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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.
On youtube, the images of all the athlets preparing, checking out everything before the dawn, waiting anxiously for to start. Marco.
Watching a summary on TV in the 80s, seemed crazy that athletes could have such endurance.
From KONA I saw only swim start, October 15, 2005 on Wikipedia ;-) but I’ll quickly fix that little deficiency!
I just love watching the videos of people racing to beat the cut-off time.
I saw it for the first time I wasn’t even doing triathlons. I did not even know then that I would go into triathlon later in my life. I remember especially the physically challenged.
When I visited Kona and saw many of the athletes training on the course a month before the event — so inspirational!! Would drive part of the course daily in traveling to and from our hotel, wow!
I recall the first time i heard about Kona… i was reading this post, 10 minutes ago!
First time watching Kona? On TV in 2012! Exactly one year later my first time in Hawaii. At that time i went down the road of bike track and i didn’t even know what triathlon is!
I guess it was back in 2011, watching Craig Alexander get his third in a row! ;)
1996 —> Luc van Lierde!!! Epic!
Remember watching clips of Kona as a kid; thinking that these people were crazy!!!
On youtube the images of all the athlets checking their stuff before the dawn, wainting anxiously for to start.
Should have been around halfway the ’90. 15 year old and always saying I would ever start Hawaii. Still have to do it…
I remember watching 2 minute hightlights as part of a Sunday ‘World of sport type’ TV show. Normally sandwiched between Kabaddi and Squash!
Watched for the first time two years ago, Pete Jacobs won. It’s not a very impressive tv show but thanks to every passionnate people commenting it’s a race you cannot miss.
Team Hoyt finish!
I’ve never seen Kona Ironman but my first serious MTB was a Kona Nunu… ;)
I remember seeing the start when I was very young and then hours later thought it was a different event and when being informed it was the same people thinking “they’re nuts!!!”
The best moment ever was seeing Dick and Rick (Team) Hoyt for the first time and what kind of inspiration they have created. Nowadays I come across so many people that have been inspired by the TEAM. I amde a runner at RnR Phoenix that told me that there is an organization that pairs marathoners with challenged children so that they can enjoy racing together. Fascinating and amazing.
I remember watching the highlight from it here in Norway for some year ago, I had just started running in addition to bicycling and I remember i wondered how they managed to do all three discipline at one race.
My first time was in 2005 watching Eneko Llanos finishing in the 5th place
I remember getting up and watching it 4 years ago, which caused me to start to train for my first triathlon.
My first time watching Kona. I believe it was during the Armstrong scandal, i watched him in Kona on YouTube. I decided to do a sprint triathlon after that. Loved it, and will do more, and longer distances, in the future.
1981 when John Howard won. I was a big fan of the cyclist who also was an Olympian and Race Across America participant.
Raelert vs. Macca. I haven’t seen the real Ironwar so this is as good as it gets…
As a kid I lusted over the Kona bikes but had no idea where the name came from!
Watching the NBC show a few years ago thinking it is impossible for me : that you need to be a machine. And now doing triathlon :D
Not really familiar with Kona, as I’m more of a pure running guy. However, you have sparked my interest.
Van Lierde Victory last year for sure! it was awesome!
Watching Kona gives me the strength to wake up before anyone else to train. It inspires all, whether you do tri or not and shows you what crazy stuff can be achieved.
Watching the start to the swim and the clear blue water. Amazing!!!
Long time ago, I was 10, maybe 12, there was broadcast on Eurosport, I remember in particular one shot of a woman from running stage, she had to stop due to cramps, then after some stretching she continued running; some time later she was so tired she was vomiting on the pavement, that didn’t stop her either.
Remember seeing Kona recap on TV about 10yrs ago. It brought inspirational yet impossible thoughts. Until my 2014 IM WI finish in a Hawkeye jersey
I’ve seen the finish line break down clips on youtube a bunch of times. Gives me the chills every time.
Since I took up triathlon just a few years ago, my first ever broadcast was the one when Chrissie won her first title in Kona. Awesomeness!
The clip on youtube with Sian Welch and Wendy Ingraham finishing in 1997 was my first impression of the event. Don’t think I will ever forget that.
I guess it was only last year. I was just impressed about what mankind can achieve!
I most enjoyed watching the recaps of the final finishers and their stories. They have no quit in them!
youtube clips back in 2009 when i first started to tri!
Wow, that moment of ‘nothing is impossible’. We can do so much if we put our will to it. Just a human against himself (not even against the clock necessarily).
amazed by watching different youtube videos.
Mirinda Carfrae’s marathon in 2:50:38 – faster than the men’s winner!
2013 – what an amazing finish!
1st awareness of Kona was seeing the 2 triathletes crawling over the finish line in 1997.
I remember the first German win back in 1997. It was great to watch the guys running in that environment.
I wish KONA could be organized in Russia – I believe it will some day and thousands of young athletes would enjoy it! Without any politicians, only sportsmen =)
shivers
Watched a video on Youtube to comply with the rules :) Hakona matata!
Thanks for the giveaway!
My first Kona Ironman memory was 2003 – the 25th anniversary of Kona. I’ve seen the footage on the national TV.
My first time was 15 years back… By mistake, the TV was open on it and we just started and could not stop watching it. Since that moment, and many (many) miles of running, biking I’m trying not to miss it.
Seeing the amazing swim start.
In the mid 80’s, with the Dave Scott and Mark Allen rivalry. Triathlon, and Ironman, were not so popular in Europe back then and these guys were like martians, totally amazing.
I’ve heard about Kona Ironman first in the ’90s, but at that time seeing it from Hungary, it was more like something which could have been on the MArs as well. So distant, so unreachable, so unbelievable. I had no chance of watching it, it was more like an urban legend that such competition exists, let alone there are people who can accomplish it. Then there was a first hungarian participant (Peter Kropko if I recall right) who gave it bigger publicity and then we could see some TV coverage as well in the news, but there was no Youtube by that time. So somewhere at the end of the 1990’s on TV.
Logging in on my laptop from deep in the Irish countryside, howling wind and rain outside, to watch athletes dripping in sweat on the other side of the world. Will be doing the same this year!
Like a few others, that infamous “Welch vs Ingraham” video is probably my first impression of the race.
i thought, that’s just so hard, i could never do anything like that, and here i am now , just about to get on my bike training for my first tri.
It’s the same image that inspires me every year – the long pan out shot of the athletes swimming through the azzuri waters. It’s simply a beautiful shot, and more importantly, it sets the scene for the sheer task/journey ahead. Stunning.
on Youtube, watching in awe at the inspiring levels of fitness and stamina of which I can only dream of but I’ll get there….one day!
I have seen some footage on YouTube. It looks painful.
LPJ
Kona 2013…first one I watched.
First memory : about 20 years ago, I heard that people were swimming / cycling / running in the heat of Kona for 10 hours… straight. I was 10… want to do it too :-)
Best one: last year following the live coverage when Fred Van Lierde won!
I think it would have to be Julie Moss in 1982, that clip was hard to watch.
My first and yet most shocking memory of Kona was watching Paula Newby-Fraser hitting the wall on YouTube.
Watching my buddy from school, Dirk Bockel – while placing 4th in 2011.
A couple of years ago, watching some YouTube videos after reading about team Hoyt
Ironman triathletes must be the most fit people ever!
2011, Chrissie winning, watched the whole night!
IronWar 2.0 Chris McCormack vs. Andy Raelert -> What a great Finish :D
watched a youtube summary from last year´s edition. so cool
The snippet of Julia Moss at the finish line… One of reasons holding me back to take part in full Ironman.
Go friends from Slovenia!
I watched it 2013 and it inspired me to start training to do a triathlon, and it should be next year in Cannes !
I can only read about Kona on my friend’s blog. And I know that they can only read about Kona, just like me.
But my chief is an Ironman, a great Ironman that win a slot for Kona competing in Kalmar.
I hate him because he mock me: I can’t swim, bike or run faster as him. And he is 58 years old, while I’m just 34.
But I will be an Ironman, I’m sure (my wife hopes that I will compete in Kona, she likes holidays).
A lot of years ago, around 90’s I remember watching on the TV these triathletes when I was very young. I remenber that I though ” It’s a funny sport, 3 sports together that I already practice separetely”
my first memorie….
I remember few years ago, like 10 or 12 when I saw a little program at tv, about kona IM. For years I forgotten that images, but, after my wife get sick, I started to think one challenge to improve my life and that images came back immediately to my brain. People gettin exhausted, and cross the finish line…. I think it was that moment when I decided to start to follow my dream. Next year, after several years practise thriatlon, I will be at starting line in Lanzarote, to do my first IM.
My dream would be some day in Kona. But, for the moment, I’m doing my part, training and doing a lot of races. It will be a dream to have this 920 or fenix2 because I have no gps yet…. And I made 6 half IM yet!!!
Thanks and congrats for your blog, it’s awesome!!
It caught my interest when I was a lot younger, when I couldn’t swim properly. I started biking and running. I even took swimming lessons. Two decades later, I’m able to run and bike at decent speed, but I still can’t swim properly.
Ok, I could make it through the 3.8km swim, but I don’t know if I would arrive at the right place nor if I would be able to bike from then. And the waters over here are a lot colder as well.
So that’s why I went for duathlon instead…
Following the build up with IMTalk and trying to make sense of all of the place names being mentioned.
Definitely when I watched the arrival of Rick and his father Dick Hoyt; I just got overwhelmed with emotion and humility.
watching NBC highlights as motivation for my first sprint tri – loving the cannon start
I just saw Kona Ironman live a bit last year. It’s not so easy to get the coverage here in Europe. When I turned Tv on, the guys were finishing the swim and jumping on their bikes. I was so impressed to see how focus they were.
All these gestures, repeated, analyzed, improved over time to get the most of what they can give is really impressive and inspiring.
Good luck to them for the race!!!
And thank’s for the blog, DCRainmaker.
When I was ill as a child, I watched the repeat on eurosport of luc van lierde’s first win in 1996
I was very young and saw a snippet in a sports magazine. I was impressed by the bikes…
1st in early 90’s, watching beautiful scorching Kona in autumnal Europe, think it was the Mark Allen & Paula Newby-Fraser years
watching the Brit girls win – time and time again. Small island BIG tri-ers. Chrissie Wellington…the best.
My first thougt is when I saw the first footage of the event and how amazed I was of the athletes. I almost got the goose bumps when I think about it :)
Most probably last 2 years when i started running for 5k
That’s one of the few things on TV that we all watch together as a family. That’s my favorite memory!
I remember seeing a clip back in the 80’s of a fella in speedos and I thought they were mad!
My best memory of watching Kona is last year, since I spent one week on Big Island during my summer vacations in august… Great emotion to see so many places where I have myself made some modest workouts ! Kona is definitively one of the best places in the world !!!
Can’t remember which year now, but watching the year my mum had managed to qualify.
I believe the first time I heard about Kona, was when Faris al Sultan won it. I did know about Ironman, but didn’t really pay attention to it. (back then I wasn’t really into swimming – just running).I knew about the event in Roth and thought: crazy people doing that. Now that I do Triathlon myself, I follow the Kona reports quite reqularly. – meaning annually :)
Even though I currently compete only up to middle distance, IM is always an option / goal.
Hoping for for the gosdess of randomization to help me here.
I was only introduced to Kona last year by my brother-in-law showing me YouTube videos of it – the stand-out memories were the sight of the crazy moonscape of the bike section, and the inspiration of discovering Team Hoyt for the first time. It really put my own minor struggles in perspective!
Suffice to say that it has lit a spark in him, my wife and I to aim for Kona own day if at all possible. I will be happy to be there just as a supporter though!
Everytime i need a bit of motivation on the trainer… Watching kona highlight videos on youtube!
First time when I watched Lance Armstrong winning Kona.
First memory: watching the newsreport of Luc van Lierde winning the championship in 1996.
Chrissie Wellington ‘s smile during and after the race(s)
The first picture of Kona I remember is the one of Faris Al Sultan running in his super short swim briefs and the “bra” showing his hairy belly… :))
I remember the way it inspired me to become a thriathlete, one who still can’t swim…
First memory – watching ESPN Australia 2013 Kona special. Made me wanna become ironman too :)
reading The book iron war and then watching the videos. Makes you realise it is mind over matter.