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:
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 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 bed, injured, dreaming of running in the woods…
A 5k treadmill run
Much of my weekend will be consumed with coaching a team of squirts in the Lakeland Pond Hockey tournament.
30-40 mile brisk ride before the snow and cold come in on Sunday.
We are helping our son move into his new apartment. In Michigan. Where the temperature will be a high of 15 degrees. Never mind that the wind chill will be -20. Romantic, eh?
My wonderful husband and I are running a 10 mile training run after we drop our 2 year old off at her grandparents’ house :) Couldn’t think of a better Valentine’s date
It ends up being my daughters 8th birthday party (she was born Feb 13). It will be a recovery day from running but a day full of fun.
Forecast is for snow, so I’ll be running to the gym 4 blocks away, getting in a quick swim and running right back home!
Planning on making a stop on my business road trip back home to run 6 easy mile on a new trail I found previously on the internet.
Honest? No plans! Going to the Carnaval de Quebec, with a -20 C temp maximum, to see the parade and play outside with the kids. Wife wants to use her father’s treadmill for a few clicks.
Unfortunately my wife and I will spend our Valentine’s Day in the Atlanta Airport. We are returning from Puerto Vallarta Mexico. We will take the opportunity to walk for a few hours since we have a 5 hour layover on our return home.
I’m going for a hill walk with my wife’s single female friend as my better half is working. My wife has sanctioned us going to a local cake shop’s Valentine’s afternoon tea after, which might attract a few odd looks from the locals…. but if I can snag her a free running watch I’m sure she won’t care!
For Valentine’s Day I’ll be taking on 80-100 minutes at long run pace as part of my 10K program, so probably around 10-12 miles. For those that use the Nike Running app to track mileage keep in mind you’ll get the Chocolate Heart badge for running on V-Day.
Another TrainerRoad workout.
Early 3 hour morning ride followed by a short run to get the day started
Sweetheart Classic 4mile race, to try and get a qualifying time for the Bolder Boulder in May.
3 hour bike-run brick followed by a romantic recovery dinner
A 5k training run…
Signing up for 5k (and longer) runs in the not-to-distant future, a future in which I can see the sidewalk instead of endless piles of ice and slush. Also, dreaming of spring.
A particularly beautiful run in the Wicklow hills in Ireland, doing my best to end up over Lough Ouler around sunset – this is a famous heart shaped lake in Ireland, check it out on google images – with just enough time to drink some hot chocolate before turning on the headlamps and running back to the car. I hope it’s not raining!
A quick 10km
3.5 training ride on computrainer with swift for me. I can hardly wait!
Watching my daughter so my wife can work out. If that ain’t love…
xc skate ski followed by cycle trainer session
I’ll be going on a 40 mile ride in the morning followed by a hike along the coast in the afternoon.
just a relaxed group run with the team, then floridian french toast and bacon for a recovery meal with my valentine (who is nursing pat. tendonitis and won’t be running with me this time).
valentine run at our local running room
A dinner with the Lady, she deserve it ;)
Gentle 100km spin to round out the weeks training
Hopefully a bit a run and bike. And if it’s warm enough, a swim!
A 3-4 hour morning ride through the Santa Monica mountains before coming home to my family.
A easy 5km with my fiancé in the morning
5 mile ‘warm-up’ run followed by a Valentine’s Day 15K race.
I’ve got a 16 mile run planned for Saturday. With a forecast wind chill of -15f, can’t say I’m looking forward to it.
A gentle run along the camí de la Senyora, followed by an easy scramble up to a yet unknown cave :-)
15-mile long run on tap, followed by romantic dinner. Love is in the air!
A 5-K at the Jersey Shore, post Polar Bear Plunge!
I’ve a easy 45min run on the books
1 hour swim lesson and a ride across town
Yeah, a run with my wife
12 mile run at race pace on V-Day, 40-50 mile bike ride on Sunday.
6am Treadmill session. 3 miles, just trying to keep the legs moving during the brisk Central New York winter.
Holding back the tears as I run alone.
My wife and I will both run, then split while she does yoga & I ride, and then reunite for brunch and some romantic bicycle shopping
Long morning ride on what looks to be a beautiful day!
Walk with wife, Sufferfest video bike, romantic dinner.
My Valentine’s Day training consist of keeping my wife happy, hopefully that includes both vertical and horizontal exercising.
Trail run in the morning followed by running after my daughter at the zoo in the afternoon
Bare foot beach run in the unusually warm V-Day weather
Dang , no automatic following drone yet in the inventory….
A Valentine’s weekend workout with my wife. Followed by chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
My husband and I are doing our long 10-12 mile run together tomorrow morning. We’re so romantic. But it’s a nice treat for us since we rarely can run together unless we have grandparents around to babysit the kiddos.
There’s the perfect rainy weather here so, plan to head to my local forest to have a nice mountain bike ride!
Brick workout: I’ve got a 2 hr. 40 minute ride tomorrow and a 20 minute run (due to the cold it looks like we will be on the trainer in the morning). Then I plan on cooking Valentine’s dinner for my wife and relaxing.
wife is away in Bahamas – over Skype we can do a yoga class together
No running on Valetine’s Day for me. Saturday is my day off!
Workout at the gym. Nothing special.
Going ski touring in the Canadian Rockies with my girl!
My version of “The Girl” (coming up on 35 years now) and I are going this afternoon over to Birmingham, AL to visit our oldest son, his wife, and our granddaughter. I’ve already packed running clothes for tomorrow’s traditional run. When there, we love to run the Lakeshore Dr. trail that parallels the front of Samford University. It’s a beautiful rave run that we try not to miss, a 2.5 mile paved soft asphalt stretch, measured and marked along the way. I’ll do either 10 or 12.5, and my wife probably 7.5. It will be my first chance to run it with my new Christmas Garmin 15 from, you guessed it, Clever Training! Being V-Day, I’ll have several chances, since we run at different paces, to give my valentine a peck as we meet and pass along the way, my idea of clever training. :)
4ish mile run with the dog (60lb white german shepherd) so that it’s nice and calm for my wife the rest of the day!
Just a gentle 10k and relaxing evening.
14 Feb, my first Park Run.
Should be fun.
I do have a quick cadence run scheduled, but I’m mainly happy that I raced to get reservations a couple of weeks back at my baby’s favorite restaurant.
Doing a 1.5 hour morning ride while she goes for a run.
Take the little one for a run to the beach with the wife
My wife and I will be swimming in a rooftop pool somewhere in LA. we are Midwesterners so we feel fancy.
Tomorrow I plan to wake up early and take a friend to the airport. Then take a tiny nap and do 30 miles of hills on my bike.
Plan is to hit the gym and get my wife started on her first triathlon training!
I plan to run a a quick 5k on the treadmill.
Personally I shall be doing very little – I think it’s called “recovery”. Or alternatively spending the majority of it travelling back from a fortnight skiing (water skiing?) holiday in Whistler, BC back to the UK. It will be quite a short Valentines day in a sense with the time zone changes, but the company will be excellent.
Since the new year I’ve persuaded my other half to come running with me, so we’ll be doing Couch25K in the morning! Gotta start somewhere :)
An easy 10K through the neighborhood in what will hopefully be dry weather. Thanks Ray!
Vo2max 6 minutes running test. It’s going to hurt!
I will be taking down a 10K while the lady completes a 7.5 mile run.
On a gorgeous 72 degree day I plan to ride 20 miles on my bike.
Just a relaxing walk with the dogs, nothing strenuous!
A last long run with my wife before the Disney Princess Half next weekend
First road ride of the year, unfortunately alone.
6×1000 interval training…
Spending time with my SO impedes some training on Saturday but I’m pretty sure she has agreed to do a Sufferfest video with me. It just can’t be ISLAGIATT. She saw me do that and said it looked crazy.
It’s too cold to do much outside Sunday so I’ll probably log another couple hours in TrainerRoad or Zwift. Maybe a 5k run outside if it isn’t insanely cold.
A couple days skiing in the Rocky Mountains.
25 km snowshoe hike in the Hudson Valley.
Weightlifting, a round of golf, and a nice dinner
I’ ll be in bed with flu and my love alone on long 20k run
A trail run with lots of forks so can test out tracback!
16 mile training run
Organizing my own trailrun for charity. 10K & 20K through mud, sand and over single tracks. Looking forward to it.
2/14 I’m doing 400m intervals followed by a kettlebell HIIT circuit.
18 mile trail run… love to enjoy the mountain views!
Hi Ray,
Tomorrow, my wife and I are taking part in a study on minimalist runners…
Is there a better way to spend Valentine’s Day?
And on Sunday, 13.1 as part of our preparation for our first marathon in May.
All the best
4x8km Climb Repeats in my indoor trainer. Still too cold here to go outside. Thanks!
Going on a ride with my girlfriend. She will be on her brand new Trek Lexa that I got her for Valentines Day!
I’ll be practicing the fine art of making heart shaped chocolate chip pancakes for my girls and then training them to order from the grown ups menu at a nice restaurant.
50 mile ride
a nice walk/run on the beach would be perfect!!
I’ll be drinking eight pints of beer and complaining that my wife is in a different country to me. That’s a recovery day, right?
Just my standard daily workout.
Drop the 3 kids at Daycare at the gym then boot camp and yoga with the wife!!!!
A longer run (8-9mi), training for upcoming trail runs.
2 hour trainer ride in the morning and maybe a run on the dreadmill or swim.
‘Long’ run. Recovering from adductor tear, so 60min will be enough.