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…
I swim, bike and run. Then, I come here and write about my adventures. It’s as simple as that. Most of the time. If you’re new around these parts, here’s the long version of my story.
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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.Want to compare the features of each product, down to the nitty-gritty? No problem, the product comparison data is constantly updated with new products and new features added to old products!
Wanna create comparison chart graphs just like I do for GPS, heart rate, power meters and more? No problem, here's the platform I use - you can too!
Think my written reviews are deep? You should check out my videos. I take things to a whole new level of interactive depth!
Smart Trainers Buyers Guide: Looking at a smart trainer this winter? I cover all the units to buy (and avoid) for indoor training. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
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Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
Get all your awesome DC Rainmaker gear here!
FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
- Do you have a privacy policy posted?
- Why haven’t you yet released a review for XYZ product you mentioned months ago?
- Will you test our product before release?
- Are you willing to review or test beta products?
- Which trainer should I buy?
- Which GPS watch should I buy?
- I’m headed to Paris – what do you recommend for training or sightseeing?
- I’m headed to Washington DC – what do you recommend for training?
- I’m from out of the country and will be visiting the US, what’s the best triathlon shop in city XYZ?
- What kind of camera do you use?
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5 Easy Steps To The Site
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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a one day training weekend for me on sunday i’m doing a 70km mtb parcours with 1250 positieve altitude meters.
rest of the weekend will be spent with the kids
I will begin training for my first marathon this week after completed successfully completed a trek to the base camp of Mt.Everest.
This mom of 3 (and full time attorney) will be doing the following:
Sat am – 1 hr pilates
Sat pm – 3 mile run pushing 30 lb toddler in Bob Jogger to older brothers’ baseball game
Sun pm – 8 mile run with hubby
Fri- 6.5 mi run in Bethesda
Sat – 40 mi ride in Western HoCo
Sun – 20 mi ride in Western HoCo
50 mile bike ride Saturday and a 20 mile run Sunday.
Saturday : half marathon in Gijon, North Spain.
I would like to be down 01:45 hrs
Last long run before NJ Half.
This weekend is mainly prep for law school finals. But I’ll rest Friday night, hit weights on Sat (almost back to 100kg squats 5×3; I’m so weak!) and practice swimming on Sunday (just learning, but learnin’ quick!).
Friday rest! Saturday heavy weight lifting (though I’m still weak; trying to get back to 150kg squats 5×5 but at 100kg 5×5 atm)! Sunday continue learning to swim!
It’s a light weekend because law school finals are just around the corner. Lots of prep to do.
I will removal over the weekend. But do not stop me from 3x 100 km on a bike
I suffered a Grade 2 calf strain last week which caused a MAJOR setback for Tri and Marathon training. So I’m relegated to swim workouts for the next 5 days. Maybe a recumbant bike.
Being injured stinks, Cant wait to get back to brick workouts
Tapering for my half the following weekend
HM on Sunday to get on the road to IM :)
Looking forward to rest this weekend after a very hard plan for the entire week! blurunning
Hey Ray:
Thanks for the awesome reviews. Just got a 910XT.
27th 45 min walk (recovery)
29th brick: 100 min. bike and 20 min. run.
Parkway half marathon in Sacramento.
Enjoy your training days this weekend!
My plans are to do my first tri of the season… The Kemah Tri! If I’m fast enough, I might even win a spot to Alacatraz (unlikely).
fun 5k mud run with the girls!
I mapped a new 14 mile route to a lake I haven’t been to yet for Saturday’s run, and this is the first week to do a back to back with an 8 mile recovery run on Sunday to begin ultra training.
Running 2x5k on 15 min rest on Sat, followed by a trail run along Dickey Ridge Trail Sunday morning.
Incredibly busy weekend planned with non-running events. So my weekend training may be nothing. If I can get away for a little while, it will probably just be a few miles near home.
I am hoping for a sunny weekend of riding and running after a week of minor surgery recovery
Hmm – need to get back in the groove – maybe fit in a long run this weekend
None unfortunately because I’m currently ill :-( Though as one guy did say, ‘I’ll be back and I’ll need something with GPS in it since my onboard unit took a bullet to it.’ Or something like that.
I am planning on doing around 7-8 miles on some local trails on Saturday and a 6 mile tempo run on Sunday. Races coming in mid to late May so I’ve got to be ready!
long run+long ride possibly on a tandem cycle.
No races scheduled for a change, but I’d love to win this anyways. Will probably run a couple of 5-milers.
5 mile run for me.
Thanks for doing this giveaway! Love the watch!
Hi Ray, thanks again for the giveaway opportunity. Saturday will be on the mountain bike and Sunday a good long run. Weather looks dismal but that’s part of the fun.
I’m riding my mtb. just for the fun of it. :)
firefly82
Friday: 10x1000m interval
Sunday: 20k trail run by the river in hometown after one year missing
I am training to run my 1st marathon in June this year (Wellington NZ) and my 1st Ironman (Challenge Wanaka 2013) so my weekends consist of running and biking.
Saturday: 2hr bunch ride with 45min run off bike.
Sunday: 3hr 30min ride with 15min run off bike.
I am reducing mileage for a marathon first weekend in May.
This sunday ill wake up before every body else and take of for a run over the canals of Amsterdam
Saturday: 2hr bunch ride with 45min run off bike.
Sunday: 3hr 30min ride with 15 min run off bike.
Training for my 1st marathon in June in NZ and 1st Ironman at Challenge Wanaka 2013.
Marysville to Melbourne adventure race as support crew
ernie – training for kure beach
Friday: Run 3 miles with the dog.
Saturday: Aiming for 4 miles at a 8:20 pace
Sunday: Rest day. Maybe yoga.
Thanks for your reviews! It helps to have feedback before purchasing.
I’ll run for an extra round when the sun shines
Long progression run in the am and a recovery ride in the afternoon. Hopefully the weather in Calgary cooperates and I can be outside for both workouts!
Thursday: off
Friday: Easy 4miles
Saturday (Apr 28): Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon!!
– Shamir
I’ve been training for my 2nd half marathon in May and considering a full in the St Louis RnR Marathon this fall. Love your blog – very useful info.
Hi Ray, I’m participating in the Batavierenrace for my triathlon team. It’s the biggest relay run in the world, from one university to another, with a huge party n the end!
30 miles bikes, 5k run, 1 hour swim
Hi Ray,
I spent all winter training endurance (for marathon with beach sections in cold November and for 200km skating event on frozen lake in Austria).
I am now training for a exam black belt Judo.
So this weekend, Judo technical training it is!
Keep up the writing, I enjoy to read the blogs and website articles.
Greetings from Netherlands
Gerard
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Hi Ray!
Running 5K Run for Southlake Hospital in Aurora, ON, Canada.
Hoping get my new PR – finish under 20min!
Alex T.
I plan on running a 7 mile trail run on saturday. Icing shins on sunday lol.
I’ll be running a 5K! Starting off my racing season right…
40 mile bike on Saturday, 9 mile run on Sunday
I am planning on doing a 40 min threshold run Saturday. Sunday traveling to Disney World for a vacation and high mileage week of running.
I’ll be in San Francisco to celebrate the Dutch Queensday, so no training on Saturday. But on Sunday there will be a 45 min run in San Jose.
Planning to ride london sat (i.e. get lost) and run or gym sunday
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Nice (city) half-marathon!
Anthony… from Nice, Fr.
A couple hour ride on Saturday, then day off on Sunday to rest up for IM St George the following week.
Bike. lots of bike
Crossing my fingers that my stress fracture has healed enough for a short run. It’s been almost 3 months since I last ran, and I don’t know how much more of this I can take…
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Thanks for yet another awesome give away!
Traveling this weekend, but hoping to squeeze in a 5K and an hour or two on the bike.
Nice, by the way, in the first paragraph it’s written MAY and we both know that by MAY (a month from now) i’ll be doing 1-2 MPH faster in my bike runs than today.
As for the weekend hill repeats, just discovered a .7 mile hill with a 8% avg about 12 miles away. Looks just perfect for the workout…and definitively a BBQ afterwards.
Gonna try to work on balance – chop & lift, turkish get up, 1 leg/cross arm dead lifts…
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Hi Ray,
very similar to yours actually. Saturday morning 7-8 mile trail run on the beautiful ridegeline trail in eugene oregon. Then Sunday a 35-40 mile road ride in the hills. Thansk,
Evan saint541@msn.com
Saturday, free day. Sunday, hitting the gym…weight training, lower body. :)
Long Brick on saturday and a nice easy ride on sunday
I’ll be watching my husband compete in the Beaverdam Olympic Distance Triathlon on Saturday and heading to Greensboro Sunday to watch my swim coach compete in the Master’s national Swim comp. Hopefully a couple of swims for myself, but no running as I’m nursing at shin splint.
Finally get back in the pool and back on the bike after breaking my elbow last week
A good long 70 mile bike ride!
Hmmm… lots of rain forecast for Melbourne this weekend. Looks like I’ll be stuck on my treadmill.
meeting my college XC team mate in NYC for a run in Van Cortland Park plus one in Central Park, and some other activities ;-)
Getting ready for a half marathon
I am planning to run a half marathon in Gijón (Spain). Thanks!
Going on a girls’ weekend…so the training will be riding a cruiser bike through wine country…
Hi!
Thinking of restarting my training with the bike. Been resting since my child’s birth…
Time to restart.
Thanks,
Pedro
Planning a 14km run on the saturday, and playing feild hockey on the sunday, which is about as close to interval training as i get these days.
Plus a 30th birthday BBQ, so plenty of good times
Hi Ray!
I’m sort of new to your blog and I find yuor reviews insanely useful… I’m actually training for my second “official” sprint triathlon (I dnf’d the first cause I broke the bike’s derailleur hanger) I’m planning on some easy spinning and drills on the bike trainer on Sat and a 45 minute moderate long on Sun.
A long trail run in the hills surrounding Wellington New Zealand with an old friend..followed by a long bike ride on Sunday..
Ray,
Pick me?
Clinton North Carolina
I am taking a rest day on Saturday, celebrating my partner’s birthday, and then we’re going out on a gorgeous 3hr ride Sunday. :D
Looks like a fun gadget. I’d love to give it a try. My garmin is getting pretty beat up. Love the blog and thanks for the giveaway!
IM CDA 2012!
Week 9 of 10 of a 10K training.
Fri – last training run of the week
Sat – rest day
Sun – long-ish run (for me)
Race plan is to do a special self created race for my birthday. I turn 32 so I’m going to do a 3.2 K swim, 32 mile bike followed by a 32K run.
Being injured, my plans are only to rest and heal :-(
SueM
Running the Big Sur International Marathon on Sunday!
Looking to do a 12km trail run on Vancouver’s North Shore Mountains. Should be a nice 1500 ft of climbing thrown in there to make it interesting.
Hey Ray,
I am running a 5k this weekend. I am still recovering from Boston. I hope the weather holds out!
Jason J
kmjbreathe@gmail.com
I’m doing some cross-training at the gym on Saturday and then my long run on Sunday. Thanks for another great giveaway!
No racing, but I plan for 2 bikes, at least 1 run, and a lifting session from Friday through Sunday!
Wet and rainy in Hampton roads this weekend. Bad for training and barbeque.
Hopefully will be doing my first 32k for the year around the beautiful Sydney Harbour – bridge, opera house, botanic gardens. Doesn’t get much nicer than that around these parts.
I’ll be goign for a long ride and long run this weekend.
3:30hours bike ride on the precious mountains of San Jose, Costa Rica
3 and half bike ride
Win win win!!!!
Friday – Rest Day
Saturday – 14mi run
Sun – 4 mi run
Sadly, my wife has decided to take our older daughter to her gymnastics class on Saturday, depriving me of the chance to take her on my bike the 8-9 km each way and do my 1000m breaststroke at the adjacent pool while she has her class. Guess I’ll just have to settle for a nice run Friday and Sunday night instead.