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.
Last weekend was freezing outside so I kept my training to a long indoor treadmill run and some intervals on the indoor bike trainer.
Saturday was a rest day. Sunday I did an interval set on a spin bike (Flying 40s) followed by a 4 mile run on the treadmill.
I rode about 20 miles on the trainer Saturday night, then an open ice hockey session sunday morning
Rainy weekend left me with just indoor trainer options, nothing too exciting, hoping for some good weather soon up here in the PacNorthWest!
Unfortunately, I did nothing as I was laid up from a cold making the rounds at work. As a bonus, I did get lots of sleep, and am now close to 100%. Well enough to commute. Had planned on taking my youngest out for a nice ride on his new bike.
Nice Ray ;) Some cycling around Paris, Moutain and road bike. No swimming / running … tendinitis …
Sadly recovering from the office cold – though had wanted to get a long ride in now I’m in Sunny Texas.
2000m swim on Saturday morning. Then cycling Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon with the family.
Park Run Saturday morning followed by a steady 10 miles then 22 miles Sunday morning with the last 7 @ marathon pace then an easy 10 miles with the dog in the afternoon…..yes I’m marathon training for London in April!
Saturday: 75 minutes on trainer + 15 minutes on the treadmill.
Sunday: 8 mile run, outdoors this time.
Thank you!
Swim and yoga on Saturday
8k Run on Sunday
Too cold and icy outside in Illinois last weekend so it was all indoors. 2 hour easy trainer ride on Saturday, then split Sunday’s interval workout into 2 parts to avoid brain melt. Turned out to be 1hr at noontime and 1.5hrs in the evening.
20km run on Saturday morning. 60min turbo on Sunday evening. Installing a kitchen at the in-laws in between!
I have broken knee, so only easy swimming in a pool.
A slow 10k that doubled my distance for 2016 so far.
6 hrs over the long weekend, mostly endurance because I’ve lost a bit of fitness over a sporadic month off and on riding
I am getting ready for a duathlon so I mixed cross country mountain bike and trail running with a couple of weight lifting sessions in the gym.
Run against the wind
Saturday: Running 5K tempo
Sunday: Strength training basement gym
Just run 45mins eASY
A bike interval session on Saturday – 1 hour of endurance and 4 6 minute sweet spot intervals. A Tennis Lesson on Sunday with 150 overhead volleys.
I was able to get in a 30 mile ride on a pretty hilly route on Saturday, then on Sunday I did 50 minutes on my spin bike with 30 minutes of intervals as part of that workout.
Nothing , just recovery.
Last weekend workouts were all indoors due to the New England frozen tundra!
Coming back from bronchitis.
Trainerroad workouts:
Saturday: Volunteer and Sufferfest The Way Out on Kickr using Trainerroad
Sunday: Geiger followed by easy Pettit
Sweet Spot workouts
Link: link to trainerroad.com
Hope I win!!! Great reviews! You have become a legend!
Gary
My daily commute + a ride through a nearby park
Fell off the wagon and trying to get back on, just did some strength training and mobility work.
Monday off
Tuesday Bike/Run
Wedneday Swim/Bike
Thursday Swim/Run
Friday Swim
Saturday Bike
Sunday Run/Bike
I did 3 workouts on my Kickr and 3 runs. I’ve been a cyclist, but now I’m working my way up to my first half marathon! I have some family members who are trying to get me into triathlons. :)
Sick at the moment :(
Some short race intensity intervals and then participated in the UCLA Road Race in California.
A fitness boxing class and an easy/tempo run on Saturday. A friend’s birthday party on Saturday evening led to “postponing” Sunday’s long run…
Bad weather here in Pennsylvania last weekend…Hit the gym 3 miles on treadmill..then s spin class.
Andy F.
Not a thing. Finished the Tour of Sufferlandria early on Friday and then went skiing for the weekend.
90 minute trail run on my favourite trail and some pond hockey for cross training.
Did a 2 hours on my bike trainer
Double long rides, one of which was a mind numbing 3.5hrs on the trainer.
Finally getting back on the bike after being sick for far too long.
2½ hours indoor cycling with my triathlon club on Saturday and 1½ hours long run on Sunday just me alone. Not bad I suppose!
Did a 23km long slow run getting ready for the Vancouver Marathon in May. First marathon for me!
Let’s see…last weekend was a 9 mile progression run on Saturday with an easy spin on Sunday. In actuality I ended up doing that run on a treadmill and bailing on my spin to go bowling.
I did a spinning class, a bodypump class and went for a run.
Shoveling Snow made up most of my training this past weekend.
I ran the Run Oak Island Half Marathon and just prayed to survive since my training took a dive from an upper respiratory virus for over two months! Thankfully I made it, but it was almost my slowest half. After doing that I cannot wait to get back on the bandwagon and get faster! Jogging intervals and walking on Sunday to do some recovery.
3 easy runs, and 2 longs runs
Work being done on my house so i had to evacuate to in laws house. Plus it was snowing. So all i did was shovel snow :( Not much of a training log.
Saturday bike intervals, Sunday 15 k run
No workouts, but a bit of bike maintenance.
Friday – easy 3mile rum
Saturday – long run 8 miles
Sunday – Resy
Monday – 1 mile intervals at goal 5k pace repeat 4 times
A nice 10 miler with a big ass hill, some leggy strength work and then…a sick day with no training what so ever (boo!!!).
Saturday: 50 mile ride in mid-20F and 20mph winds
Sunday: 30 mile ride in high teens F and 10mph winds
I did a short 13k run while it was snowing and icy cold,
finished the work-out indoor at the water-rower.
Did some 800m interval running on saturday, and absolutely nothing on sunday.
Two zwift rides and a hill run!
crossfit, cross country skiing and a bit of swimming
I did a couple of 4.5-mile runs, including one in a snowstorm.
Due to terrible weather, I did a 1 hour recovery ride on Saturday and some VO2max intervals on Sunday (2 hours), both on my trainer.
just some regenerative running about 15kms after XC skiing in Alps
Swimming on my pool, recuperating from a knee injury…
Last weekend was the end of the Sufferfest 2016 Tour of Sufferlandria (raising funds for the Davis Phinney Foundations n), so it involved LOTS of high intensity quality time on the trainer, enjoying Sufferfest workouts.
Managed to sneak in a 3000yd swim and a 90-minute trainerroad session (Warlow!) between hours of reading academic journal articles.
Run on Sat and a Brick on Sunday.
Sat morning – 30 minutes treadmill, Deadlifts
Sat evening – 30 minutes treadmill, Rows
Sun – lazy
I went for a very muddy run along the coast in Devon, UK
On Saturday, I did a 90 min easy run
16 mile run. 2E, 12M, 2E. Ugh.
Saturday: Zwift, The McCarthy Special (well, 2/3 of it)
Sunday: Zwift, Sweet Spot Training (short)
and both sessions finished off with some sprint segment chasing (and one green jersey!)
Yesterday 40min run in HR zone 3, tomorrow 4 times 800m in zone 3 with 3min rest in between.
……………………………….
(nothing)
3 mile run around the neighborhood.
did the lactate threshold test from the Fenix 3. but hey, your HR zones then do not update automatically, then a bit disappointed!
Getting some sleep, the new member of my family has cut short the trainning and sleepping hours.
Couple of short mountain bike rides.
6 mile tempo run, 13.1 mile trail run, and lots of sleep
I ran hill repeats during an 8 mile trail run.
Saturday: 140 km
Sunday: 100 km
weight-room & bike on Sat, 4hrs Zwift on Sun
I had a productive weekend of running!
Saturday Morning Long run – 18.5 miles
Saturday Evening Recovery – 7.5 miles
Sunday Morning Easy – 8.5 miles
Sunday Evening Easy – 8 miles
actually, nothing…. being a father has the gift of getting you sick a tiny wee bit more often. You’ll know what I mean in a couple of months when you’re kid gets to kindergarden… :)
It was a little chilly here in the Chicago area so I did a 1:15 trainer session Saturday then a 1,500 yard swim Sun morning followed immediately by a 6.5 mile run on the indoor track at the gym. I kept from getting dizzy going in circles by watching the 2nd graders play basketball below. Some of those coaches forget hey are coaching 2nd graders…
Ran 30 miles on trainning week #7 of my 1st full marathon. Cheers
I did ski mountaineering, Saturday more than 2100m D+ in the beautiful Switzerland Alps and same on Sunday but only 1900m D+ :-)
3 hours on the trainer on Saturday with a long warmup to Sufferfest ISLAGIATT, 1 hour E2 trainer spin on Sunday. Hope to ride outside soon.
10k run and 2000 meter swim session.
Yew!!! I raced on Saturday, placing 5th. Then did a kitchen sink hard group ride on Sunday.
I did about 1 hour of weights, about a mile run and 1 hour of crossfit.
15km run and 2.5hrs of cross country skiing
Training for a half marathon in May so I had my first 60 minute non-stop run!
Few family problems at the moment so not much training going on at the weekends. To make matters worse my gym closed down so only running on the street. To cold and poor conditions to commute to work on the cycle. Safer on the motorbike. Problem with the MC is no place to store all my gear if I swim so no swimming either at the moment.
May just get fat and old!
Training for my first 10k. Would really like to get a Garmin running watch to track my training. Maybe a forerunner 630 lies in my future.
Cheers
Saturday: Marathon in Hamburg….o.k. to be clear “a shopping Marathon”;-)
Sunday: Easy 5k run
Traill running sunday morning, twisted left foot so now i’m resting!
Bespoke Cycles ride – 4 1/2 hours – on Saturday
1 1/2 hour recovery ride + watched my wife run a 5K (PR) on Sunday
2 days on the bike with one being a hard 1 hr ride and the other being an easy z2 recovery. 3 days lifting weights, a heavy week. 3 outdoor runs totaling 20 miles or so and lastly a punching bag routine in the middle to mix things up.
final race of the Surrey Cross-Country running league!
Finally got to do some rowing on the ERG and was able to upload the power files to Strava!
Zwift – Watopia – 10-12wk FTP Builder Week 6 Day 1 31.5 miles
Saturday 2:30 hour bike ride
Sunday 1:15 Run with drills and strides at the end
lifting weights and a 10-mile run. (i ended up not doing the run)
I wanted to get in some extra miles before I began tapering for a race, so I did 10 miles, 8 miles, and then another 10. None of them were at too hard of an effort
Unfortunately, ice and snow meant mostly mentally preparing for the upcoming spring season on the bike!