Heads up! The Garmin Enduro 3 is down to $829, some $70 off. That’s the lowest price to date on this new device. The Enduro 3 is notable though because it’s basically a Fenix 8 Solar minus the dive/voice features (and the Fenix 8 Solar/MIP starts at $1,099). Everything else is there, and it gets all Fenix 8 software features (and, insane battery life). Meanwhile, the Fenix 7 down to $429! Or Epix at $429. There’s a bunch more sports tech deals listed here too!
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:
Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back as an Amazon Associate. No cost to you, easy as pie!
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 2024 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.
Run in Forest Park (STL) as much as possible before I move to Amsterdam.
80km ride around Cairns including a jaunt up Copperlode, the local hill climbers demon ride.
Tomorrow: 90 min at NP 240. Yowza.
4 miler on Tuesday after a couple weeks off resting a sore knee
8 mile mountain bike ride to local gym, then a 1,000M swim and 8 mile mountain bike back home… mind you I live in Michigan, and its a bit cold over/up here.
Frozen Bonsai half marathon on the 14th. Happy Holidays!
Big Rock Olympic Tri on April 11th
Mount Tamalpais! The Dipsea Trail. Twice. Otherwise known as a Double Dipsea. Located in Mill Valley CA. No trail in the world has such diverse sceneary and terrain.
20k time trial course this weekend
I have a iFit enabled NordicTrack X9i that I jump on when I’m watching TV. Today the scheduled “Walk in the Park” was Champs de Mars in lovely Paris. I thought that was apropos. I don’t think the Google person knew where they were going, they were meandering all around. Didn’t see Ray-LOL.
couch surfing to recover from knee surgery…
I’m hoping to get another really solid progression run in before the end of the year. Something like a 20′, 10′, 5′, 5′ progression as Coach Jay Johnson posted the other day. Should be a lot of fun!
A marathon tracking mission! I will be chasing my wife around the course of the Kiawah Island Marathon by bicycle and trying to see her as many times as I can to cheer her on! I noticed your Boston bike tracking for The Girl led to about 40 miles, so that has to count as a workout!
Increasing distance weekly runs in military boots and utilities trousers starting at 4 miles and adding a half mile each weak. Working up to participate on my Marine units team running the tough mudder in the new year.
Monday is the start of my trainerroad.com build phase.
Start of spring HM training!
Sufferfest blender
My last race for the year is the Harborside Lights 5K at Christmas in SC.
10 mile run in DC tomorrow through Rock Creek, Zoo, and Glover Archbold. Pace undetermined. :)
Texas 10 Series Conroe on December 7th. 10 miler
Tomorrow I have a swim scheduled
5×100 Swim, kick, breast, pull, swim
4×75 drill
4×75 swim, kick, back
1000 time trial
200 cool down
40 mile to a local farm / juice place for delicious fresh smoothie, then another 40 mile to the keys and ride along sunset. Not sure if I am gonna need rescuing for the way back or just suck it up and make it a really long ride
As I’m on TrainerRoad, I’ll be doing many leg burning workouts through the end of the year and beyond.
8 mile run or so in a few hours.
10k charity run next Saturday in dublin
Jingle Bell 5k this morning!
10km Christmas Day training run
I’ve got a 3-5 mile run scheduled for a week from this Monday. (It’s the off-season… :-)
Ski tour with my awesome girlfriend.
Nice base mile ride prepping for the next cycling road season in Portland OR, which should be a nice dry ride :-)
20mi on Christmas morning
6-mile run in Balboa park next week
Mtn biking with studded tires in snowy northern Japan to prep for the tour of old pueblo in Tucson.
5k Santa Run with my XC Team
I’ll be doing some loops at the local MTB park with my kids before the rain comes back.
BROOKS Hong Kong 15km Challenge 2014, so this is the last race for me in 2014, then will enjoy my Christmas Holiday!
ran a 5k today and am going to run 3 miles tomorrow.
Running around the Hamburg Airport on thursday (17.9 km). And maybe trying to conquer the strava segment right before my door back later next week.
Well I’m taking some downtime between Christmas and now to recover from the past year, which included a marathon, some half marathons and a half IM. :-)
Cambridge 5k Yulefest!
Sufferfest FTP test next Wednesday (Dec 10th) following hip injury and several rounds of physiotherapy.
Running my first 50k next weekend. Kurrawa2Duranbah in the Queensland summer heat here in Aus
10 km race sylvesterlauf in aachen, 31.12.2014 :)
I can not live without my Tuesdays and Thursdays core stability sessions!
Today a good bike workout: 3×20′ @sweet spot, thanks to TrainerRoad!
Just my day to day 5k run
Half marathon training session today, rest on Monday, business trip in Boston for the rest of the week, so lots of morning running along the Charles River.
Christmas morning run – 5 – 10 k depending on snow/ice condition
5k Park Run every Saturday! Did my first one this weekend in -3C and iced up paths. Little bit tricky.
Deadlift fun at the gym!
10K trail run with 3000+ ft of vertical elevation
4 Months after surgery from a completely torn left achilles, looking forward to getting on my bike for my annual birthday ride. Will definitely have to take it slower than usual – Haha.
The Tanjore Half Marathon (South India) on 21st Dec. Looking forward to it
A 5K trail run through the Samobor woods next saturday.
2 laps around the Lake Eymir next saturday which is roughly a half-marathon.
67km down river kayak race next weekend
Enough races for me this year :-) just some cool training now
trail marathon next saturday
2.5 mile run set for tomorrow!
Silvesterlauf in Zurich. 4 loops around the center of Zurich in reindeer costume with Gluehwein at the finish. And possibly during.
2km fun run with my 6yo daughter
180km ride with 3000m elevation gain – scody 3 peaks training !
Trailrun once a week! 13km of muddy fun. 5:15/km and 300m of elevation – sounds less? Come and join me in Austria!
21K trail run the day before Christmas around the lake at our cabin. Hopefully in snow. :)
1/2 Marathon on December 27th in Blijham.
Woohooo! Super great, Ray.
No race for me but I plan a running-commute just before Christmas vacation. Nothing exotic, only a very flat 55 km on river paths and bike lanes. It would be my 18th “ultra-to-work”.
But now it’s time for a 18 km loop in freezing forest :)
A long easy 20km run in the mud today
50km ride with 1500m elevation gain, 2 peaks training in Venezuela
A long (21k) trail run at Wilson’s Prom national park, Australia, between Xmas and New Years. Can’t wait!
On the turbo: 4 by 4 minutes at VO2max with 3 minutes rest. Keeps me off the ice!
a duathlon 3km run + 24km bike + 3 km run on december 19th.
I’d like to knock out a halfmarathon distanced run before the end of the year. Steady pace, probably somewhere on the budai hills, Hungary.
No races, just moderate training to keep up the stamina.
I’ll do the Christmas Midnight Run in Lausanne on the 13th of Dec.
The course is 7.2k around the centre of the city at 11pm in the evening.
Got an easy 9mi run planned for today
I will be training a friend new to cycling next Saturday and going for over 30 km total distance, which is double his previous max distance.
I’ll go out today for a 10k run in the New York Central Park
Love this City.
Peace
Trainer workout CTS video week 2!
Only training until the spring. Planning several runs of ~8km including intervals/ jumping up stairs to get into shape for the ski season.
local 10k race on new years eve
Swim squad. Fitzroy pool, outdoors tomorrow morning. Although it is summer here now, of couse.
Tel Aviv Marathon 03/2015
10K
The Mescherbergloop (trail run) next sunday. A 15 km trail run including a 180 steps staircase!
4hrs cycling workout in Flemish Ardennes, tomorrow
60 km loop through the Chevreuse, next Sunday.
Trying to get back into swimming after a long absence, so it would be a few hundred meters focusing on form.
Many thanks for the generosity, CT and Ray!
A bunch of chilly morning runs around my hood.
Tuesday on the track 7*2000m 3’50”/km recovery 2′ that will hurt a lot but with mates will be fun
5k race and lots of trainer time.
I am hoping to do a 100×100 over the holidays. Have to see if the coach puts it on the schedule.
Easy 10km after a 2 week holiday lazing on the beach
A 26 mile mountain bike loop through the new forest, with added distance when avoiding all the ponies.
swim at least one more time…
Sunday, 10 km run in a forest
Recovering from cold and entering new training season, so only easy runs till new year, maybe new year 5k run just for fun. Adding I and T runs early 2015.
If my foot finally heals up after months of being sore I will just go out for a very light run in the woods… that would truly be the best gift :-)
40km MTB ride!
Biked 30 miles on computrainer, and ran 2.5 outside for my brick yesterday :)
Ironman 70.3 in putrajaya.
running 10km in munich with beautiful weather