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!
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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:
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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.
You’re giving away a Kona? No? OK, the watch will do, too.
Erm, not watched but would like to win
Seeing Frederik van Lierde take 1st place last year, who also lives in Belgium and also works for the Belgium defence.
I first saw it on the interwebs watching a heated female finish.
I used to live in Hawi, and remember handing out water / sponges / food to the triathletes!
Chrissie Wellington smashing the bike and winning at her first attempt.
Watching people suffer at kona during spin class and thinking to myself, “i wonder if that will be me someday.” still working on the dream.
Watching Kona on WWS, thinking I’d never be able to swim that far. Thankfully I was wrong!
2010 a recap in a flight from BCN to LAX and then to HNL. I really thought what the hell are those guys doing… Now I’m planing my first tri…
Probably reading Iron War … I’m fairly new round here …
Saw my first IM Kona on Universal Sports in…2010 maybe? It’s the infamous special that really brought Team Hoyt into the public spotlight. So inspiring!
Now rooting for good friend Rivers Puzey. Go Rivers!
I have sadly never been in person, but watching the race on the Internet just makes me want to give IM a try!
Same every year for the past 3 years. Fire lighting, a cold beer great racing. This year I will share watching with my 5 week old son and Kona the dog ;)
Mark Allen & Dave Scott!
Kona always happens around my daughter’s birthday, so my favorite memory is watching Chrissie’s last victory on the kitchen on my iPad while in the midst of cupcake assembly.
Mine has to be watching YouTube clips this evening safe in the knowledge it’s going to win me a new watch ;-)
Never participated, but I’ve been there… ;-)
Julie Moss, hands down
Watching Lance Armstrong training without knowing he’ll never be on race!
Watching the Macca vs. Raelert showdown a couple of years ago…watched it many times since then.
My first exposure was actually today when a friend showed me a picture of Killian at the top of the climb.
Crossing the line myself in 2011
Watching Julie Moss crawl to the finish line.
Pete Jacob smashing the marathon for his first win!
Watching on tv and feeling like a loser for only doing a marathon..
Watching the racers battle the brutal crosswinds.
About 10 years ago, I think I remember them playing “Beautiful Day” by U2. To this day, when I hear that song, I tear up and vow to complete an Ironman. Of course, I probably have it all wrong, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it…
i remember way back in the day when Bud Light was the sponsor, sitting in front of my TV and watching ABC’s (i think) hour recap of the event.
Just thought-Wow. I need to do an ironman.
Watching Luke Mckenzie take 2nd at last year’s WC in Kona.
that youtube motivational video with M&M singing.
I remember watching Tim DeBoom and Peter Reid battle it out!
Watching a bruised Chrissy W. claw her way back on the bike and run to win her final WC (and stay undefeated!)
1996, The last win by Paula Newby-Fraser and first by Luc Van Lierde. As a kid thinking I would do one. 17 years later I finished IMFL.
Chrissie Wellington in 2011 – guts, guts and more guts.
Watching clips and reruns on youtube is the best and keeps me motivated to train!
Saw it on TV as a kid and wasn’t too sure what to make of endurance athletes at that point
The final finisher videos are always pretty good. You gotta hand it to those people who persevere ’till the end.
Rinny running so,so fast.
Mark Herremans winning 2006 in a weelchair after his 2002 training accident
PNF collapsing near the finish. Or the crawl offs. Hard to forget about that.
every time mike reilly says “you are an ironman!”
Macca passing Raelert at the last aid station
I am old enough to remember watching Moss in 1982
2011 recap on youtube. It made me start racing hobby triathlon races :)
Beginning of this year I started training for a marathon. Wondering what to do next year to keep the goal up, my housemate introduced me to the youtube summaries of the Kona championships. The first one I saw was 2008; Craig Alexander winning for the first time. Chrissie Wellington having a flat half way, cursing, desperate. Rebekah Keat assisting her with a CO_2 cartridge. Wellington catching up, as determined as furious and winning by 15 minutes. Such passion, drama!
After watching this summary and many more afterwards, I was sure that an Ironman triathlon would be the next-crazy-thing on my list.
Remember watching as a kid and being amazed at how far they were swimming, biking and running
Best memory of Kona is Chris MacCormac winning a good tactical race as ‘an old man’ in 2010!!
Watched it late in the night on a stream on my laptop in germany.
I’ve always been intrigued by Ironman in general, but after getting into triathlon last year, I dug into the history and of course watched it via live streaming (and caught one of those GoPro enter now blips, but never won one). I’ll be streaming again this year … Some more good stories to follow for some of the athletes.
My favorite moment was watching Hines Ward in 2013!
First: Watched Chris McCormack win in 2007 by 4 minutes.
Best: bunch of buddies and i getting together last year and we biked along indoors while watching the cycling segment.
Seeing Crowie 3-peat
i had no clue what it was until I had a friend from grad school going. I watched it that year, started doing tris the following year. 25 tris later, I’m hoping to get there someday too.
Jep I definitely need both.
I have a vague memory of seeing a 30 second clip of it when Pauli Kiuru was fifth in the 90s(?), it was tucked into the main sports news in the last minute.
For my the best moments of ironman WC are the last finisher near midnight, those are the most emotive moments of WC and all ironman events
Kona. The best. Yearly highlights on NBC. Inspiring. From the winner to the last finisher. So inspiring.
Watching on YouTube, contemplating getting back into triathlons 25 years after finishing IM Roth
Personal highlight was last year when I saw a video collection of kona. After that I decided to start with triathlon and hopefully I can be in kona in the next year as a real visitor…
Recap of 2010 race. I was hooked instantly
I remember Al Trautwig talking about some people doing some swimming, cycling and running in Kona. It looked like it hurt. A lot. That’s why I stick to running. But Hawai’i’s nice.
Heard the word Ironman…didn’t really know what it was…just physically grueling exercise. In 2011, I watched my first Kona…didn’t understand most of what was happening during the pro coverage/spotlight. But, the AGer’s…I was crying my eyes out from all the inspiration. Someday, maybe I’ll inspire someone like me. Pretty special stuff they got going on.
C.Wellington winning the race in spite of get a flat tire .
Chrissie Wellington winning her first Kona title!
I remember being shocked as a kid seeing women changing clothes in broad daylight in front of spectators. The networks just put a little black box over the naughty bits.
Now that I am older, I am amused that I found that so shocking.
David
I remember watching it as a kid on NBC. I didn’t know anything about the race, but something drew me to it. For several years I’d get excited when I found it on TV. 5 IMs later that excitement hasn’t faded.
Watching Chrissie Wellington destroy the field with her awesome IM times year after year.
Year? A long time ago. Still living at my parents house I think. I’m going to say it was Wide World of Sports, but I could be wrong about that. I’m sure I remember everyone running into a change tent after the swim.
Am I imagining that or is that what everyone did back in the day?
I remember seeing Julie Moss on Wide World of Sports when I was an early teen. I was just a runner then but it always stuck with me
Seeing Crowie breaking the record and cramping on Alii drive.
Watched it last year. Would be awsome to be there some day somehow,,,
Watching father and son team Dick and Rick Hoyt in Kona was a true inspiration.
Watching Mark Allen and Scott battle it out and then watching the training of a member of our running group get in via the Lottery in his 50’s. If he can do it, I can do it also.
Chrissie Wellingtons wins were amazing, not because of her performances but because of the way she seems to enjoy every single agonisingly painful minute of the race. I guess all along we mistake effort as pain and don’t fully appreciate our achievements.
the girls sprinting while crawling! Just impresive!!
Watching one of the runner collapsing when crossing the finish line…
I always love the scenery.
Watching highlights on YouTube whilst sat on my Turbo Trainer slogging away at the mileage, getting nowhere fast!
Every year I’m following the leaders on one board and all the men and woman from The Netherlands on another board. Everyone is having his own legendary race. On the internet I can see the leaders and sometimes when I’m very lucky I can see a Dutchy! Then I take a screenshot and put it on Twitter or Facebook.
Watching all of the suffering.
Macca and Raelert battling on the run in 2010.
my first Ironman knowledge was through an Italian magazine in 1993; 21 years ago!
Unfortunately my only experience of Kona is through youtube or websites… but it remains in my head as the “ideal” race I can only dream of doing one day…
The Mecca and Wellington wins!
Watching Chrissy W flat, and be in no hurry to change it. And why? No other female was even close.
Watching Chrissie Wellington hunt down the pack after flatting in 2008….and Rebekah Keat’s sportsmanship.
Watching the suffering for the first time a couple of years back and the feeling never has left me: I wanna suffer there too. Always keep pushing the limits..
I don’t remember the year, the athlete, any details, I just remember watching a guy on the bike riding through the lava fields in an absolute suffer-fest. He was in second place, trailing by only like a minute. He was going into a ridiculous headwind, just busting ass trying to catch the leader, and he looked like he was on the moon, surrounded by the black lava. I don’t think he caught him.
Last year’s edition live streaming on IRONMAN website, while I was holding in my arms my newborn first son.
Watching as a kid thinking how crazy they all were
I loved watching Craig Alexander and Chris Leito battle it out in 2009. Also watching Mirinda on th run is inspirational.
I have no idea what year it was, probably early 90s, but I have a recollection of watching Aussie Greg Welch win this weird race in Hawaii that seemed to go on and on forever. I loved watching it and I guess it sparked something in me because 20 years later I’m working towards my first ironman.
Chrissie Wellington
Watching real IMers and then imagining Gordon Ramsay managing to do it.
1997, Heather Fuhr from my hometown of Edmonton, Canada wins.
i never watched it until after I raced it. And the first thing I remember from the race is on the swim wondering why we were turning the wrong direction. Turns out I thought the swim would be set up a certain direction and it wasn’t I hadn’t looked at a course map before the race. I figured I’d just follow everyone, which is what I did after a brief moment of confusion.
Just now youtubed the Julie Moss clip. Wow.
Watching even the best is the world crack
2010 was a classic. Loved it.