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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.
First I watched it, I felt asleep after the record bike segment by Normann Stadler because of the time zone difference with Hawaii (11h!!)
The only way to watch Kona for me is online, or during a shortened rebroadcast. Watched the swim start as well as the final miles of the marathon last year. It reminded me of my trip to Hawaii couple years ago, good memories.
i first saw it last year, when spanish guy Ivan Raña made his debut to the sixth place. i hope Ivan wins this year!
Watching Mark Allen back in the day with his shirt flapping in the wind and DaveScott with a banana taped to his bike
Given that endurence events only this year have peaked my interest, I have watched some coverage online. I don’t own a bike, I kept on thinking I need to get one, so that some day, I can also learn to swim and take part in Kona.
Just started doing triathlons and wanted to see what the “big daddy” was all about. I was out of town on a work assignment and watched on a laptop in the lobby. I sat and tied up the “business computer” for hours watching that race. 2009!
I’m in ! not sure if I would prefer the fenix2 or the 920XT ;-) but both seems famous !!!!
Thanks to Youtube I watched Greg “The Clown” Welch wins the 1994 Ironman Hawaii
Cheers and thanks for all the good stuff Ray !!!
so many great memories…. it’s hard to pick just one!
Two years ago as I watched a friend cross the finish line. She was one of the last ones but she made it!
Looking back I remember seeing a coverage in the german TV of the Ironman I think 1984 or 1982. My best impression was when I attended the race as a spectator in 1995. We went out on the bike/run course on Queen K Hwy to the suppy tent at about KM 36 or KM 38. It was hosted by some Walmart people. We joined them and handed water to the runners later on. Since this is on the way to the Energy Lab we saw how much Th. Hellriegel was ahead of the rest of the pack being led by Mark Allen…. And we couldn’t believe it when Mark passed Thomas on their way back more or less exactly were we were standing to support with water. (I must mention that I am German, so it was unbelievable). Later I discovered that we made it to the TV coverage … I will never forget that moment. 2 yrs later I did my first Ironman in Lanzarote …
I remember watching Ironman somewhere in the 90’s. I simply couldn’t believe someone could really run a marathon after biking / swimming so many km’s!
relying on ABC wide world of sports to watch Mark Allen and Dave Scott battle. Not a lot of mustaches at Ironman these days. ’89 was epic
Watching NBC’s recap, and seeing the ride thru the lava fields
2010 TV special the year I first did a sprint tri, absolutely in AWE of the speed and the distance
seeing carfrae setting breaking the marathon record last year!
Being new to the sport watching the clips of Julie Moss crawling across the finish line is the most memorable part of it I have seen. (was also one of the influences to get me to start long course)
Kona 2012 having completed first sprint Triathlon a month before and becoming hooked.. Kona swim start just blew me away!
Seeing a Julie Moss recap.
First time was 2009 watching Tara Costa from the Biggest Loser participate, since then I have become a big fan of Kona and I DVR and watch it every year.
My best memory will be watch Ivan Raña winning this sunday! Or at least i wish that!
Watching online my a few of teammates and friends cross the finish line last year. Magical. It fueled my fire to get my KQ.
Watching Dave Scott win one of his later later races
First time watching in the early 90s and seeing Paula Newby-Fraser win. The whole time I was think, this is one hardcore sport
The battles between Dave Scott and Mark Allen were epic.
Watching it a few years back and not knowing what a triathlon was – “wait what are they doing? How far!?!?” now i love doing the same thing.
What is this Kona race; is it important to the Ironman brand?
There’s something amazing at Kona every year… Rinny’s finish on the run last year was impressive. Looking forward to seeing if Van Lierde can repeat this year.
Watching Wide World of Sports and watching Dave Scott win and Julie Moss’s dramatic finish. I have been hooked/interested ever since. Following the Dave Scott and Mark Allen duels is also a prominent memory.
I remember watching the swim start on TV 4 or 5 years ago and thinking how it was both crazy and awesome at the same time.
Without a doubt, Julie Moss – intense
Chrissie wining after poor prep into the race following the bike crash
Watching the trance-like state of each athlete as they ride through the wind in the lava flats.
Not any one winner stands out to me, but my first Kona watching experience 3 years ago and watching the amazing stories of the age groupers just warms my heart. That day 3 years ago started me on my triathlon journey.
watching Chrissie Wellington win Kona for the first time in 2007
I believe it was about 10-years ago I watched on NBC Sports, Now I DVR them and many other of the Ironman races and watch them more than once for inspiration to keep training.
Thanks, Kevin H
Van Lierde last year !
Youtube, after see this Giveaway Time.
Seeing it on TV years ago and discovering that people actually could do something that I figured was physically impossible.
Watching those riders ride across the lava fields in the winds is just awesome
Watching the classic “crawl” youtube clip..
My friends first time in Hawaii pulling a 9:45 for his third triathlon ever.
2009 Kona seeing Macca run down Chris Lieto was awesome!
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
If it’s preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run, it is not called a bike race, it is called duathlon or a triathlon. Neither of which is a bike race. Also keep in mind that one should only swim in order to prevent drowning, and should only run if being chased. And even then, one should only run fast enough to prevent capture.
link to velominati.com
Watching the start a few years ago and thinking: well, this is somewhat chaotic.
I first saw it 3 or 4 years ago, so inspiring and motivational! I try to watch online every year now.
I’ve just looked at a small section on Youtube :)
Youtube, after see this Giveaway Time, too.
I know the brand from Online ads.
There is a very tiny footprint of the brand in Portugal
Watched many times “live” on TV – still chokes me up to see those finish line struggles.
Seeing the abbreviated version on TV as a child did not give credit to the difficulty of the event.
Loved watching the folks that didn’t make the time cut, but were stoked anyway just to cross the finish.
Was a couple years ago, someone sent me a video about The Hoyts, pretty motivational stuff
Watching on TV as a kid growing up; amazed as the later participants would struggle to meet the finish cutoff time.
I don’t rememeber precicley the first time I watched the IM world championships. I do remember enjoying the stories about the different age groups athletes especially the militarty ones. I specifically remember one Navy officer that subsituted a rowing machine for swimming while out at sea and I thought how boring it would be to do all the training on a stationary trainer and treadmill.
Pretty sure i saw it on tv in its early years, maybe on wild world of sports. Around the famous Julie Moss timeframe.
The best, the father and son team, I believe from Massachusetts. The father pushed his disabled son in his wheel chair. Dedication to each other and love of the sport.
Watching a highlights version of THE BEST OF KONA on the internet having just watched my brother in law complete his first ironman live that day in WALES.
Macca hitting Marino Vanhoenackers bike out of T1 in 2012…
My older brother’s college roommate had just done an Ironman race and gotten the tattoo. At the time I had never heard of Ironman and looked it up on YouTube. Watched a Kona race and knew it was something I wanted to do.
Seeing Sister Madonna racing Kona a couples years back got me into start participating into Triathlon and now I love it.
I watch each year and love seeing the determination of on the faces of the competitors.
van lierde!!
It was the first Ironman I’ve seen. It still loos impossible to me!
my first “memory” of kona is reading about julie moss collapsing and having to crawl just before the finish line.
One of the first years it was on tv. I was just starting to race bikes and found it very inspiring.
Watching Julie Moss in the 1982 race – really something else.
Craig Alexander setting the record in 2011.
MASS SWIM… for years I watched with my brother as we watched any show growing up that had anything to do with any sport… thinking back those starts always stand out as awe inspiring and likely what led me to join the sport years later.
Hoping to join our club tri-anglia in the York Tavern to watch Kona on the big screen this year if we get back from wedding aniv trip to Snettisham in North Norfolk to see the wading birds flighting!
I love the start of every race. The arial view of the common swim start is stunning visually and hooks me for the rest of the television special.
it was on a book describing some of the greatest sport achievements of the 90’s. There was a subject about Dave Scott, “The Man”.
Saw first replay with Jon Blais in 2005. What an inspiration
Few years ago when I started training for my first triathlon. I got hooked for quite a while.. then I decided to stop procrastinating and hit the road.
I remember watching when it was sponsored by Ford and the world triathlon corporation paid for the broadcast. Although I think they still might pay for it
I know it was TV when I was little. I think the Wide World of Sports. All I recall is seeing people who seemed to be insane, and a lot of the “agony of defeat” (not to mention of de feet by the end of the marathon).
Thanks, as always, for the excellent giveaway, not to mention the awesome blog.
2010 fight macca against Raelert
POUR MOI Magnum represente Hawaï et la vie de reve qui va avec (;(;
Vague memories of being in awe as a kid with the Hoyt team being the first specific story that stuck in my mind. They made something that already seemed impossible seem even more impossible, yet inspiring.
Favourite was watching Chrissie Wellington struggle in the swim after her bike crash in training then fight her way to the front to reclaim the title in 2011.
I faintly remember watching it on TV when I was young. It had to have been a recap show because I was also amazed at how quickly these people traveled 112 miles on a bike and running a full marathon. Technically, I’m still amazed as I eye coverage throughout the entire day.
when I first interested in triathlon, it meant Kona as best of the best!
Stumbling onto NBC’s coverage about ten years ago and thinking, insanity! Fast forward, and now I’m racing them (well, racing is a relative term, ha). Thanks Ray (and Clever Training)!
Harriet Anderson’s 2012 under the wire finish.
For me it has to be the awe for these athletes and wondering if i’ll ever get myself to do such a thing.
watching Julie Moss crawl across the finish line on ABC’s Wide World of Sports when i was a youngster
This year will be my first time watching live!
Last year was my first time – my friend’s mom competed!
Before I was even a cyclist I saw it on tv once and was amazed at the level of performance of those guys/gals.
Watched most of the bike leg last year on the internet. It got me interested in going to watch our local IM Florida a few weeks later in person.
I was sick – my parents went out to brunch – i sat on the couch and watched the event on TV and was so inspired I forgot I was sick!!! My parents thought I was faking!
Watching Julie Moss crawl across the finish line in 1982 ABC’s ”Wide World of Sports” made me compete, even though I hate running
I am sorry to say I have never seen one, since Brazilian TV unfortunately doesn´t air that…
Longest I’ve ever spent in front of a TV – it was fun!
Seeing Chrissy Wellington smash everyone including the men to bits
Watching presentation trailers on the web last year :-)
Watching Rebekah Keat give Chrissy Wellington a spare cartridge when she flatted.
My greatest memory was watching Rinny make the final pass to win the 2013 World Championships, erasing 2012′ bonking and capturing both a new course record and breaking her own marathon record!
first time I caught Kona on TV, I just said “WOW, I must try that”
On bike shop when I was searching for a road bike
On the Internet, it was truly an amazing display of great endurance and passion.