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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.
Doesn’t get very cold in Western Australia so would be running from our accommodation to the “bar”, a.k.a. a room with some bottles on the wall, at Ny Alesund, location of the northern most post office in the world (78′ 55” north).
p.s. this page just won’t load on an iPhone because it’s so large!
When doing summer sports -5 is cold. With the same clothes I do crosscountry skiing in -15 (and even down to -28 with one layer more). Its all in your head. Focus on what you are doing and don’t let the cold take some of your determination to have a great workout.
Pro tip: Don’t push too hard (+ 85%) in the cold. You might get a problem with your breath the next days.
Yesterdays run was the coldest I have ever run. 7 degrees in NY. Wore 2 pairs of gloves and after 13 miles, I couldnt feel my fingers. Rest of my body was great, but fingers were freezing. Had an amazing run though so I cant complain
I went for a run in Vladivostok, Russia across a frozen bay at -10F. Didn’t have the right clothes for that run. I’m from New Orleans, and we definitely don’t see temps like that. At some point you just lose feeling everywhere.
My coldest run was the Mt Evans Ascent in CO a couple of years ago. The temperature was comfortable and there was no wind at the start line. By the time I finished the 14+ miles and 4,000 ft elevation gain, the temperature had dropped 30 degrees and the wind was gusting to as much as 50 mph. I got so cold so fast that I didn’t even know I was cold. When I crossed the finish line, the race medical crew grabbed me and took me to the medical truck because they recognized my hypothermia symptoms. Before this event, I did not know that one’s body can lose a lot of heat, never feel cold, and experience hypothermia. It was interesting how quickly hypothermia can sneak up on a person (don’t even feel the cold). The symptoms that I experience included clumsiness, difficulty thinking, apathy, and a strange euphoria. I learned to be better prepared for the next run of this type.
Coldest run must have been something like 7C? Not that much i know, but considering where i live…
My wife would love the watch even if she HATES runing in the cold!
I took my wife on our very first run together (first again). It was 32 degrees with a stiff north wind here in Charlotte. Since we’re new to running, it felt super cold to us.
Last year I went for a 14-mile run on the W&OD trail during an ice storm. It wasn’t so much the temperature that made it uncomfortable, it was the ice bouncing off my face for the duration. Towards the end, it was rather painful.
Last year I was running in the arctic with a huge group of penguins, when we were suddenly being chased by a polar bear. It was terrifying, but my Garmin clocked one of my fastest times ever. Worth it.
Biking 50 km to work on March 1st 2012 at -3C for 2 hours.
My coldest run was this morning: -20 C (-4 F). I was running with friends who are training for the on February 17th. It was sunny and not windy so it wasn’t at all as bad as I thought it would be… I recommend everyone to try it sometimes.
The ride that sticks out most in my mind wasn’t actually that cold. Just checked my garmin data & it was a balmy 42 deg F in Raleigh, NC. What made it so awful was that we were woefully under prepared. I agreed to ride with a buddy trying to get back into shape shortly after sunrise because that was the only time he had available. Finger-less gloves, shorts, and a thin short sleeved base layer under my jersey, bright and early, well… cloudy. We passed a pair of full fingered gloves back & forth during the ride & called it quits after only 16 miles. The route had a short descent where I routinely hit 40 mph, on this occasion I couldn’t bear to go at any speed over 25.
My coldest run ever was just recently; the Vondelpark 10k in Amsterdam. Around 20* F with a strong wind in our faces for one half of each of the 3 loops. But I PR’d anyway!
Day after Christmas this year. 30 inches of snow on the ground. Freshly plowed roads. Snowing. Running through the middle of Squaw Valley south of McCloud, CA located on the Southeast side of Mt. Shasta. I was planning on a 6k run. Sights and sounds were stunning. Ran a bit further. As I got further into the depths of the valley the cold air had consolidated along the road. I ran harder to generate more heat, with little effect. Was happy that Dad, spouse, son and dog were soon to arrive with the truck to pick me up. So I kept running, another 15 minutes and no pick up. Kept running and still no pick up. Because I was afraid of getting to cold if I stopped I kept running and running and running. They finally showed up exactly at the 10k mark. Coldest, most beautiful and coolest run of the year! Ha, Ha, Thanks for helping me bring up this memory. What a cool morning run that was!
It was -45 F wind chills here last week (Northern MN). Had to run outside just to say I did. Just finished a half marathon yesterday, negative wind chills all race and a 2 F high temp, snotcicles were a common sight.
When training for my first marathon, I went on a run while it was freezing rain. It was my second-to-last long run, so missing it wasn’t an option. I remember very vividly having the rain hit my hands and bounce back to hit my in the face. It was character-building for sure.
Trail running 2 winters ago. Cruising downhill which led to a wooden bride across a pond. The temperature was 15 F, and the bridge had a sheet of ice covering it. Hit the bridge at an angle to keep up momentum and immediately lost my footing, finding myself waist deep in a frozen pond with a nasty headache. The next three miles were worse than any ultra.
one morning it was hoovering around 1-2 degrees and my dog stepped outside and then took a sniff and turned right back in and went back to bed. I followed suit. Too cold for fido = to cold for me.
It was a few month ago, a 15K run with my brother in snowy France… running on ice and without knowing what the snow was hidding below. I don’t know how we managed not to lose an ankle that day!
Coldest run ever was a 10 miler in Afghanistan last January. It was 8 F and windy (not sure what the wind chill was but it had to be sub zero).
Are you kidding me, its treadmill all the way this time of the year…
Coldest run was this Christmas Day in Chicago. But as a swimmer and cyclist growing up i Chicago there were many days where I went to swim practice well below freezing. As far as cycling the coldest day I rode i think it was right around freezing. Luckily I go to school in florida now!
Last weekend I was at my cottage and I had parked my car about 2 km from the cottage to avoid getting snowed in overnight. Sunday morning I walked to get the car and move it closer to the cottage, not really paying attention to the temperature I simply put on a fleece over a tshirt and started out. It was -18C at the time, but I didn’t feel so bad until I turned the corner and got into the wind. Of course with only a fleece on there was nothing stopping the wind, so I really felt it. I figured I would run a bit to warm up, but I was now into a headwind, but since I had to get there I continued on. By the time I reached the car I was choking on the cold air and almost puking. I wasn’t cold anymore though….
One of my coldest runs was yesterday. I’ve been on a training camp for cross-country skiing, and yesterday we took a break for skiing to go for an 18K run in -20 C. Luckily about halfway we found a small cabin where we could get some warmth before continuing back to our place. On the way back the sun came up over the hills and the pace picked up. Overall, a very nice run.
One of so many nights when training with my Under 17 mates… [sigh] long ago.
Feeling nostalgic now… dam it.
Running on the beach in the snow was very chilly.
2 days ago I went XC skiing in -20 C. Cold enough!
Running in Louisiana is generally not too cold. But a few years ago ran when it was 30 degrees and wet – Awful.
Living in Norway, I experienced a run by -27°C three years ago. I went into a marsh (I ran into the forest), 1st my shoes frozed, then my winter socks did too, and finally my toes start to get really cold. I went back to the car and realised that my toes started to freeze as well. I was lucky, it wasn’t that bad yet! Well, I learned that I should avoid water when it is so cold! or maybe just stay home…
Finland – during winter time it can get a somewhat cold here, coldest run so far this year was -16°C… But it was still very nice.
Last year biking in 0 degree weather with a 15mph wind. Going up the hills were nice, but the wind chill on the downhill was killer. It was so cold going down hill that I had to use my brakes to keep the wind chill down. That was the ride where I decided to purchase lobster gloves…second best investment after the bike itself.
Did a late fall distance swim race in Long Island Sound. After an hour and half, at the end of the race there are people to help you out of the water since your feet are numb and walking is “interesting”. I will be back next year…
12F on Jan 1st of this year…first step towards a HM i signed up for. I have not missed a training session or distance so far.
Today’s race in -6°C, but the coldest run in -12°C, of course with lovely wind, and snowfall.
Last sunday, The ice trail 30km (near Paris) in the snow. 3h15 in the forrest with snow
the hardest was to joint the line by car.
GLoves forget and Frozen camelbag
My coldest run this year was Monday night, it was 4 degrees which was not that bad but the 30mph wind made it 25 below windchill. I was running with two other people, one had to go back after a mile because her hands were numb. Going into the wind I needed a facemask, but when I was not with the wind I needed to pull it down, then when I went back it to the wind it would be frozen and take a minute to thaw it. The big problem is that I get sweaty and then running into wind my front freezes, when it get’s that cold with wind I have never been able to do more than 12 miles. I only did 8 miles Monday night, but the chill I got from that run did not seem to go away for a full day. I took a shower right after to try to normalize my system, but it did not do the trick. I must admit that Tuesday I did not run outside, but I was back out there on Wednesday.
Yesterday I went for a 9.5 mile run in the snow here in Sheffield UK. Unfortunately it wasn’t cold enough! My feet got soaked in some slushy woods at about mile 6. That was a cold run home!
While maybe not the worst cold I’ve ever run in, the one in which I suffered the most was Promise Land 2012. A 50k in April on a day that was supposed to be mild in temperature resulted in freezing rain and hail around mile 20. Wearing shorts and a t-shirt made for a rather chilly six hours.
It was about -5 C, my first run in the Polish Bieszczady. It was great!
2 yrs ago, running at 5:00am and 12 degrees. Worked up a bit of a sweat and at the halfway point (farthest point from home) pulled a hamstring…had to walk back and nearly froze with the extra (and unwelcome) body moisture.
Huh, guys, the coldest runs and rides are performing in Russia!
We have a traditional ride called «Circle of friendship» every february. This is a trail ride between two cities with crossing the river in the middle, for about 100km in deadly freezing conditions, from -20 to -30°C depends how cold the winter is.
Ask boss for trip in Russia, there is where the real cold is ,)
In May the waters are supposed to be warmer, but the swim in 12C water off Jericho Beach (Vancouver) left me thinking you can’t swim for long when your you can’t feel anything.
Last week it was very cold here, -11 & foggy (Netherlands). I went for a run and took the wrong gloves. Windblockers. My fingers got frozen up badly during this 30min short run. Didn’t notice how bad until I got home. Took 45mins and I cried for 30min of them. Could feel the blood crackling trough my fingers. I’m no wimp by all means, this pain was horrible.
Don’t think I’ll make this mistake ever again.
One long run last winter. The temperature was near -25°C. At -30°C the next day I decided not to go outdoors and to work instead in a gym. This winter it’s little warmer)
I dont really have a cold sports expirience…
The coldest thing i remember was when i was a kid and was outside with a friend. We walked to the lakes and i thought it was a good idea to test the ice by jumping on it.
You can imagine what happened…
I had to walk a not too short way home and my clothes were frozen when i was back…
yeah thats it.
My coldest run was most certainly of my own making. Instead of going for my workout at a more reasonable time and temperature, I instead went at almost ten at night. The wind was so cold it physically hurt my face. The run wasn’t so much to workout as it was to just preserve my body temperature. It probably didn’t help that I’m often stupid about bundling up, and wore just shorts and a tshirt. Not my best plan. But I put in my miles, and made it through! Only took me about 30 minutes in the shower to warm back up.
I’ve commuted by bike when it was -13F. But my coldest race was in the high 20s with rain/snow for ~3 hours.
This winter I had my coldest run and bike riding today, somewhere between -5 and -10 °C.
it was in Hunstville, AL Marathon when the temperature was about 29F.
I hope i’m still on time.
It was in Alpharetta, GA in a 5K and was around 32F
Coldest run was the other night. 10;30pm 7 degrees above 0. The windchill was somewhere around -20. Today is my Bi
Almost every year at this time the temperature sensor shows readings -5 … -20°C and I’m stupid enough to go out and run.
Stockholm, Copenhagen, Montreal …. I’ve had several really cold runs, but the worst ones were when temperatures near freezing combined with unexpected rain and wind on a long run.
-6 degrees F (-21 degrees C) in February in SE Michigan training for a spring marathon. It’s tough training for those early season Marathons in Michigan!
12 mile run in buildup to marathon training.
My hometown, Aveiro (Portugal) is near the sea and very windy, so most of my winter runs are pretty cold. It’s also when I run faster… the hot shower awaits!
… It’s usually around 5º F
my coldest run is 5C one late evening.. It’s considered cold where I’m from. Do I get extra points for running barefoot?
Last Wednesday’s run was -5F. Layering helps.
The coldest run was recent as I live in Florida. I visited New Jersey at Christmas time (2012) The temperatures as you might imagine are quite a contrast. Florida winter temps average 50-60 degrees. I ran in temps of 15-20 degrees, AND was staying in Atlantic City, right of the Atlantic ocean. I wore running tights, 2 pairs of socks, gloves, and several layers of technical shirts. Still too cold for my Florida (thinned out) blood. :-) Brrr, lol.
Coldest ride was two years ago home from my job on a friday after 4 PM. The temerature was down at some -15 deg C and the wind was blowing at 10m/s from some 45 deg off front on my right side. So my right side cheek, toes and fingers where quite cold already less than halfway of that 35 km ride on unplowed sidewalks. At 25 km my legs started to cramp, but I eventually did it all the way without any injuries. Not one of those very pleasant memories…
Huffing For Stuffing 5k on Thanksgiving Day while on vacation in Bozeman, MT. I’m not sure what the actual temp was, but it was COLD! It had been cold and dry all week, then we had precipitation all night the day before the run. Not only the coldest 5k I’ve done, but also the iciest!
My coldest run was in Boston during a snowstorm. It was about 25 degrees but since they salt the sidewalks there was a mix of snow, ice, and puddles of slush everywhere. I made the mistake of running down Harvard Street and spent most of the 9 mile run trying not to fall or spray slush on people walking!
It’s not a running/biking/swimming story, nor as bad as some of these, but I played hockey at this one rink that had a roof, but no walls (aside from pillars to hold up the roof). It was probably 20 degrees in the locker rooms getting ready (heaters were broken), and probably 15 degrees on the ice. As a goalie, taking a shot off the stick in that sort of weather is quite uncomfortable.
Coldest swim was the Kinetic sprint a few years ago withno wetsuit – had a fast swim though.
Early season Triathlons this year. Water temps around 13C which was good for numb face hands and feet. I think feeling came back to my feet half way through the run
-7°C after work in January 2012. I quit winter running in the dark late afternoons this year because it only gives my sore throats. I bought a trainer to ride my race bike instead.
take your pic of any of our winter morning training runs in balmy Bavaria while stationed there in the late 80’s
During a night mountain bike ride in Athens the temp dropped to -3°C. The winds were so strong that all my fingers were numb. Nice times…
One frigid Minnesota morning I left the house for an 8 mile out and back. Unfortunately, the wind was a little more blustery than expected and I was not wearing the right clothing (thinnest running tights and no wind briefs). About halfway, I started to experience quite a bit of discomfort with my “equipment” if you know what I mean. So I had to stop in the woods along the running path and use my hands to warm up said “equipment” twice while working my way be home. Needless to say, I’ve not made this mistake again.
Well, not a big story, a run a week ago, and my ears were hurting me for the wind, not that cold, but windy…
Thanks for the giveaways
Pedro.
A haiku:
Suppressing a cough
Inhaling ice, passing snow
Joyful morning run
Thanks!
I biked last week in the mountains on snow. It wasn’t that cold… just -2. The bad thing is that it was wet snow because one day before it was raining….so of course it was extremely hard and we could see that we were getting nowhere so we bailed after 10 Km. better cold then cold and wet is what I say :)
Cheers
Two years ago: 8km run in -20C. The sky was clear and air really dry so it was not as bad as one could think…
I don’t remember all the details but I do remember coming back from a run and I was so cold my hands wouldn’t work. I could turn the key to start the car, ugh!
Running in Atlanta on 2009 (-2C), It was so cold that I have to entered to a target store that it was on my route to buy a some gloves and something to cover my ears. I usually train in warm weather since I’m form Colombia.
Thanks
A ride on my horse in the blizzard of 96′ roof caved on the indoor was tons of fun!
Not long ago, i went out to a near hill for an easy run at 5pm, sun still shining and 5ºC. I took the wrong path somewhere and almost got lost. Two hours later I was still running back home, darkness allaround and and -5ºC and strong chilly wind. I have never been in hypothermia, but I think i was pretty close thay day.
Michigan in January…cold but beautiful after a fresh snowfall.
Welcome to Sweden! A warm welcome…
My coldest run was actually not in the winter, it was when I found myself running through a hailstorm. Helped me find some extra speed! Not sure if it was summer or spring when it happened but it wasn’t very pleasant.
Lowest temperature during a run? Not sure, around -20*C maybe?
I went for a seafront run in the snow with the temp well below freezing. After picking myself up off the floor for the third time i decided to call it a day, and go home and order some yak trax. Really enjoy running in those conditions now, it’s a great way to push you on to a massive PB.
In Duluth, MN. It was about -15 F with -25 to -35 with windchill a bunch of decided that it would be “fun” to get out and run because if we could run with it that could we could run in anything. I think we managed about 3 miles before we were frozen solid from the clothes icing over.
Running in the Granollers (Spain) race last year. Around -3º C maybe.
Really enjoying parkrun on Saturday mornings this time of year. I was concerned that the cold would put me off running over the winter, but it’s great to have a free to enter weekly event to keep me focused. The group coffee afterwards is always greatly appreciated.
Not a fan of running in the cold, though this morning was a cold one by my book around 0 C in my morning run.
my coldest run was on a snow covered golf course in northern michigan. so much fun!
My coldest bike run was in Switzerland many years ago. I was a teenager going on a 220km ride from one grand-mother to the other, a special trip alone with my dad. This included going over the 1’500m high Brunig pass. We left at 6 in the morning with the temperature around freezing. No equipment, no gloves, just plain old bikes.
Going-up was fine, but coming down my hands got so cold and numb I couldn’t properly brake anymore. We had to stop every now and then to breath some warmth back into our hands to continue.
Lesson learned. Travel with the right equipment for the right trip.
I was running outside last week in -23c and was having fun and enjoying the sun. On the way back the wind was so bitter and cold I had to shove my neck warmer into my pants to warm up a precious body part ;-)
Ray,
My coldest sport event was a 200km skating event, Weissensee, Austria, Januari 2012.
De start was minus 17 (C) and it never got over minus 7 (C).
I finished the event in 10 hours. So, for that amount of time, the FR910 would be perfect! On top of that, Last Friday I crushed the glass front of my Garmin Fr610, again, while skating 200km on the Weissensee. So,….this Fr910 would be perfect!
Regards and keep up de good site!
Gerard
I had a runny nose for a couple of days buts decided to run any way. When I got back home I actually had snot frozen on my face. My wife had a good laugh about that.
Yesterday I went outdoor ice skating near Elburg, The Netherlands. -2 Celsius but with a strong wind. Hard work against the cold wind but effortlessly with the wind coming from behind. A nice interval training.
Thanks for the site, Ray!
Running in the recent snow has been lots of fun, but my coldest training session ever might have been in my previous sport: a rowing training camp in the winter, on the River Trent in Nottingham, with hands freezing to the oar handles, and longer and longer icicles forming on the blades!
Cheers,
Gareth
Hey, probably the coldest was just last week, one hour in -7C and windy. With windstopper jacket, cap, gloves and adequate pace, after a while, it was actually really enjoyable experience. Frosty snow under each step, I really like running on the snow.
Tried to swim 50 m in 2 degrees “warm” water… No wetsuit…. Had give up after about 30 m :(
This weekend, started to run around the local hill. Hadn’t counted on compacted snow having turned to ice, underfoot, and the bity wind…. was still fun
10 days ago. 5 inches of snow on the ground outside and for some reason, I decided to take a run. It was only for an hour but it felt like hours. -2C apparently, I probably should have worn gloves. Oh well, you live and learn.
Thanks for a great site, keep up the good work.
Just last week, out on the track. Sub-zero temperatures, snow, ice, gale force winds and an interval session. Yeeha! Topped it off with some speed work at the end. Doubt I could’ve been running/sliding very fast though!
florida girl here… anything under 40 is cold. sissy i know but ill be out there in a parka if need be ;)
Coldest bicycle ride was -15C to work in the morning and it was very icey.
But at least the evening before on fresh snow, I bet all cars.
Not so cold in MS (the lowest i have run in is only about 20 degrees Fahrenheit) but the Houston marathon was a little cool with 30 degree windchills and rain
Out running on a 10 degree day. Like the cold air.