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.
In person Watching my best friend finish in 2012!
My first memory is last year watching the NBC special. Amazing
Julie Moss crawling to the finish line. She didn’t finish but she planted the seed of Ironman in this girl’s 10 year old mind.
Similar experience to a few on here…never heard of Kona, checked it out on Youtube and very impressed….can you give aware away a Kona bike? :) Fenix2 please….
watching in person Chrissie winning her first.
Definitely Julie Moss crawling …
I remember watching 7 or 8 years ago before I was a triathlete thinking those people are nuts. No I watch hoping I can make it to kona one day soon.
I recall watching Macca win after learning from his previous trips to Kona.
2 years ago when I watched Pete Jacobs and Leanda Cave win. Went from a sprint triathlon finisher that year to an Ironman this year.
My first memory of IM Kona is 1992 my first race here. I thought I died and went to heaven!
rinny’s win!
Last year watching Linsey Corbin get 10th place after injuring her leg and not running anything longer than 9 miles in training.
Not sure there is ever one moment that stands out other than seeing the “crawl”, the battles, the struggles and snippets of the underdogs, the elderly, the young, recovery, servicemen/ladies and everyone who beats the time limit and completes this grueling event.
My first time was last year, and I was amazing to see the running and last part with all cases of success and the unfortunate cases on which people could not complete their dreams finishing it
I’ve been seeing ASICS facebook posts about Kona all week on my feed!
Watching Alexander and Lieto battle it out in 09. Still amazed at how they push themselves every year.
i remember seeing the Julie Moss crawling across the finish line. That is my first memory of the ironman championships.
Hearing the canon and watching all those people start to swim.
I love watching the amateurs, especially those that are slightly enhanced as far as age is concerned. I’m always inspired to see that that even in “old age” they still have that fire in their belly that calls them to compete. I’ve caught the highlights on YouTube in most years. I’ll catch it on NBC sports this year.
Watching Crowie and Chris Lieto go at it.
Read about the Iron War.
Going to “watch” it on my phone tomorrow!
watching countless years of age group stories. Blazeman, sister Madonna and the Hoyt’s come to mind. Sad part is that I lost them all off my dvr when I switched cable company’s. Watching reruns motivated me through 2 IM myself
I have never watched it but I am sure watching a fellow Knight of Sufferlandria in action this weekend will become my best memory of Kona. Good luck Dame Carla Schubiger :-)
Kona?at portuguese magazine Bike Magazine in the 90’s!
I was in Kona in December 2010 and got to watch the replay of the race on TV while I was there. So inspiring!!
Watching as a young man thinking “how in the world do they do that?”.
As a youth, not knowing what was going on…
Seeing a story about the Hoyts and being blown away.
watching Lew Hollander every year. Inspiring.
Watching mark Allen year it up
It had to be one of the first years they showed it – mid-80’s. I remember thinking they were crazy to do any one of those distances, and then to do all three in one day?
Tons of Youtube videos…
Chrissie’s last Kona win, where she won despite carrying a recent training injury!
watching it last year with my 7 year old son as a father pulled, biked, and pushed his son to the finish line. Brought tears to my eyes
It has to be watching my buddy & teammate competing at Kona. I was watching the live results online. Unfortunately, he had a rough swim, ended up puking everywhere in T1, and dropped out somewhere along the Queen K. Wish it would have gone better for him, but it is definitely the most memorable.
On the Internet 10 years ago !
My first memory of Kona was of Rick/Dick Hoyt. As a father, it was totally moving and inspired me to live an active lifestyle.
Was only turned on to triathlon 2 years ago and watched jobs that year, I was hooked!
wide world of sports…. Julie Moss crawl across finish line.
Crying like a baby at the human interest stories.
Julie Moss 1982.
I’ve watched it on TV last year and it gave me the idea to try it “one day.” A century-ride-per-month, two sprint triathlons and one half-marathon down this year and I’m left feeling that it is an impossible feat. So that means I’ll keep training.
Kona 2010 – Macca win – really appreciate the race and the strategies after hearing the story behind it on his CD book, “I’m here to win.”
Sian Welch & Wendy Ingraham – The Crawl – 1997 – this isn’t my favorite but the one that sticks out the most.
My first time watching Kona, I asked “How the heck do these people run in that heat”?
Not sure about the first time – but I do love binge watching the 1 hr specials from previous years when doing monster trainer sessions!
Watching the NBC broadcast for the first time before doing my first sprint… nearly peeing my pants in fear about what I’d gotten myself into.
Watched the 2013 recap show on Nick’s Sports this past summer.
Julie Moss crawling across the finish line. The sheer determination to finish!
2013 – when all the pre race favorites were having a bad day. Finger crossed for andreas raelert in 2014!
watching on youtube live Mirinda Carfrae last year winning it on the run zooming by everyone on the run and seeing pete jacobs cheering her on and lastly crossing the finish line jumping into the arms of Tom O Donnel
Watching live Macca and Andreas Raelert shake hands in the last kilometers!
Watching Leanda Cave pass Mirinda Carfrae in 2012 for the win.
My fondest memory of Ironman World Championships is early 2002-3 watching for the first time tears rolling down my cheek watch Team Hoyt’s story which inspired me witj their “Anything is possible” and i have not missed viewing on TV ever year and just completed my 3rd Ironman.
Chrissie chasing down the entire field in 2012 to overcome and win.
My best memory is the “Iron War” race with Dave Scott and Mark Allen – two amazing athletes at the top of their game!
Craig Alexander winning in 2011
Watched it for the first time with friends from the Edmonton Triathlon Club at Cycle Logic in Edmonton. Beer, our favourite sport on the big screen, great friends: what more could one possibly ask for.
I’d say my first memory of it is the video of Julie Moss struggling across the line!
Thanks Ray, happy to use it for my sprints!
Wide World of Sports coverage – the one where Julie Moss crawls over the finish line but was equally impressed by all the folks from the back end of the field finishing.
Watching Crowie run away from everyone in his prime.
First was memory was the women crawling, best was the first glimpse of Team Hoyt!
Best memory was watching the last time Mecca one the race.
First time last year. Stoke to see their dedication to the sport.
Julie Moss on television. I saw her struggle and KNEW I wanted to be an Ironman when I grew up.
Julie Moss crawling over the finish line
All I remember is seeing this unbelievable race. I didn’t know what it was called. I just remember the racers swimming over 2 miles, biking over 100 miles and running a marathon after it all. Fast forward 20+ years and I started Triathlon. I always remembered watching that race on TV. And now I just finished my 1st Ironman here in my hometown of Chattanooga! It must have stuck with me all those years.
watching Dave Scott on YouTube race in Ironman
Watching wide world of sports in my parent’s living room amazed at how anyone could accomplish such a feat. Then finding myself watching reapeat coverage while at my first 70.3 and realizing one day I would become an Ironman. Which I did this year!
The iron Nun, sister Madonna Budar
My best memory is watching some “no-name” come in and absolutely dominate the field. That would be Chrissy Wellington…
dont know anynames but crawling over the finish line and the last competitor in the night getting alot of cheering!
Julie Moss crawling over the finish line. Disregard previous post–wrong email address
First time was as a kid–sometime in the 80s.
I gotta go with Team Hoyt the first time I saw them 10 or so years ago.
By chance saw the nbc coverage of last year and and was inspired, especially watching Miranda Carfrae blitz the field. Didn’t think a tri could ever have been on my radar but thanks to that/my gf I’m working on my previously non-existent swimming skills, so one may be now!
Kona!!
Back in the early nineties. I would watch the race upstairs by myself because no one else would watch it with me. I just thought that this is the best sporting event that I had ever seen and I wanted to be in kona. I was hooked but did not take up the sport until several years later.
My best memory was watching the epic battle between Dave Scott and Mark Allen!
In high school my xcountry coach’s husband competed and a bunch of the kids on the team got together to watch his race online!
Watching the cycling leg a few years back and thinking I’d like to ride there one day….
My first memory was watching it as a young-un on TV with my Dad. I remember being in absolute awe of these guys (and girls) racing for so long and in such extreme conditions. I’ve tried getting there myself but have failed to qualify by a just a few minutes…one day perhaps???
I was streaming and witnessing pete jacobs taking the 3rd fastest run split and grabbed the 2012 Kona Ironman Championship! Spectacular Event of the Year!
Kona 2010
During honeymoon oct 2005
The Crawl 1997.
Julie and the crawl. A moment you never forget.
Marino Vanhoenacker imploding in 2012. He went for it but unfortunately just could not keep it together.
The first Ironman I ever watched was the Aussies Abroad: 2011 Hawaiian Ironman World Championship Special clip when Craig Alexander broke the record. I remember being inspired by the video (which I saw on YouTube), but what I remember most was a comment. The video had commentary from Paula Newby Fraser. Someone commented, “The female commentator is awful. Does she know anything about triathlon?” to which someone responded, “Dude, she won here 8 times.”
Lots of great memories. But the best was having my wedding at the Hilton Waikoloa and that morning jogging to the main road waiting for the first pro to come by. Will never forget it, the heat building up on the pavement, then a helicopter rising over a small Hill followed by a biker with an army of vans and autos in chase. No idea how they remain calm like that. But man what a sight.
When four Danish brothers made history in 2013 as all of them completed Kona Ironman for the first time and never before had four brothers done that before.
Gave me the inspiration that I wanted to do it too.
everything about 2011 was epic
I remember watching Julie Moss’ finish live on Wide World of Sports as a child and not knowing what it meant. Oh, how times have changed.
I saw my first Kona coverage about 3 years ago, soon after getting into triathlon, and inspired me to train and compete and my first IM last May in Brazil…. Kona is the ultimate goal and inspiration.
Watching “Rinny” kick ass and pass, and pass, and pass, and win. The Mac and Crowie duels are a close second.
The Dave Scott/Mark Allen 20 something mile run IronWar! That was the best hands down! I watched it on tv and that’s what got me wanting to do Kona. These 2 guys running stride for stride over nearly the entire run. The only that could’ve made it better was an all out sprint for the finish!!
Watched it last year on the web from beginning to end. then again a few weeks later on nbc and thought it was a different race the footage was truncated.
Julie Moss collapse in 1982 on youtube is high in my collection…
Watching the highlights package of crowie running down chris lieto for the win.