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.
I recall watching the race in 2010 and Macca came down the last part of the run stride for stride with Raelert. Two of my son’s classmates’ mothers just happened to be at my house. I remember one saying “humans are not designed for things like this.” I resisted the temptation to slay her for her profound ignorance. We are not designed. We are evolved. And our bodies are there for us to do whatever we decide to do with them.
First time – watching the 2013 KONA review via Youtube few weeks ago :)
So many great race moments! So many so-so Timex watches.
Watching it when I was little with a tube tv with a dial and no remote. I don’t remember who was racing then, but I was inspired from then on.
I first saw a few segments of Kona last year, after my first tri season. I knew a guy who had completed an Ironman but I had never watched one, so it was pretty crazy seeing people actually compete in one.
Best moment: Jan Frodeno crosses finish line on sunday in first place :)
First time watching 2012 highlights via youtube
I remember as a child watching how the heat comes off the road and wondering how they ride so long in that
I just enjoyed watching last year’s streaming coverage. The women’s race was fantastic. And having some of the pro’s commenting was a valuable addition.
Watching Julie Moss fall and get back up and fall and get back up and thinking, “why would anyone do that?” but being so darn impressed with her determination.
1989 – Ironwar with Dave Scott and Mark Allen.Just awesome!
Being intrigued by this new form of madness I had to try
Watching a documentary on youtube and getting hooked for the whole one hour!!!
Chrissie Wellington last win. It was great …
the Crawloff is the best Ironman memory by miles or is it kilometers (thats why I need a GPS watch.. the space time distance thing!!!)
Watching Pete Jacobs win in 2012
Mark Allen 1995 great Racing
Whatever Kona is, must be very cool because is the reason of this giveaway.
FR920XT!!!!
Watching my wife cross the finish line.
Watching clips on YouTube a couple of years abo. I Remember being amazed by the exeptional performances of the athletes and by the beautiful bikes and sceneries.
Best memory happens year after year: watching all the personal triumphs in the final hour on Ali’i Drive. There is no feeling like finishing an Ironman.
I remember seeing snippets on wide world of sports. Thanks for the contest!
My favorite moment was watching it on tv for the first time. I was amazed at the level of competition and athleticism. It inspired me to get a road bike and start working towards competing in events.
…I wondered if I could ever do something that difficult…
Countless YouTube clips! So inspiring.
Kona Memory: Watching Julie Moss crawl in 1982 while my grandfather was saying “I don’t know what would posses anyone to do that.”
A few years ago on TV… took the program halfway and did not know much about triathlon and obviously this race… remember asking myself… “it looks like a pretty long event, I wonder what the distances are…”
Pauli Kiuru finishing second 1993.
Well 5 years ago. I saw a documentary late at night. A little after that I started running. Tri is not my sport
The first time I watched Kona was when I lived on the Big Island, in Hilo. I’d just come out of a year of drunken nights and hungover days, living the party life as a Hawaii newcomer. After not recognizing my bloated, red-eyed self in the mirror one day, I decided it was time to make a change. I quit smoking and entered my first 5k, which was in Kailua, sometime before the Ironman. Months later, visiting friends in Kona, I battled Ironman traffic, not knowing what was going on. Then I saw the athletes–sweating and suffering under the hot Hawaiian sun. I was in awe of their power and endurance. Two years (and 20 lbs!) later, I entered my first sprint triathlon. I haven’t looked back!
Chrissie Wellington puncturing, then hammering past them on the bike
to watch Rasmus Henning in his last run over finish line in 2012 with the danish flag in his hands. He finished as number 22 or something like that, but his had so much respect among the proffesional triathles, that the runner behind didn’t overtake him, even though Rasmus Henning slowed his pace down too get the flag from spectator and enjoying the last meters.
From one dane too another :-)
Watched on TV for the first time in 2011…hooked on multisport racing ever since!
Not sure when, but it was a news documentary on it and I remember the lava fields and couldn’t believe the cycling part was over 100 miles and wondered how hot it got!
I can remember watching NBC coverage in the 90’s thinking these people are nuts, now I am training for these.
Think I was watching the people trying to make the time cut.
Driving up to Hawi the day after the race and thinking those people are nuts! My rental could barely make it up the hill.
I really liked the winning of the belgian guy last year. What a great performance!
Back to back to back wins by Crowie! ‘Nuff said. :)
Listening to Al Trautwig on NBC three years ago, the mass swim start, the elation as athletes cross the finish line…truly amazing
The Iron War. Greatest race in all of sport. At that time in this world, a 20-mile bike ride was an endurance ride, which needed proper carbo loading, and “Jogging” was still considered a fad.
So you have Dave Scott, who looked like Captain America, and Mark Allen, whom was the original Zen. No internet. No news coverage. Watching it on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Absolutely glued to the TV and mesmerized with the competition and drama in the race. The time, the place, the people, the setting. It just cannot ever be duplicated.
Most people that watched it were in disbelief, and then went back to their TV dinner. A small percentage of others got a glimmer in their eye about triathlon, and pushing the limits. For those few, they entered a sprint distance triathlon sometime in the next 4-5 years, fully inspired by the IronWar — and the rest is growing history.
Watching videos of Julie Moss’s incredibly gutsy finish in 1982, and the Sian Welch and Wendy Ingraham battle at the finish in 1997, both crawling to the finish line. I can’t even imagine pushing on in such total exhaustion!
Watching on TV as a kid trying to figure out how anyone who trained for that had time for a job that didn’t involve physical fitness. I now have that same thought when I see ANW on TV.
My friend Allen and I would mark the day on the calendar that it showed on NBC. It was a big deal. Nobody else seemed to be watching. This was 25 years ago. Mark Allen, Dave Scott, PNF, the germans, there were so many characters. I don’t remember an instant of the first time I saw it, just a memory of it being a big deal and getting so excited for the little coverage we could find. TDF was the same way.
Julie Moss – I was amazed and intrigued at the same time. From a human body/mechanical perspective as well as from the race toughness perspective. Watched this Ironman recap/coverage on Christmas day 2012 – that programs/shows were the reason I started doing triathlons!
How can you not love being able to swim in such blue water! Amazing.
I remember watching it once on my brothers MacBook, I had just bought an iPad, and tried to zoom in on the video bij pinching it on screen.
Watching Youtube highlights esp remember chrissie wellington coming back from a flat tire
Watching it with my parents when I was a kid.
watching macca beat andreas raelert – in 2010
Watching it on TV after signing up for my first full!
Watching Mirinda Carfrae win last year edition
First memory was mid-1990s, but seeing the Julie Moss clip. Best memory was the 1997 broadcast, which planted a seed to try the distance “someday.”
Thank you for the contest, Ray; it has made for great reading.
First thing I can remember: Chrissie getting a little help for a flat tire.
I watched Kona for the first time three years ago after my cousin completed her first IM at Wisconsin.
Watching it every year at the annual tri club party!
Watching Rinny run down the field and set a course record last year
Watching someone I know cross the finish line and realizing their dream.
My first experience was watching Wide World of Sports as Dick and Rick Hoyt competed in the Kona Ironman (sorry but I forget the date). It was truly inspirational to see the selflessness of the dad to go thru the struggles/trials that come in a triathlon…the dad stopping to make sure his son was positioned correctly, or taking in enough hydration. The tears streamed down my face as I listened to the interview – the father only doing the race because of what it brings to his son, not because of the challenge or the completion of such a grueling race – he could care less about the time and doesn’t want to compete without his son.
Ultimately the winners impress us with their strength and the ability to push the limits of their bodies, but it is the self sacrifice of Dick Hoyt and many more like him that reminds us of what can be overcome and achieve when we set our mind to a goal.
Had a great time a while back watching the live stream on the back deck while my kids played outside.
My favorite moment was when Chrissie Wellington won Kona in 2011 after her bike crash 2 weeks before!!
Watching it for the first time a couple years ago, and thinking “triathlons are nuts”. Now I have my first Olympic distance coming up in November!
Watching online as my cousin rolled across the finish line.
The first one I remember was watching Dave Scott vs Mark Allen in 1989.
Watching Craig Alexander running with no expression on his face as he was dominating the race.
For me, it was Craig Alexander in 2011. Really awesome! :-)
Watching highlights on youtube right now
I’ve always been fascinated by the Ironman World Championship. Only the last hours are broadcasted on TV in Germany in the night. Unfortunately I’ve seen Kona for the first time last year live on the internet.
Just before my first Ironman back in 2009 I watched the Ironwar on youtube, trainning indoor on a raining day…
A clip of Julie Moss someone pointed me to on YouTube a few years ago. The humanity!
After reading the book “Iron War” I looked up the footage on youtube. Very inspiring.
I remember seeing people falling apart on the run.
Erin Baker in the 80’s put Tri on the map here in NZ.
First memory was from Wide World of Sports. Amazing.
Best memory was seeing and tracking training partners in Kona. Witnessing there impressive training and seeing them live their dream was pretty memorable.
10 years old and thinking “what the hell is wrong with these people?” Amazing how your perspective can change.
Kona 2010 with a bunch of friends after my first season. At the time, I don’t think I even knew any of the big names, but it was incredibly exciting nevertheless.
watching a good friend make it across the finish! I couldn’t make it to HI so I saw it all online.. 2009. Second memory is the Magnum episode which was actually a 5 mile swim, a 26.2 mile run and it ended with the 112 mile bike ride… Weird!
maybe one time, in this life or another ,will take part
Watching various Kona championships on YouTube while sitting on my trainer, over, and over, and over…
I watched KONA 2010 championship. Awesome race – Chris McCormack was caught but later pulled away for the win!
It’s probably after last year edition = watching a ‘besr of’ on YouTube. Notably Julie Moss’ finish …
Michelle Vesterby’s 8th place last year (2013)
Andreas Raelert & Macca on the run.
Watching Kona videos on YouTube with my brother just after finishing my first sprint tri at the Slateman in Wales this year and realising I had just acquired a whole new set of triathlon ambitions!
In 2008 when I decided ‘what’s one of the hardest things my best friend and I can challenge ourselves to’ following my departure from the military… and we looked up videos of IRONMAN World Championship races to see if it met the cut, it did and we’d love to qualify some day!
Rinny’s run last year
not so much any 1 moment as the entirety of it – IM is about the hours of perseverance through numerous moments good and bad for each person
Watching the one hour version on wide world of sports as a kid.
Watched when I was a jr in high school, clear back in the late 80’s.
Mirinda Carfrae “running” away with the win in 2013!
craig alexander jumping across the finish line in 2011 on youtube, really exciting!!
Watching Kona pieces on YouTube after a good race to see you are not the only one who is in pain.
Watching Kona on the Wide World of Sports while suffering through cold Wisconsin winters and Birkie training!
Watching my Team in Training Honored Teammate, Kyle Garlett, compete to become the first Ironman Finisher with a heart transplant (and 4 time cancer survivor)
Seeing Mark Allen crossing the finishing line at the KONA 1992 IM – pretty impressive!
Just by chance I caught the 2012 broadcast of the race. I stopped due to the underwater footage being shown at the moment and was glued. I finished watching it then recorded the replay and watched that another 5 times making friends and family all watch it when they came over.
Julie Moss crawling and the poor gal who passed her that nobody remembers!
Being at the Kona finish line around midnight for the very first time last year. Watching the last finishers make it before midnight was amazing. But those who continued even after the cutoff… it was great to be able to cheer those athletes on.
A video on the interweb, that place looks so scenic! No wonder everybody wants to qualify :-)