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.
I went on an all-day hike on Saturday with a group of friends- we covered around 30 km during the day with some entertaining mini competitions during the breaks in between involving short distance racing on flatter areas.
Sunday was a bit more relaxed, did some intervals training in the gym, followed by a swimming session.
45 minute Zwift interval workout on Saturday, weights on Sunday morning and dancing Sunday night (wedding).
about 15 miles, plus some swimming and climbing
90 minutes of steady state on the bike trainer Saturday and a quick 30 minute run on Sunday.
Sunday: 60 min easy bike zwifting
My race got cancelled, so I took a week off and now I’m starting back to running and cycling in Z2.
I hit the gym for 4.5 miles on the old treadmill.
As a pure cyclist my log was simple, 53 mile ride on Saturday and 46 mile ride Sunday got me to over 200 miles for the week. My first 200 mile week in a couple years. It felt oh so good. Thanks for all you do!
a nice 10k out on the fresh snow on saturday, lazy sunday
Just a short 35 minutes bike ride on the trainer. It’s outside on the balcony and it was 1 degree Celsius! ?
I did a swim session on Friday (about 30 minutes with intervals), biked 10 miles on Saturday on a trainer, and lifted on Sunday.
Ran 5k with my wife Sunday morning in zero degree Michigan morning weather.
Saturday morning swim and tempo trainer ride on Sunday
Rode 10 miles on a set of rollers in the basement waiting for the winter storm to roll through (and while my HRM dropped out on my hard efforts).
Saturday = sleeping in
Sunday = 90 min TrainerRoad workout
Sunday night = sitting on yet another overnight flight to Europe…
I’m in the middle of TrainerRoad’s Sweet Spot Base training plan – putting hours in the pain cave (garage) and dreaming of warming days ahead…
Skiing Aspen Highlands in Colorado.
Tour of Sufferlandia stages 8 and 9 on Saturday and Sunday.
On the mend from a calf tear, so an easy 5km jog + lots of stretches!
I got in a nice easy run Saturday morning and a long run on Sunday.
3 mi easy run on Tue; 1000 yard swim on Wed, Core and Strength on Thu; 16 mi bike on Fri; 50 mile bike on Sun.
Does chasing a 5 year old around with Nerf dart guns count?
Had a 90 min trail run for Saturday and then a 2hr bike ride on Sunday. Both of which I managed to do before brunch!
Build up some mileages for fast 10k this Saturday!!!
35 km long run. And a marathon (of Super Mario Galaxy) on Sunday.
I made two rides on my trainer/Zwift, each about 90 min long, along with some light strength training (body-weight exercises).
Saturday morning was a hilly Parkrun used as tempo run, with an easy lap (2km), parkrun at a steady pace, followed by an easy few kms as a cool down – approx 10km in total.
Sunday morning was supposed to be a longer cycle, but hailstones put a stop to that. Ended up going out for an hours cycle in the afternoon.
The weather in Dublin’s a bit miserable for training at the moment.
Last weekend was wrapping up the 2016 running of the Tour of Sufferlandria.
Hi
Last weekend I had a 8km cross country race on the Saturday and a 90 minute turbo on the Sunday.
Good times
First week of Ironman Lake Placid training, 2.5 hrs on the trainer, 65 min run outside in New York, temps in the teens to 20s (still running in shorts)!
Alpine and cross-country skiing
I spent some quality time in the pool on Saturday.
Physical therapy workouts and a SufferFest session.
Doing what you will be doing very soon: incorporating added weight into my jogging via 7 month old and jogging stroller.
Pretty bad weather over here so just a quick run, otherwise just plenty of rest :)
Lots of trainer time using Zwift and the Power2Max power meter I bought based on your rec. Over 450TSS points in threshold and tempo over the week
76 Km Bike ride up hill with 1500 m altitud gain
10K easy run
Sat. Morning – workout on the elliptical – Thank you Netflix and IFIT for beating the boredom :)
Sat. Afternoon – BBQ (A perk for living in KC)
Sat. Evening – Slow 5k run
Sunday Morning – elliptical and treadmill followed by the weekly grocery store trip.
Delightfully chilly run pacing a friend as warm up for a half marathon!
Multiple trainer sessions totaling 75 miles to conquer the extreme cold and wind of the NE weather.
Swam a bunch of events at the Auburn Masters Swim Meet including a new 100Fr PB!
Couple easy zwift rides + a run on saturday
Endured a brutal 5K in subzero temps only to emerge victorious over Old Man Winter with a PR! The lungs were burning and face was numb, but the final taste was sweet.
after 0.5 KG of chocolate I HAD to take a 10K run!
Easy 5 miler Saturday and then a cut short sprint session Sunday morning because of ice.
45 km wintercycling
refreshing cross country running through floods, which turned nasty late in the week when the deep puddles iced!
some hill repeats before the group ride on Saturday, so a total of about 4 hours and the 2.5 hour hammer fest that is our Sunday ride.
The plan was a couple of easy and long runs in my hometown… but I ended up eating and drinking too much with friends that I haven’t seen since years….
60min indoor bike trainer session on Saturday morning as cold and wet outside, followed by a 5k run as rain had stopped by time I finished on the bike
25 mile MTB session over the South Downs on Sunday morning trying to avoid the worst slippery muddy sections
On saturday I did a 20 min warm up and was supposed to run 14Miles in my marathon pace, but i hit the wall after 8 miles and got a flu that kept on bad on sunday.
SBR….
60 Miles and 5,600 feet of climbing over the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Corralitos Sausage factory and back.
2 laps of 2.9mi (6mi) around Memorial Park in Houston pushing my 6month old in a running stroller the first time on Sat. 3 mile Valentines day walk in a new part of the neighborhood with my wife and baby.
20 miles in a Wisconsin snowstorm. Then rest.
I did running, swimming and spinning
I spent some time riding my new Tacx Vortex Smart that I got from Clever Training on recommendation of none other than Mr. Ray Maker.
I hit up the rowing machine for some interval work both days.
Did a ride to the city of Bruges and had to repair my flat tire when it was freezing.
Dursely Dozen. 12 mile trail race. It was muddy and cold but good fun!
I changed it up – working different muscles – and went snowboarding.
Another 13.1 mile training run on the dreadmill due to the lovely arctic blast we had. Unfortunately the gym dude with the remote left on an extended coffee and I was stuck watching infomercials. Dreadmill^2! ugh :(
A 50km loop including an hour of SST on Saturday, followed by 80kms of windy base riding with a taste of rain on Sunday.
Long bike ride but unfortunately it was raining.
On the bike I did 3*25 min at half IM effort followed by a quick 2mile transition run. And Sunday was a steady long ish run of 2h…
-10 degrees equals boring trainer tempo ride
Last saturday 109,67 KM Time Track Cycle ride with a small crash :(
But landscape is amazing here in Italy :)
A 12 mile run Saturday, 21 mile bike on Sunday
Weekend means a wonderfull 90 mins fartlek (interval) training in one of the most beautiful training locations in The Netherlands, Brunssummerheide.
Between bad weather and small children I had to take my riding indoors, which I generally try to avoid. I logged about four hours on Zwift over three consecutive days. I think three days in a row on the trainer is a PR for me.
10 mile run that turned into 11, and first ever SolidCore class
I had two rest days! :)
Hope I don’t get the spam bucket for punishment…
I did have two stretching exercises, though:
link to youtu.be
link to youtu.be
160km, tempo
Monday was fantastic!! One super sunny day in the middle of rainy weeks. I got out on the mtb and discovered some new trails near my house.
Interval running session with combination of strenght trainging.
12km run. Steady, calm pace. Perfect weather – not too cold, not too windy. Day started with a few pancakes and pasta for dinner, so I had plenty of carbs to fuel my legs. Yep – it was a good training.
I rode around Santa Barbara and got a jog in.
Rode my bike 6 miles, then a 5 mile run and 6 mile ride back home.
I did a 20 mile run and 30 mile bike ride. Followed by my favorite Deschutes Brewery beer.
In order to finish my training for a 52km trail next sunday, I just went for an early saturday morning 17k trail session. It was all muddy and rainy
Last week I hit my first 30 mile in week of marathon training. Unfortunately Strava screwed me out of .2 miles on my 15 mile long run so the world will never see that I actually hit 30. Also, just discovered the rowing machine at the gym, I’m hooked.
Last weekend was a recovery weekend from a week of 4 hour High School swim practices. I chose to go climbing up at Mt. Diablo and near the Russian river. I sent some cool leads and had fun.
On Friday (not technically weekend but it’s all part of the weekend vibe)
(4x) 150-meter Strides
3 mile Tempo
(4x) 150-meter Strides
and on Saturday 10 easy km (or 6 easy miles)
I camped out and hiked with friends, and managed to win a beer mile race!
Last week I did week #4 of TrainerRoad’s sweet spot base II high volume plan. So there was some sweetspot, some threshold, a little VO2max and some endurance. A real good variety and a healthy dose of TSS.
An easy run on Saturday, and a nice 20k trail run in the mountains on Sunday! Amazing weather for this time of year in the Canadian rockies!
Saturday was a gym workout, and recovery day. Ran 1.25 miles to the gym, did a heavy leg workout including squats, pistol squats, lunges and side lunges with weights (2 x 25 pounds). Also, did body weight upper body exercises, including pushups, bar dips.
Sunday was a planned ten miler with 1 mile warm up, 8 miles in zone 2, and 1 mile cool down. My blood sugar crashed (type 1 diabetes), so I cut the workout short at 8.5 miles.
Both days I supplemented with stretching and foam rolling.
Last weekend was just a bunch of core and isometric strength workouts while I rehab my lower back. Blah! Can’t wait to get on the trails again and this new Garmin Fenix will do just the trick! Thanks Clever Training!!!
A run on Saturday of 5 miles and a Sunday ride of 36 miles!
Unfortunately I have some problems with training on the last week end, but I replaced the usual run with a great climbing indoor section
Covered all of my training during the week so that I could devote the full weekend to some honest yard work.
Thinking about naming the yard “Crossfit Backyard” to see if I could recruit some help next time.
What I planned: 10ish mile round trip ride to the gym on Saturday and a 5ish mile trail run on Sunday. What I did: Nothing!
The rain held off long enough for a brief 40km bike ride for two. I even stopped to fix her puncture ’cause I’m dead romantic like that…
Saturday 21 km cross-country skiing on one of the sunniest days of this winter. Sunday 10 km trail running in snow — that was heavy.
30 miles ride on Zwift. Walked the dog for 3 miles in the am and 2 miles in the evening.
Saturday a good friend and I did a nice 3 hour ride through the woods on my CX bike. Sunday was a day with the family.
Did a 90 minute indoor ride on the Wahoo Kickr. First hour was on Zwift and last 30 minutes just using the Wahoo app.
Long-ish ride 40 miles, and then laps…lots of damn laps of the pool.
An all morning hike with some pace for family time. Then substituted out strength training for climbing ladders and shoveling rock for landscaping. A good overall workout and some new muscle weaknesses were discovered.
One slow run to recover, une “dedicated” fast workout for doing repeats on 1km-2km-3km-1km and on week end a small 19km trail on my beloved mountain (saturday) and a 18km rainy sunday morning run to follow a friend of mine wha want to try long distance run…