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:
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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.
The island!
Watching and thinking “someday I will be there”
Norman Stapler despairing because of “too much glue…”!
Usually follow by athlete tracker on Ironman website. This year, my wife is there cheering on one of our triathlon teammates. I’ll be living it through her.
I remember seeing the pro swim start & the absolute chaos in the water. Then they cut to an underwater shot. The water was so clear & the chaos became more like a beautiful organized ballet. I was in awe of how something so crazy & competitive could be so peaceful from a different perspective.
Watching it on Wide World of Sports growing up wondering if I could ever do that.
Julie moss 82! Great experience!
some lazy saturday afternoon. i am guessing on nbc
First memories was watching the highlights package in Australia and it was the year Greg Welch virtually step out of hospital a few days/weeks earlier and fronted up to the big island. He faded to 6th with Matk Allen winning and Christian Bustos from Chile coming in second… Amazing race to watch especially with the German uber bikers that were out in force…
My first memory is watching Greg Welch run with Oakley M-Frames as a 9 year old and thinking to myself…I must have those, they are the coolest! Four pairs later at 32, they were sooo great. Also I need the 920 because blue makes it faster than black, right?
Last year, watching “Kona Kate” from BTC, cross the finish line in her second ever ironman (she used the first to qualify earlier that year!)
The first time I saw it, 2012, and wondered when I would have the will to start doing triathlons.
Watching Moss crawl!
1989 – epic battle between Scott and Allen. The book ‘Iron War’ does a good job of reliving this.
Last yeAR hen I watched my first triathlon
At the beginning of my triathlon career (~2 year ago ;) ) I liked to watch these NBC Kona Motivation videos from YouTube. Etc link to youtube.com
Favorite moments are watching Natasha badmann compete year after year and finish in the top 10
My best memory of the Kona coverage was last years segment on Chris McDonnell and his story.
It is really inspiring. I still haven’t done a tri though.
watching them race and thinking dang they are crazy!!!! I want to do that one day
macca and Raelert neck and neck
never in person unfortunately but just on youtube
Watching Indycar driver Tony Kanaan in 2011!
watched as a “fat little kid” and could not take my eyes off the TV. Changed me!! Have done 6 iromman’s since and hope to do many more.
Watching an old clip of Mark Allen & Dave Scott in the 1989 Ironwar.
Before my first IM I got sent a link of the most recent Worlds. It really got me pumped
One day in the year… Its all about the Ironman. My first memories belong to books. Last year i saw my first IM on TV… The next must be in Kona
it was probably six or seven years ago. I knew nothing about triathlon or Ironman for that matter. I thought to myself these people are nuts! Hell just a marathon is crazy. Now I’ve done an Ironman seven halfs and six full marathons. The first I remember watching as a racer was 2012!
my memory does not recall when I first saw, but I do recall the first time I participated in the WC.
Watching Faris al Sultan win in a speedo in 2005 ;-)
My second year as a triathlete I logged on to the live coverage and watched in spurts throughout the day. Then, at about 12 AM Pacific, 9 PM Kona Time, I sat down at my computer and watched the back of the packers coming in. I watched through the very last one at 3 AM, getting misty eyed for each of them. I was exhausted and happy and totally bitten by the Iron distance bug.
2008 …. Totally inspiring
Watching Julie Moss as a kid with my parents. Wow. The drama of it still gets to me.
10 years ago, being amazed by the swim!
watching Julie Moss crawl
Youtube coverage of past years events after beginning triathlon
Not Kona, don’t remember if they have done it, but watching the Hoyt family. Always feel motivated.
Always watching on line from Canada
Watching a huge contingency of Local Pittsburgh triathletes I knew in 2012. I remember being in awe at their performances and hoping one day to join their ranks.
Last year’s inspired me to up my game and try triathlon.. Still doing things one step at a time though.
watching it streaming the last few years was amazing but after debuting at ironman this year I can hardly wait to watch them all do “my” event!
My first time going to Kona to see the World Championship was last year. I worked in the medical tent so I saw the race from the perspective of the athletes that I brought in via wheel barrows and draped on my shoulders. My favorite was Rinny who came in for an IV as a World Champ, but all she talked about was her wedding plans later that year. Amazing!
Not my first memory- but chef Gordon Ramsay doing Kona was pretty fun to watch!
Watching it on tv for the first time and saying “They swim how far? Then cycle what distance? AND run a marathon at the end? Bonkers.”
Pretty sure it was 3 years ago I had it streaming on my laptop and watched the coverage all day long. I have caught the majority each year since and usually clean the garage or whatever while it’s on. The last couple years I hadn’t done much exercising and it usually motivates me to get moving. Last year I even printed out a training plan but didn’t stick with it at all. This year, I’m happy to say that I’m 11 weeks in to being back into the swim portions of training and 3 weeks into my full training. I just do sprints, but I’m normally a big guy that’s lazy. Today I just printed out a plan trying to tackle the Oly distance and maybe do a half marathon. Tomorrow will be motivating again, but thankfully I’m already moving. Keep up the great reviews!
Wide World of Sports when I was little. Then last year it meant so much more once I became a triathlete.
I’d have to say The Crawl, but I watch all the time when I’m on the trainer.
The first time that I remember watching Kona was in the late 90’s when I was a teenager. Very inspiring!
the island!
spectacle, what an environment, what an event. I remember seeing a commercial in a runners magazine featuring the Kona events.
Nice dreams, nice motivation that we really need those shoes and bikes in order to be able to compete and finish.
McCormack and Raelert….
1984, my senior year of high school. My friend Dave was just getting into tri’s early on but Dave Scott was becoming legendary! During his marathon I was just stunned at out fast he was still after the Swim and Bike. From that point on I was hooked.
Ooo definitely Crissie Wellington’s comeback on the bike leg after her flat!
Watching South African James Cunnama competing last year!
it was awesome
Watching a ‘greatest moments’ highlights reel and seeing Julie Moss crawling… inspirational!
My favorite is watching Rinny hunt people down on the run. I can still remember the look on her face and I think about it when the run really starts to hurt…
watching dave scott still going at it in 1996! i think when you say kona ironman, dave scott would be my first memory of it.
Seeing thomas hellriegel smashing the bike and winning as the first german athlete
Watched it as a kid with my dad. I thought one day I would run triathlons but haven’t…yet. Maybe soon.
Tim DeBoom in 2001. A year later I went for my first triathlon ever inspired by his performance that year and again in 2002. Inspired to try for my first Ironman this year until a car cut me off and I broke my collar bone!
Watching Craig A. Win.
My first memory was a couple years ago. I just into the sport and saw a delay on TV. I thought wow those people were fast.
Always with the great giveaways. Thanks in advance for my new 920xt! Would reeeaallly like to get my hands on one of these. Just found out we’re expecting so the wife out a hault on all toys for now.
Did my first tri a month before last year’s championship so I definitely tuned in to the race. Found it incredibly inspiring. Remember the father/daughter team. Pretty awesome.
Also, kind of nuts how quickly the comment count jumps when the post title includes “giveaway”.
Watching it back in 2007 after a meeting with my doctor beeing told to start loosing weight and to get in shape and think: That is something that I should be able to do someday!
I watched on the web for the first time last year, since I am just getting started in Tri. And then a few weeks later I was lucky enough to visit Kona and run down Ali drive. Someday I want to go back as a triathlete.
Two years ago I saw the YouTube trailer; IRONMAN inpiration anything is possible. It hit me like a lightning bolt; this is a sport in which every body is a winner. Tears in my eyes, shivers down my back, I had a new destinatie in live. To finish an IRONMAN!! In oktober 2013 I wached Frederik win in Kona via the live stream. Since I live in the Netherlands I stayed up late!! We have a fantastic sport!!
Watching the blazeman John Blias cross the finish line with tears running down my face.
1985. It was during the day, Mark, and Scott era. I had gotten into endurance sports while watching the Tour de France the previous summer. By Christmas following this particular Ironman my wall was covered with pictures of famous triathletes and cyclists. It stayed that way until I graduated from high school about six years later.
And now tomorrow I will have my iPad in front of me all day long watching another Kona while driving to my own race in South Carolina.
McCormack and Raelert in 2010
First time watching may have been about six years ago. Was in complete awe!
Julie Moss crawling in the early eighties
Six years ago I randomly came across it on TV and became hooked on the sport. I remember being almost mesmerized with how much these folks were enduring. It was both inspirational and motivating. I will travel there to watch in person soon!
the road bikes on the highway with the ocean in the background!
2001 when new Zealander Cameron brown came second
watching the competitors suffer, and thinking to myself that I wish I was one of them
1983 watching Dave Scott and Scott Tinley battle it out to the very end. Dave Scott winning by less than a min. What a thrill as a kid watching two men who endured so much to be that close at the finish.
On my future girlfriend/wife’s bed as I had her sisters IMac plugged into the TV. She even made me some healthy chipotle black bean dip to snack on!!
Julie Moss. Inspiring.
Julie Moss crawl
This race is always amazing.
Watch broadcast recast on NBC for years, then online live the last few years.
Seeing video of Sister Madonna Buder compete and finish.
I’ve watched the 2013 WC in Kona online live streaming for the first time a year ago! I was used to NBC coverages from the previous years and seeing it in real time was amazing. The real thing. No edit. No music. Pure talent.
tomorrow is the first time I try to watch Kona. I have to discover how/where I can watch it in the Netherlands. Looking forward to the race.
John Howard winning…whenever that was. That guy is still really active and fit.
I like to see the course! It’s inspiring to watch the first male and female out of the water and see how they do throughout the race
Chris McCormick’s epic battle with Norman Sadler was the first one I remember watching. Another 1/2 mile and McCormick would have 3rd title.
I remember watching Julie Moss on WWS. Better was going to the Oceanside pier swim and having Julie Moss talk me in to signing up for the pier swim.
Saw it on TV a few years ago and it seemed crazy…now it seems normal!
2004 had my first IM triathlon experience while on vacation. Awesome! Took another nine years for me to do my first IMAZ 2013.
80’s- after watching kona being a couch potatoe i said i wouldn’t do that
00′- did my first triathlon
06- first IM
08-2 nd IM
10 got kidney failure
15 will do 1st 70.3
Future do another IM
Watching Julie Moss crawl across the finish on Wild World of Sports and thinking how crazy that sport is. And now competing in Triathlon.
I can vaguely remember seeing snippets of the World Championship replay on NBC sometime in the early 80’s. I didn’t understand what was going on but I remember the clips of the marathon portion and remember thinking “that was cool!”
It would take about 10 years before I finally came to understand the Ironman event.Now I find myself in pursuit; not Kona, mind you, but to go the distance in a stateside venue.Mahalo!
Some time around the early-mid 80’s I saw a clip on TV about IM Hawaii. Got inspired and did my first IM some 20 yrs later.
My first memory of Kona was watching it on Wide world of sports ( maybe) and just couldn’t imagine that someone could accomplish that in one day
Watching as a kid in the mid 90’s with my dad
The first I saw of Ironman in Kona was last years summary on youtube after a tip from friend in the same club as I. He is acctually in Kona this year competing since he got a spot in his age-class at Kalmar Ironman. His name is Bjorn (same as me) Stenbrink and has number 977.And of course I will watch it live on the web tomorrow.
Our club had a rough start this year. I had just made up my mind of aiming for triathlon and Ironman and done some training when one of the very souls of our club crashed and died during training. She was known by almost every triathlete in sweden. Many of us has competed with a black mark of sorrow during this year and there was a minute of silence in her memory at Kalmar Ironman.
So my plan is to go for Kalmar Ironman 2016 and see how it works. Maybe I will end up i Kona ;-)
My first kona viewing was last year actually, at the DC Tri Club annual kona viewing party.
Watching CW win just weeks after a bad crash. What amazing strength!
Watching the 17th hr finishers