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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.
Watching Julie Moss crawl, and thinking “these people are just crazy” – only to start doing triathlons myself.
Watching Julie Moss crawl toward the finish was my first memory of Kona.
I remember watching the ABC Ironman specials back in the late 80s when i was an aspiring runner. Those shows along with the TDF specials in July are partly why I got into these endurance sports back then.
Watching Macca toy with Raelert in 2010. Awesome mind games.
Ford Flex sob story promotions
Watching Crowie win on the ABC Ironman Special.
I just love watching the transitions and biking…
Not sure which year, but following it for 8+ hours through the ticker tape update,
How did I not fall asleep…
Julie Moss on the TV news, I was 16.
I was completely inspired by this event 5 years ago, It is what inspired me to get involved in the world of Triathlon.
Two years ago I started prticipating in triathalons and came accross Kona for the very first time. I saw Pete Jacobs win that year. At the same time I also saw the 1982 Julie Moss finish which was oh so very hard to watch and yet is still is so very inspiring. Since then the sport has changed my life.
I’d actually never seen it (not sure whether it is broadcast in the UK). But I just watched a video on youtube, and it looks like an amazing event.
Love watching the bike segments.
Watching Ironman Kona as a little kid around 6-7 years old, as my dad tells me he was “training” for it and will compete next year. Then as we watched and I learned that the Bike ride is 112 Miles but he didn’t own a bike, the Marathon is 26.2 miles and the only “sports” shoes he owned as a pair of old Converse, the swim was 2.4 miles and he was terrified of swimming in the ocean.
That day I learned three things, 1. Ironman competitors are bad MoFo’s. 2. My dad was full if crap. 3. Some day I WILL compete in a Triathlon (or half).
Love the site! Keep up the great work!
Being at the finish line in 2005. I had never seen an ironman and that night motivated me to do IMC in 2007, which got me into Kona that same year. The finish line late at night is so moving and inspiring.
Scott vs. Allen. ’84 and ’89 in particular.
My first Kona moment will be when i stand on the start in 2018
I always love the start. The mad rush into the blue water is something that always leaves me smiling no matter how many times I see it regarless of the event or location.
Watching highlights on youtube
Never seen it live, just highlights later. Maybe one day…
Reading about Normann Stadler winning in ’04 and following his 2nd win in ’06 with Macca closing in !
Macca and Raelert reviving the Iron War in 2011! Great moment, modern times.
2010 Macca win. That was an inspiration for me. Done few olympic so far, dreaming about full distance :)
Caught some watered down TV coverage as a kid, took me a while to get hooked.
Youtube of Welch and Ingraham crawling
Watching Mike Reilly yell a friends name on the live feed video.. That was pretty cool and inspiring.
Of course the chances of my getting into Kona are about the same as the World Marathon record being broken in NYC in 2014.
I just remember seeing Swimming, Biking & Running in Hawaii and thinking that was awesome and one day I would like to do it.
2010 win by Macca, impecible physical and mental battle going down!
Watching the crawl of Julie Moss on You Tube. It was an amazing event. Determination and grit.
I’ve only watched it a couple times, so I don’t know names… but I remember being in awe of how powerful the athletes looked on the bikes and then dumbfounded by them getting off the bikes and running for any distance, let alone a marathon.
Watching Faris Al-Sultain win his first IM Kona with the beer sponsor…
The Island Choppers Magnum TShirt one of our friends brought back
Love to see all finished !!!! Even the last one :)
Wide World of Sports was a cool show.
Last year, online from the IM web. Amazing!
The 1999 Broadcast of the Hoyts – What a rush to see them passing runners in the end.
I’ve never watched it live or on TV because coverage on UK TV is so poor. I await the result with interest and despite being lower than the us athletes I anticipate the UK boys and girls will show that this tiny island produces the world’s best triathletes!
Chrissie Wellington in her last win, what a injury and still delivering an undefeated record!
I was clicking through channels on the TV…there was a female competitor interview going on right before the race. She was so inspiring with her words of determination. Pride was streaming from her face. Then to the swim, it down right amazed me.
I think it was the first images of an Iron Man I ever saw, on the news back in the ’80s, an American crossing the endline looking almost fresh after (whaaat!) all those miles. I was in my teens and I found them crasy. I am amazed how big it is today, now having an IronMan race in Tremblant, Qc.
Watching the highlight clips on youtube, then deciding to start Triathlon.
Sister Maddona Buder, every year she is an inspiration and running “young” at 84
Faris al Sutan on the Queen K; and the Chris Legh meltdown.
Watched highlights on YouTube.
Hee… where we can watch the race ?
I was quite young but I remember seeing highlights on the Wide World of Sports and thinking that these guys are nuts! And I still do!
earliest memories are strangely the Queen K highway and Al Trautwig’s voiceovers
Macca of course!
I remember watching in ’09 with my wife who was training for her first tri at the time. She kept exclaiming “WHAT?!?” at the times and speed of the athletes. So funny.
I remember watching Kona coverage on TV in the 80s and thinking “Are these people insane?!?” Now I’m hooked :-P Favorite race is 1989, the Iron War, although I had no idea at the time who those two guys were…
I’ve never seen it, but I may watch it this time.
I saw it last year in web on replay. That’s the only memory…
When I first watched coverage from Hawaï, no-one knew so many people would comment about it on this site.
It must be Lieto blowing up on the run to give way to Crowie.
It was in 2001…the best cup of coffee I ever had! LOL
Watching it on Wide World of Sports!
Watching the age group stories in 2012. That was the year I got into tris and couldn’t believe regular people did Ironman! lol
My first memory was in 1994, watching this tiny triathlete by the name of Greg Welch beat Dave Scott by about 4 minutes.
First: My uncle always taped whatever he could find so I remember the old Scott vs. Allen days.
Best: Watching Mirinda run down everyone of both sexes last year! What a performance.
Live online 2 years ago, was inspired by Sister Madonna!
Earliest memory was watching Julie Moss crawl across the finish line when ABC was covering the event. I thought this was crazy. I got to race in 1988 and I saw a 1 second TV blip of me in T1.
My earliest memory of actually, deliberately watching Kona was just a few years ago (2011?, 2012?).
I had just recently gotten into running after being sedentary and extremely obese for the previous 20 years. I was still training for a 5k (or maybe a 10k by that point)… nothing that would be considered truly long distance.
I saw some after-the-fact wrap up TV coverage about the event and was fascinated and inspired by the people at the “back of the pack” like me… except that they were competing with every ounce of effort to beat the clock and the 17 hour time limit.
What struck me wasn’t just the mental toughness of these people but the local spectators that were still lining the route approaching the finish and cheering the remaining few on with gusto… and then even moreso, I realized that there was TV coverage – TV time – being spent talking about these ordinary folks doing extraordinary things.
I’m still inspired by watching that coverage, and though I’m not anywhere near the endurance to think of a full ironman distance event, I AM training this fall for my first full marathon. After the full, I think I will turn to start training in cycling and swimming… I don’t know if I will ever have a full ironman in me, but I hope to start doing sprint tris and maybe eventually olympic distance events.
I remember Faris’ very interesting aerobar position. Now I have that kind of aerobar, but I still don’t understand that position.
Watching the 2013 race in person with my mom.
Jurgen Zack on a Softride Rocket TT. Zack Attack!!
Watching it LIVE! on my honey moon in 2008. what incredible timing!
I remember watching many years ago on TV — Wide World of Sports? — and was amazed at the running and cycling distances. Now, having covered those distances many times (though not at professional triathlete speeds!), they’re not so intimidating on their own. But the swimming? I would drown making that attempt.
I watched on TV years ago but don’t remember the year. Pick me! Pick me oh random number generator!
Watching it on youtube as I type!
A few years ago, starting to train regularly for triathlons, while desperately searching for clear videos of athletes in transition..
It was then when I first checked Kona videos, but everything was too unreal for the time.
the Iron War with Mark Allen and Dave Scott
Watching amazing under water videos of thousands swimmers were amazing !
Best memory of watching Kona was when I was there in 2006 to support some friends racing it.The Normann-ator blitzed the bike course again and grabbed the win.
My first time seeing Ironman in Kona was by complete accident. My family was on vacation in Kona that week and had no idea the race was going on. I believe it was 1998, no idea who won but I thought it looked crazy at the time.
Started doing tri’s 2 years ago, would love a 920XT to train with.
Jan Frodeno wins Kona 2014!
Watching Ironwar on DVD!
Pete Jacobs capturing the men’s title two years ago!
I saw my first Kona Ironman via a downloaded TV rip torrent, at that time I was just curious about the challenge. Anyway something did happen… this year I’ve finished my first Ironman !!
When I first met Leanda Cave (on a ride) she had to say her name 3 times, and then spell it for me. She had this brit accent and it came out ‘Coiuve’ vs the americanized pronunciation “Cayve”. I had never heard of her.
But that was a couple years prior to her Kona victory. Since she was the only person that I had ever personally met (a few times by that point, as she trains seasonally in my home town) who was in the process of winning Kona… I’ll call that my favorite moment. She rocked it that day.
If I win… how long will I get to decide if I want the Fenix2 or the 920? It might take me quite a while :)
Mark Allen winning again and again and again :)
Watching it on TV, at the end of the race at night, with people collapsing right after finishing, thinking these people are amazing but insane!
I remember watching 1995 Mark Allen vs. Thomas Hellriegel on TV. Boy that was exciting! Ever since, I have wanted to participate in an ironman race. Have yet to make a first one though…
Oh, and just in the unlikely case: 920XT please ;-) But hey, Fenix would do just fine, too!
Sian Welch & Wendy Ingraham – The Crawl !!!!!!!!!
watched that some time ago and it cannot be erased how much hard work people put into this race.
makes me teary eyed lol
Great giveaway! My first memory was watching Craig Alexander in 2007 get Silver and Al Trautwig having a commanding announcer voice as the race unfolded.
Watching Ironman competition online recap (Kona 2013). I remember seeing the best of the best and just being how amazing fast they were swimming but more importantly running! It was truly an eyeopener to the skill and training of the world class athletes. Something to aspire to!
my favorite is watching the back end of the race, people who are really strugling just to get across that finish line.All of them winners.
Without a doubt, Team Hoyt for me.
Watching highlights on TV of the Puntous twins in the 80’s.
The best memory comes to mine is the Hoyt family and how the father and son compete together- Truly inspirational!
Wide world of sports when I was a kid thinking how crazy those people were…
The exhaustion on the faces combined with the relief ‘made it to the finish’ are memories that last
New to following IM Tri, never really watched in the past except a casual look when on NBC. Watched the 2013 TV broadcast many times. Best moments of the show were the quotes from the Pros.
Frederik Van Lierde – “you have to be patient, it’s a long long ways”
Mirinda Carfrae – “just eat, drink….and run”
Sebastian Kienle – “If it’s hurting me… It’s killing them.”
Gonna follow it live this year!
Macc’s win in 2010 was a great show! Amazing “sprint”!
Garmin 920XT
I was finishing my first Tri season and after watching Kona I thought to myself “I can do that”.
It was either Julie Moss notorious finish or one of the Mark Allen/Dave Scott duels.
I thought triathletes and marathoners were maniacs and superhuman at the time.
Never imagined I’d be doing these races later in life.
Watching Tim DeBoom win in 2001 after 3rd & 2nd place finishes in ’99 and 2000!
Watching replays getting psyched for the upcoming season
2010, watching live as Macca pulled away in the closing miles of the marathon.
Watching the Ironman 2012 on TV and then being there on the Big Island in January 2013 was a great experience.
I was fascinated by Normann Stadlers 2nd victory in 2006.
Watching normal (not elites) complete a bucket list item.