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!
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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.
Going for a 100km bike ride with my wife :)
Hour on the KICKR followed by a 3 mile run
The wife and I will be doing some interval work on the trainer. Nothing says “I love you” like a 6 min 95%FTP interval.
Living in Park City and since there isn’t any snow, I’m leaving the ski’s on the wall and taking the mountain bike out for an unheard of mid-winter ride. Can’t wait!
All sorted tomorrow. Dual Valentines session in my wife’s gym. She has a pass for me (I workout outside – not paying gym fees!) Kids in gym crèche – et voila – a very rare opportunity to workout together
I’m sidelined this weekend post- surgery, but I am planning on a family hike instead!
I’m going to do a long skate. Looking forward to it!
Me and my partner – run together, stay together
Early morning 5k run with my wife followed by me making her breakfast and then she’s off to work.
3 hour bike rides
My husband, our 17 year old daughter, and I plan to take advantage of our abundant snowfall and do some cross country skiing cross training then go someplace warm for dinner.
Completing my first week of CrossFit!
Its Valentines today and I plan getting some steps in and taking a boat ride. Its a stunning day in Auckland city and I am taking my Dad for an outing. He is recovering from a broken back and doing very well for an 86yr old.
Training plans? Absolutely nothing, nada, zip…. Saving my legs for a trailrace on Sunday in the Ardennes :)
This year my Valentine’s training plans mostly consist of recovery and rehab from my shoulder surgery that I had on Wednesday. I think I’ll be able to get back onto my spin bike later today, or tomorrow at the latest, and will continue to stretch and strengthen my shoulder so that the range of motion continues to progress in the right direction. Looking forward to a quick recovery so I can get back out on my bike outdoors in as few weeks as possible.
11 mile run with the Springfield Half-wits. Ooorr if I sleep in, I’ll give the Zwift century a go. Metric century… I’m not THAT crazy!
A 15-20k run at a moderate tempo, and hopefully also some mushing training on the Kickbike with my dog.
Nothing on Valentine’s day, but a 9 mile run on Sunday, and perhaps a ride out on my bike.
25k running to prepare for Paris marathon….
Most of my workout today, and resting on valentine’s day.
Worst workout today, my 4 years old son’ birthday party
Club cafe ride approx 60km with Lichfield Cycling Club
I’ll be on the trainer while husband who just had knee surgery is strapped into his passive motion machine.
A nice partner paddle off the coast of Vancouver Island
Very early chain-gang ride with some mates.
Followed by a study-MARATHON!
Take care.
I would love to do some proper interval training 8×400 if only it would stop raining here in the UK! Follow that on with a nice slow 16k run the next day.
Kathy and I have two events planned – a ride together to the lake and swimming at our local YMCA
Too cold here in Maryland for me to run outside. Looks like a 5 mile run on the treadmill for me.
A one-hour run with 3×5-minute intervals above LT, followed by a Mardi Gras parade.
A good long endurance bike ride maybe peppered with some punchy hill climbs.
Trail running!!!!
A short Run in the morning followed by a stop at my LBS to fix my bike. And in the evening a long 5k swim.
9 mile run on Saturday
I’ll be moving bricks, cement, sand, etc.
Renovating a house makes rest days a rather hollow concept…
10km run on the frozen Baltic Sea, around the islands in the south of Finland. With ice fishermen on my route, I know the ice is safe to run on.
volunteering at a local race! Ready to cheer on the runners!!!
It is cold in D.C, but i will try 30miles to celebrate Valentine’s day
Long distance day!!! Hoping for 8 miles or so. Trying to get ready for a half.
50 mile climbing ride through the foothills in Santa Barbara
I am of to a 14.2 km run :-)
Cross Training/Bike ride
1 hour uphill run
Wanted to run a 5k, but it’s too cold in MN on Sat, so will likely just put a couple of hours in on the bike trainer.
Morning on the trainer followed by a 3 mile with the wife and our twin boys in the jogging stroller.
Finally getting back out on the street shaking the lazy legs for a couple of kilometers in the sun.
i will be running in 10 degree weather
I have no special plans for that day. But I do hope to get in a long ride and stay warm/dry during the entire time.
Looks like, due to the weather, I will be doing my weekly long run on the treadmill. Ugh. But I get to spend the evening with my wife, so that will make up for it.
5k run with my girlfriend.
Valentines day ride – first ride on my brand new 2015 Cervelo P3 Ultegra w/ Enve 3.4. Shooting for 80 miles but might not ever get off!!!!!
Handball game.
Riding the lovey hills known as the Three Bears in the Bay Area!
Snowshoeing in the blizzard to come this weekend
First got a hill climb TT with Cardiff triathlon club, followed by 50 mile ride and then back to watch Wales vs Scotland in the six nations with a few beers
Drive to Mardi Gras parade route to drop off car/save spot, bike home (10 miles), 5k run, takes family to parade…
A 2-hour ride on the turbo trainer. :-)
Planning a long 10 mile run as we prep for my wife’s first half marathon. Il be following up with 20-30 mile bike ride!
I would love to run on Valentine’s day, but sadly my flight back to Europe takes off at 07 AM and I will arrive 09:20 AM the following day… Hopefully, there is no running in between the two connection flights involved!
Since it was -7degrees this morning, a nice 5k on the treadmill tomorrow will be in my plans.
20 min. jog is on the menu. I’m on a walk/run rehab schedule after having knee surgery late last fall.
For valentine day I will run 14k dress in red at the gym.
30 mile mountain bike ride in New Mexico!
Training for my first HM in June with my husband – 16 km training run :)
Alone Training :( 2000mts swim and about 2 hour bike ride
Ciao Ray,
easy 10 km run in the evening
My husband and I are running the By George (president’s day) 5k together tomorrow and by running together I meant we are running the same course.
A seven mile run and some yoga with my 3yo.
I will be doing back to back spinning classes and the wife will do some treadmill work and a ride on stationary bike.
I have a 100 mile bike ride planned for Valentines day, and a 20 mile run planned for the day after. I have a heavy load as I get ready for the 2015 Boston Marathon, followed by a 203 mile gravel road bike race less than 6 weeks later.
I and My wife are actually delaying valentines day by a week, so we can do it in Mexico. We will be running on the beach and swimming in the ocean. Beats to heck out of cold frozen tundra temps!
Saturday an early morning swim training and a long run in the afternoon..
Supporting my wife’s biggest loser goal, as well as her plans to run the Buffalo Marathon this May; she’s scheduled for 14 miles, and it’s to be -4*F here – I’ll be taking care of the two little ones! Thanks!!!
Well, it was supposed to be snowboarding/skiing but since Washington State isn’t getting any snow and ski resorts are closing down :( maybe it’s time get on the bicycles…
Taking my son out in the pram to the local parkrun
Saturday is a rest day before my first ever 20-miler on Sunday!! Tonight my husband and I will be celebrating Valentine’s kid-free and we’ll be, umm…cross-training! ;) …another good reason to rest tomorrow! We will however be partaking in a Valentine’s day wine tasting which if I had that TomTom I could monitor my heart rate and definitively tell you whether wine consumption is equivalent to an hour workout :D
Hopefully get in a 40K ride before winter returns.
Followed by dinner with my wife.
Trudging around London and going to a show should be plenty of training!
Going for a nice winter MTB ride.
I will start at 8am by doing 1.5 hours touring Zwift island on my bike. Then I will head to the pool and swim about 2500m. I will follow that with sleep and then hopefully have enough energy to take my gf to dinner. :)
Mini-taper day to run the Barcelona Marathon on Sunday and beat my PB! :)
Continuing training for my first 5k!
We live in Poland. My dear Claudia goes on fitness. I’ll go 120km road bike. Then we will meet in the sauna …
Swim and a Computrainer Ride on Mallorca or another warm place. It’s in the single digits in the North East, too cold to train outside.
Wife is going out to test the ankle after a fall last month. We then tag and I get to go on the bike.
Tomorrow is a day off of training for me after a great week on the bike. Instead, I will be riding easy with my two youngest on our rails to trails system! Gotta keep the kids on two wheels!
Got myself a run of the flu, so they days around valentine’s is going to be the first days in 2015 without any running. Thankfully I’m with my two small kids and lovely girlfriend :-)
Early morning beach run in Tofino with my loves and possibly a trainer workout in the evening.
40 minutes cardio with wife then 40 minutes crossfit
45miles on the fixed gear at 5:30am
Racing a half marathon the day after Valantine’s!
Brisk walk, yes WALK, as my sports therapist has banned me from running for a while. I can make that romantic though right ?!
Easy 30 mins, to be fresh for my first attempt at steeplechase this weekend.
In the morning a smooth exit to get the lactic acid. And in the evening I recover from the flu un The bed.
Hitting the ski slopes with my kids for a little cross-training!
I just want to run pain-free again… nothing special, elaborate or long-winded, just want to be able to get out tomorrow morning and enjoy the seasonably warm weather here in north Texas and log a few miles. Doesn’t even have to be at least 5 miles — although if I feel as well as I would like to — I’d blow through that! We’d love to have some new tracking devices to support our exercise activities!.
uphill ski sprints at Sierra-At-Tahoe ski resort
TrainderRoad workout – 2 hours of 4×15-minute over-under intervals with 2-minute valleys at 80% FTP and 3-minute peaks that ascend to 95-100% FTP; endurance intervals between over-unders are 10-minutes long.
Tomorrow on Valentine’s day (called Friendship Day here in Finland) is my son’s christening and hence a resting day. Om Sunday it’s back to the ski tracks for some 20 km of cross country skiing.
Mine is the opposite of romantic. 90 min long run around Accra while travelling for work. Half a world away from my valentine! That said, Accra is nice….
Just a short 3000+ yard swim and a hilly run.