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.
My wife is out at her baby showers this weekend. So, for the first time this season, I’m focusing on mountain biking. Going to do a several day MTB/Camping trip in Kettle Moraine South Unit (WI). I’m going out to practice my technical skills & might do a little trail running dependent on how I’m feeling.
Hitting the MacArthur loop, getting in a long run, and hopefully a swim!
St. Anthonys triathlon in St. Petersburg, FL this weekend.
I am riding 90+ miles on Friday, then taking Saturday off to go to a dog parade and drink beer, then running 16 miles on Sunday!
Quabbin road race and the Massasoit Lung Buster MTB race
Friday I’m planning on getting on my bike (a new thing for me) and riding around 10 miles. On Saturday I will probably be playing golf. Sunday a 5-6 mile run.
Running 5000m on Saturday Evening, looking for PR on the first race of the season!
This weekend, my husband is doing a bike ride for charity, and the kids and I will be cheering him on and taking pics! It will be his first metric century, and we are very excited! :D
This week, it’s 10x100m swim, 60mi ride and 7mi run, all at Z2.
Nice easy weekend plan since the knee is still injured. Just running through the 5k course on Saturday for the 5k on the 4th. Nothing on Sunday. Hopefully I’ll be able to work back up to longer runs in the next few months.
Friday:16-21km hard training run
Saturday:3-5km swim
Sunday:Brick session (20km bike,
5k run + 5k bike).
semi-peak for a 5k race this weekend. Looking to smash my PR for the distance by a fair amount.
I think that I will get a 30 miler on the bike on Saturday, and a 7 mi run on Sunday. Thanks Ray.
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Oooh, A giveaway!!!
Terrible forecast weather wise here in the UK, but I’ll be doing a bike ride on Saturday: 6x 4min hill reps and then on Sunday more hill reps but this time running – 10x 2 minute hill reps followed by a swim.
I;ve yet to decide if the swim will be a pool swim or a dip in the chilly waters of the Irish sea.
Happy training!
Al.
10km race close to Prague and then bike ride to check out the bike part of sprint triatlon i plan to race in a month…
Training this weekend for my first 10k race in May!
13.1 at 80 pct race pace sat
1.2 mi swim sun
10k race on Saturday, leading up to a half marathon in June.
Friday: 32 mile bike
Saturday: 2.5k meter swim
Sunday: rest day- study for finals :(
13.1 at 80 pct race pace sat
1.2 mi swim sun
Looking forward to a 9 mile training run on Sat!
Recently joined a “Learn to Run 10k” program so will be repeating what they get us to do on Thursday, more likely run 10/walk 1 for 7k. Hope the weather is good!
13.1 at 80 pct race pace sat
1.2 mi swim sun
Ronjhomer@Yahoo.com
Friday: I’m running the Crystal City 5K to celebrate turning 32 (and to beat my time last year).
Saturday: Hopefully a long bike ride on the Mt. Vernon trail if my bike gets its new front derailleur in the next couple of days.
Sunday: Swim at the Y!
friday 12 km e2
My training plan is simple: just go out and run and cycle. I have no racking plans for now. Thanks for the giveaway!
Saturday: 60 mile bike, 4 mile run brick
Sunday: 90-min run
Thanks Ray!
Finishing up getting ready for IMSG.
Mike Welch
Friday: Swim
Saturday: Bike for 2.5 hours around Lake Belton
Sunday: Attempt to run, following injury
Thanks! Love the reviews
Wed Hammer ride in appalachian Mountains, so hard!!
Hi Ray,
I’ve been fighting ITB for a while so most of my training has been related to stretching and strength training. That said, I may test the waters a bit and log a few (5) miles on a local trail to see how the recovery is progressing.
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I’ll probably do an easy run on Saturday and then take it easy on Sunday!
I plan to start training for a 5k that will be in May, my gym has it every year and I this will be my first year doing it. LindaHP
Hopefully a good bike ride both on my own and then with my 6 year old son.
Thanks for the giveaway. This weekend I am doing a race simulation with an open water swim, bike, and a run in Madison, MS.
Friday – 1h20 easy run
Saturday – 6x(6min+2min) intervals
Sunday – 2h30 long run
I’m preparing for Nordea Riga Marathon
Breaking in my new tri-bike!
Will do a 10k run at the peak of summer
qsteven1@gmail.com
I race canoes. So, I gotta get out on the water.
Saturday: Paddle 10 miles with new partner. Probably pretty easy pace.
Sunday: Run and Paddle. Not sure about distance
I’m running the St. Jude Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN. Looking forward to a hilly 26.2!
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Run a 5k on Sat. and ride 40 on Sunday…Thanks
Friday: 13 miles on the bike
Saturday: 7 mile run
Sunday: 3 mile run with my son.
Bob
3 swimming workout …
Doing my first half marathon in two weekends, so this weekend light Saturday ride (40 miles) and a 10 mile run on Sunday.
Putting some serious bike miles on….hopefully the rain doesn’t slow me down!
This weekend? Just a long run/ride combo. Thinking I might do a 1/4 iron 3-discipline brick though. Got Alcatraz and Buffalo Springs 70.3 on the horizon :)
I’m just doing a light bit of jogging after training for the 1/2 Iron-distance race in Charleston.
11 mile trail run!
I’ll be running 6 miles around Atlanta. Running is always the perfect way to see a city!
No race plans, but will doing my long weekend run and I am hoping to fix the flat on my bike and start summer riding early.
I will run the marathon in Hamburg, Germany. I hope to make it under 04:00!
Hi Ray,
Friday: Swimming before work and a 8km run after
Saturday: Soccer with my daughter (I’m the coach) and a bike ride (part of the Challenge Copenhagen course)
Sunday: Restitution run and picking up our puppy :)
/Tim
Denmark
I am slowly increasing my mileage after recovering from a plantar fasciitis… so not more then a couple of miles for me on the weekend… Maybe in future with a new GPS watch?
On the 27th I am running the last Crystal City 5k and on Saturday I’m doing Paul’s Ride for Life in Reston!
Hello!
Since this weekend is a 4 day weekend here in Sweden, my plans are to talk my husband into heading over to one of Sweden’s beautiful lakes here in the middle of the country. This lake has a biking/walking path around it, and at the halfway point, there is a castle that has become a B&B. It takes about 6 hours to bike to the castle and another 7 or so to bike the rest of the way around the lake on the following day. I’m really looking forward to it!
The name I usually go by online is LadyofQuills. I hope my sign in via my gmail account gives you my email address. I didn’t want to post it directly in the comment. :) You can figure it out though, with the info I just gave you! Thanks for doing this!
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Easy 10 mile run followed by brunch at Vinoteca!
It’s the DC Tri Club annual Columbia brick-nic. Yay!
Planning 3.5 miles tempo on Saturday; 4.2 miles easy on Sunday. Both in Lusaka, Zambia
Site sponsor visited on many occasion. Hopefully that will favor me :)
No race plans – still coming back from an injury.
5k swim on Saturday morning. 10 mile run in the afternoon. Then a 2 hour bike-run on Sunday. Plus, finishing unpacking/organizing.
Excited by the NYC Marathon lottery drawing today. I have guaranteed entry, but the lottery is still exciting.
You won’t even have to ship to me! I’ll just meet you in Arlington, AND you’ll help out a newbie DC triathlete.
Workout plans are for a brick workout with the DC Tri Club on Sat, with either a long bike or long swim on Sunday, depending on weather. I hope it’s the bike!
This would make a great gift for a friend who can’t afford a GPS
columbia brick-nic, then the kinetic bike course!
I will be doing a 10 mile road run on Saturday and a 3.5 mile easy run on Sunday as I continue to train for my first half marathon! June 2nd Hospital Hill Half in Kansas City!! Can’t wait and thanks for all the good info.
My birthday being April 26 this would be an awesome present :-)
I’ll be cranking out an intense brick on Saturday and a power swim and run on Sunday. All to get ready for Rev3 Knoxville.
Friday 8 miler then lift
Saturday beer festival
Sunday recover from beer fest
It is the weekend before my half marathon race, so I won’t be doing a lot: 5K at race pace on Saturday and 1.5 hour slow run on Sunday.
Happy running, everyone!
Easy run after flight back from business trip and brick on Sunday.
Saturday: DC Urban Adventure (that counts, right?)
Sunday: long bike ride
Just hoping the weather holds out!
Friday: 112 mile ride + 20 min run
Saturday: 2.4 mile swim + 3 hr run
Sunday: Rest Day
Thanks Ray!
Heading to Southern Maine for weekend. Sat 10 mile trail run and Sun 7 mile hike and photography.
Thanks for your generous contest.
Just a longish run. Speed work was all during the week. No racing until late May.
2.5 h ride + 15 min run for Sat. 1h run for Sun.
Cheers!
gabriel
Planning to do a 4-5 mile trail run on Saturday!
Easy Trail run.
on Sunday, I’ll be racing the Big Earth Sprint Triathlon… and helping our team win the 2nd straight first place in the team competition
I’m tapering this weekend in preparation for the Providence marathon next Sunday. Running 10-12 on Saturday and 14 on Sunday.
Still taking it easy after melting int eh Boston Marathon
Thanks Ray!
I entered the Calgary Police Half-Marathon on a whim and to support a friend. It goes this Sunday the 29th. Last year it was a 13 mile slog through wet snow and ice…
Just 6k but it will be the longest run this year, so I can be happy about that.
Feels like a 10-mile tempo run Saturday through local State Park (about the only hills I can find in otherwise-flat Lubbock, Texas).
Thanks for the giveaway, Ray!
Les Kinman
Road race 110km Sunday!
Had a long run, and an indoor tri planned for this weekend, but the top of my right foot has been hurting me, so I’m going to take it easy for a couple of weeks. Maybe some sort of upper body interval workout.
50% chance of rain but…
Sat. – Pre-ride the Tri Columbia bike course with the DC Tri Club.
Sun. – Probably do the 10k PRR group run at 8:30 a.m.
Love your site!
This will be my last weekend training before my first ever tri! Doing a half-ironman on May 6 and would love to have an awesome watch
Long ride.
Wow, you sure do have alot of followers! I found your blog looking for reviews of the Garmin GPS watches… and liked your reviews so much, I’ve favorited your site. Keep up the good work, and thanks for the detailed reviews!
Here’s hoping I win this giveaway…
I’ve finally recovered enough from a stress fracture to resume running, albeit on a limited basis. So I’ll be doing a lot of laps on the track.
Thanks for writing your terrific blog! I enjoy it!
Glen
I am planning that Friday will be more CrossFit Endurance, Saturday will likely be a rest/recovery day since I have to work, Sunday 3-5 miles.
Fri: 20 mile trail ride on Cross bike.
Sat: 6m run and kid’s baseball games
Sun: rest and kid’s soccer games
Doing the Kentucky Derby Half-Marathon in Louisville, KY.
1500m OWS/ 55 mile brick at 1/2IM pace…woot!
Pueblo-to-Pueblo Run in Cortez Colroado – my first race ever!