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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!
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Have some fun in the travel section.
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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 loved watching the Iron War!!
I remember seeing it when I was in fifth grade. My dad’s gym had a sitting area with couches and a TV near the racquetball courts. We were waiting to play, and it was on. Specifically I remember them running near the lava fields.
I remember the first time I ever heard about the Kona Ironman was watching a Magnum PI episode.
Watched it for the first time last year, it was pretty cool seeing rinny catch up and get first! and to have a super similar repeat this year was awesome
Kona (UK) used to make good coffee.
My first time watching kona was at ESPN while buying a Fuji bike in a bike shop!
This is probably the first time I saw something from Ironman. Its stuck with me ever since. link to youtube.com
Kona
I had no idea what Kuna was before today; Italian media gave a lot of coverage to this guy:
link to gazzetta.it
(link in Italian, use google translate..)
Well.. Impressive..
Thanks Ray for all the great info and giveaways :) fingers crossed
Never really paid much attention to it, being honest. Then I read Chrisse´s book, and just had a look on you tube, it´s just incredible, not only what the pros do, but the vast majority of others much further back in the pack that have regular 9-5 jobs and have to balance, life, family and training.
Last year’s sweat session on the trainer watching them bike away over the lava fields.
First one was the 2007 one when Chris McCormat won it in extreme heat. But what stood out was a man(not sure his name) competing without any legs, thought if he can do it so I can I. Was truly inspirational watching this guy putting on his artificial limbs and climbing on the bike and then running and still completed it all in the extreme heat. That when I said, if he can, so can I and so started my triathlon journey.
Never seen kona but I’d really like the garmin.
My favorite is the first time that Dave Scott was beaten by Mark Allen. Epic Battle!
Hot runners shown on ABC Wide World of Sports.
To be true, I never watched Kona Ironman in live but saw some TV reports talking about it. Quite impressive !
Julie Moss, I was still little kid the. It was very inspiring!
In 2009 when US Chris Lieto was overtaken by AU Craig Alexander after leading the race for nearly the duration. With about 4mi to go Craig Alexander bested Lieto. I suppose the consolation for Lieto is the fact that he did his best career finish, but just didn’t have enough steam to maintain. I suppose that 2nd in a World Championship is not too bad either!
-=Adam S
Atlanta, GA
My favorite memoriy is when on of the pros had a bad race but stayed at it. When asked why he stated because there are age groupers out here still racing it would be disrepectful to them not to finish. I smiled thinking this is why I love this sport!
Watched it over the weekend. amazed at the perseverance !
Favorite memory was watching the 17:02 hour finisher come in and the crowd going WILD. We were lining the streets cheering. The huge smile on the mans face. Must have been over 60 years old but his perserverance was inspirational!
KONA? What? I just started training and looking into different computers for my swim, bike and runs! Hmm, I dream of Ironman one day…
Newbie, so watching recaps of Hines Ward and Gordon Ramsay in last years’ race.
Heard about the hawai ironman watching Tom Selleck in Magnum long long time ago. Today like watching Kona on the web (txs to Youtube and dedicated web sites) even if french are not very good in that sport.
Been a soccer player all my life. Married a girl who’s into triathlons. Watched my first Kona with her at her local tri club a few years back. Decided once I was done playing soccer, triathlons would be how I stayed fit and Kona would be my goal. The time has come, training for that goal begins this winter.
Watching the Swiss Miss Natascha Badmann win it 6 times… :-)
First time this year!
Just watched the Kona chocolate run on Youtube. Amazing :-)
Greatings from Denmark
/Soren
Dave Scott and Mark Allen – 1989
Watching Stadler ride like a demon towards his first win in 2004. Intriguing performance.
First time I saw someone pass the finish line seconds after closing time.
Another one for the Julie Moss crawl :-)
i first saw the kona ironman 4 years ago when i started training for triathlon . i watched it on the web with the friends from my team. it teached me there are no limits to the human body!
Watching Kona with my father in the mid 90s. As a kid it looked so tough.
Saw Julie Moss crawl to the finish in 1982, which inspired me to do my first triathlon that same year.
I was home on a random weekend in 2002 or 2003 after a long run training for the Marine Corps Marathon. While icing my sore legs from a brutal run in Washington DC I naturally sat on the couch, turned on the TV, and got ready for my afternoon nap. Until I saw the listing for “Triathlon” and sat up. The swim portion was just starting and I was hooked. I thought, “I want to be there. I want to participate. I want to finish late at night and join the celebration” (because I knew that there was no way I would be anywhere close to finishing in a great time. I had barely finished my grueling training run. But this was absolutely motivating and it’s an event I have watched on TV ever since. I make sure it’s locked into my DVR and one of these days I want to be there. I want it so badly.
The first time I saw it live on the computer was 2009 the day before I tackled my first sprint tri – hooked since
Watching Kona as a teenager, in awe of the athletes…
In the early ’80s watching on Wide World of Sports!
Watching the epic 2010 battle between Macca and Raelert!
I just watched my first Ironman world championship (right after I run my first half marathon in CT) and I loved it, my best moment was when Mirinda Carfrae passed Daniel Ryf, epic moment!
Best moment: when the last ironman passed the finish line before the 17 hours mark.
I won a lottery slot for Kona 2011. Race week was a total blur – seeing all the pros, having breakfast at a table next to Macca, etc – but as I climbed the steps onto the pier at the end of the swim, a scene I’d seen on TV countless times, it really hit me, “Holy crap, I’m racing Kona!!” At least I did not horribly embarrass myself ;-).
“I want to do that!”
Watching Kona 2011 start with “First Class” music by Henry Jackman
MACCA
Watching it last year inspired me to design a Tri T-shirt :)
A few years ago watching the amazing athletes hammer through the lava fields . . .
i would say one of the most impressive memories i have is the crawl in 1997 between Sian Welch and Wendy Ingraham
Mirinda Carfrae run everyone down on her way to a 2.50 in 2013
I can remember seeing it on Wide World of Sports when I was a kid. Always looked so tough, which of course it is.
My best memory of watching Kona is seeing all the lava rock greetings along the route.
Watching replays of Kona 2011 and 2012 while on the trainer recovering from a broken ankle
The Hoyts….watching a dad tow his son in the swim, ride the bike with him and then push him for the run…gets me in the heart every time
I remember getting prepared to do the Raleigh 70.3 in 2012 and watching old repeats of Kona on TV. I was hoping to gain some pro-tips and inspiration, and was glued to the TV watching the stories surrounding Kona and all the stories of personal perspicacity in continuing on with their training and competing goals!
Julie Moss crawling, but also the countless hours watching youtube video of amazing people doing something incredible, crossing the finishline….. Luckily I swim only slightly better than a brick, so haven’ t so far been tempted to try a Triathlon….. So far….
Watching Kona as a kid, wow!
Best memory was the iron war with Dave Scott and Mark Allen. Even if it was lousy coverage, you could not get away from the drama of the shoulder to shoulder battle that lasted for so long.
Even tho i didn’t see it live I watch the Iron War on youtube all the time
Watching NBC coverage in 2007 or 8. This started me towards doing tri’s.
Watching as a kid on television
It was amazing seeing Kienle finishing this year
The sight of any swim start, and Julie Moss 1982.
I thought it was really amazing how fast they get through the three disciplines and look so relaxed.
My favorite memories of Kona is watching the recaps of the finishing line… where you often see a flood of emotion as the participants end their epic adventure.
Has to be the famous crawl. Julie Moss.
First memory? Can’t recall. Favorite? Iron War. I’ve spent hours on the bike trainer watching videos from the 2004-2011 races.
The best memory of Kona for me is always, year after year, to see all athletes in a race to overcome the human physiology. It’s contagious.
Seeing Chrissie come back from so far behind, even with her terrible wounds from her bike crash – so exciting to see, especially after having met her in Roth. An amazing woman.
My Favorite… Watching the Mauren Solano (CRC) crossing the finish line… She got 3rd Place on her age group.!!
I was probably in my late 20s the first time I saw it; I was drawn to watching, because I love Kona, Hawaii and have been many times.
Definitely watching Rinny destroying the marathon this year, coming out of T2 with a 14min gap between her and Ryf. Also Seb winning his first was awesome, been rooting for him since 2012, and was stoked when he managed to open that gap on the bike and kept it throughout the marathon. Awesome event.
Team Hoyt. I still get chills when I watch that story.
it is a easy ride only when you have finish
Gotta say, watching a random re-run of the Hawaii finish with Julie Moss when I was about 12. Remembered the emotion — I knew I wanted to do one someday. 14 years later… I did, altho not Kona. :)
Watching the live stream as a close friend was finishing Kona a few years ago.
It was few years who,I saw the race finish on a local tv station and it was basically my first insight i to triathlon and how amazing athletes those people are!
I usually see snippets instead of the whole broadcast, so I never remember the years. The Julie Moss clip is always heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time.
2011 Kona Ironman finish. Especially liked the old man enjoying the moment (race# 215).
Last year’s finish. Got me into triathlon
I remember Paula Newby Frasier “bonking out” in ’95 just before the finish line!! Thanks for putting together this drawing. The FR920XT looks like an awesome unit!!
Chris Lieto setting the pace on the bike and trying desperately to hang on for the win.
Macca vs raelert…intense and inspiring!
I want it so bad.
Julie Moss finish. Still incredible to this day.
My first watching Kona was last year but the one I enjoy the most was this year supporting the two french guys Cyril Viennot and Romain Guillaume who finisehd in the top 10 !
Im interested in how this will compete with the pebble.
Always enjoy watching guys I train with come across the finish line. So fortunate to train with such gifted athletes.
just crazy.. but awesome
How awesome the swim looked!
I think what gives me chills about watching this sport on the NBC broadcast is all the causes that are driving the age groupers to race at Kona. The commitment to the training and qualifying for these personal causes is truly inspiring!
some poor gal crawling…it is etched in my brain forever
I distinctly remember the ’87 Ironman Hawaii when the legend Dave Scott took the title once again but the young upstart Mike Pigg kept in the fray (finishing 4th, improving each of his three years to that point). The next year Pigg almost won it, finished 2nd with an epic performance, before all those health problems derailed his career.
That was my first interest in triathlon, though it took me until last year to attempt one.
People half the world away doing the race while it’s midnight here…..
Julie Moss, unforgettable!
My Husband Loves 70.3 and says that someday participate in a full ironman, and why not, Kona.
The first time I heard of Kona was their talks
I remember watching my first Kona event while I was in college. I saw this girl almost at the finish line when she collapsed. her body could no longer go. people kept cheering and pushing her. She got up, looking like bambi barely learning how to walk. she took a couple of steps and collapsed again. The other runners kept encouraging her and telling her to get up, that was almost done, the she could finish it.
She kept getting up and falling down but she never quit. she eventually made it to the finish line and again collapsed on some dudes arms. A bunch on volunteers ran to her and helped her to get medical attention.
It was amazing to see people completing that amazing race and encouraging everyone to finish. From that day I started doing research so I could train and compete on my first triathlon.
The crawl, on youtube only recently.
Kona winner crossing the finish line and being completely emotional while looking indeed vulnerable for the first time after grueling it for around 8-9hrs! And of course all the Age Groupers making it feel even more real! :O)