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.
Cupid 5K couples race.
I have a 90 minute TrainerRoad workout, and my Wife is running with the walk to run program she started!
Trudging through IKEA before taking a ride up Admiral in West Seattle to get some pics of the city skyline at night. Hoping for this fog to clear.
I will be leading the DC Tri winter distance running training group on a frigid Saturday run on the Capital Crescent Trail :)
don’t know if S_x is related to training but i’m also going for a swim session!
5-8 miles treadmill run sometime in the morning to avoid cold temps and high winds!
2 hour Computrainer session riding a half iron course of my choice!
Pinched nerve; recuperating at home.
first, the 50 shades of a 5 mile run around bull run. then the movie later
8 miles in Dallas
going to do a 50 mile bike ride, part of one of the stages of the Tour of California, Casitas Pass.
Valentine’s Day will be a rest day in prep for a 50k on Sunday. Rest is training too!
no training tomorrow, got some home moving to do
Easy 2-mile ascent on a backpacking trip.
Runrunrunrunrunrunrunrunruneatrunrunrunruneatrunrunrunsleep
Canyon running in the mountains baby!
4 miles on the treadmill. Simple…
Will be doing Roan High on Trainerroad with KICKR. It’s -31C outside!
50km easy recovery ride
Zwift metric Century
Mike
A cross-train day hike with the family.
An easy jog by Guaiba Lake (in Porto Alegre/Brasil) and a fancy dinner.
An oldie, but goldie ;) p90x training – Kenpo X workout
Nike Valentine’s Day run through Budapest, followed by a 30k to Szentendre the day after.
Valentine’s Day is on Saturday and then the training will be swimming combined with a club test/race over 750m.
Sunday the training will be a long run
A hike in the mountains with my beautiful wife and our dogs
Ride 50+ miles on the road, then do some mountain biking for a couple hours.
This valentine’s day I’m focusing on complete “Valentine Performance.” Some warm-up jumping jacks and jump squats, a little thigh master action, some valentine barbell hip thrusters, glute bridges, add a little spice with some hot yoga meltdown and omit the cool down.
Trainer Road heart rate training on an airdyne
GF and I are going to a computrainer class and then getting breakfast.
Carving out time away from the kids for a 4 mile run together, like the old, pre-kid days.
Yoga and long run
Once in a year I do curling. And this is tomorrow.
And drinking beer afterwards.
Cheerio
I will first go for a short bike ride. En then afterwards a nice Italian meal with my wife.
90 min spin then 10 miles on the treadmill. Sub-zero temps and -20 to -30 windchills mean it’s time to stay indoors here in WI.
A friendly local 5k race together followed by an easy 5mi run together where the winner gets to brag how awesome they are
Hiking in Yosemite with my family
60 mile ride (try stay above 80% of FTP for three quarters of the ride).
Cheers.
12 mile run – bundled up!!
A 3-5 mile run around my neighborhood!
A 20km trek +1300m positive slope around the Prades mountains in northern Spain
10k run – maybe
What says “Happy Valentine’s Day” better than a brick!? Looks like I better buy some flowers! 4-hour ride followed by 1-hour run!
Just out the door for a MTB ride
Run 20K.
I am planning for the first time in over a month. Should feel great.
2 mile walk with the wife around the neighborhood.
10 x 1000 meters @4:20/4:00
Yarr ! that will be a nice 10k trot in the hills
Heading out for some XC skiing on Valentine’s Day to stick it to Old Man Winter.
Weight training then a two hour run in the “arctic temperatures we’re having here in Canada!
40 miles around Zwift island on my best bike!
Celebrate “carnaval”. On sunday 1,5 hour swimtraining
I’m going to get a 15 miler in!
We will run 10 miles on Valentine’s Day .
15k xc-ski for my wife and I!
5k Park run round Braunstone Park, Leicester.
a 3 mile run with my lovely wife
It’s most definitely not fun to have a sore throat, right? I will try to heal it on Valentine’s day…
Pancakes for breakfast followed by a long ride on the trainer. Slated to be a cold one here in NYC!
30 km mountain bike ride, then hitting the nearest bar to replenish energies
I am doing two hours in Zone 2 (~140 HR) with 4 x 500m seated rolling accelerations in the 53×11 (a.k.a big-gear strength work)
It’s going to be a 4-day weekend with a decent ride each day. Valentine’s Day in particular will be a 50-miler with lots of climbing in preparation for a century next month.
We hired a babysitter so the two of us can go on a run together for once.
Running Room Valentine’s 10k
High cadence cycle (indoor!) prior to my -20C Half Marathon race on Monday (Family Day in Ontario).
Just running around with Nieces and nephews tomorrow.
5K Cookie Run- Race#506-for me! Would give the gifts to my 50 year old running daughter and to my 15 yr old running grandson.
A single ab crunch to get out of bed in the morning, a brisk walk to the fridge for breakfast, maybe a downward dog back onto the bed. Plenty of reverse plank, followed by another ab crunch to get out of bed later in the day.
2nd brisk walk of the day into the training facility where I will we will be moving onto sets of bicep curls. Large weights of 1 pints for myself and smaller 150ml weights for the other half.
From there who knows!
MTB riding on Bogota, Colombia. Something around 45K.
Thanks
Spin class.
We are planning a trip to the Vancouver Island where will rent bikes and tour around the island.
Weather looks to be nice here in CA so its definitely a long bike ride for me.
We have MTB race on Monday, so tomorrow it’s time to domesticate the ice on the track
3 mile run in the morning.
A quick neighborhood 30 mile ride in the hills.
Running around the house chasing an 18-month old toddler while psyching up for my (post-Valentine, in this case) weekly Sunday run outdoors when it’s the husband’s turn to do the toddler-chasing! Best and only alone time of the week for me.
Snowboarding together with my wife – Plenty of snow in Quebec now :-)
A 5 mile run to match the 5 miles my wife walks at work. At least she has heat. Projected temp here tomorrow is oº.
22km long run on the streets of frozen New York (negative temperatures and a crazy cold wind chill!)
well, I was planning on a 22mi trail run tomorrow, but it looks like I’ve got family responsibilities, so it’ll be a shorter, 10miler on Saturday, and move the long run to Sunday
Hit the gym, hit the shower, then hit the sack w my lovely valentine.
1700yd swim and a 10-12 mile run.
We will go for a run today and pizza tomorrow.
A joint Canicross run with my wife and the husky; she needs the tow from the husky though….. Don’t tell her I said that; otherwise it won’t be much of a valentine day!
working the ponies!!!
Hoping to get a couple of runs … maybe a 5K and a 10K. I also need to get a training wheel on my bike so I can use it indoors. Ugh! Never been a fan of the indoor trainer though.
Doing an FTP test to see how much progress I’ve made through this latest TrainerRoad session.
My Valentines training is going to be a split level affair: Myself in the basement, following a TrainerRoad plan on my bike. My wife upstairs, doing her PiYo videos. Too damn cold to go outside here!
Re-education for my knee…
It’ll be a long day. Up at 5.45am to take my daughter to a swim meet. Hope to fit in a session on the turbo trainer or rowing machine with my wife in the evening before dinner.
Working out on the bike trainer to get in shape for tri season!
Cross county skiing
2 hours of indoor cycling, followed by a weight workout, a nap, and a romantic dinner to replace all the calories burned.
Getting a great workout by shoveling a lot of snow together followed by hot chocolate.
Bike / run brick, descending 75s, and a long easy ride or two.
Going out for a short test run after an arch strain. Hoping I can get back into BQ marathon training! Then taking my girlfriend to the hockey game!
Easy distance run early, then off to Bob Evans for some V-Day pancakes!!
Rehabilitare my injured shoulder
XC-skiing!