recover from the Boston Marathon!
This one time, on Easter… Not really, I can’t think of anything funny that ever happened to me on Easter except that my birthday was once on the same day as Easter – and that was fun!
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Daphany here I’ll go for a run to determine how bad my knee hurts, trying to decide if it hurts bad enough to warrant surgery to figure out what is going on.
Workout plan: Bring my bike when we’re leaving for my girlfriends family cabin by the ocean so I can get some sunny rides now that the spring finally arrives here in Sweden!
This Eatser I will be avoiding chocolate eggs, my firstbeggs without them, and writing my brothers best man speak. Happy Easter everyone!!
Am in NZ for my mum’s 60th. We’re not the biggest Easter folks, but there is plenty of junk food. In between times, the girl and I are going for a 16 km run around Lake Hayes, one of the more beautiful runs I have ever done. Have a great break all!
Cool!