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.
Biked to the gym for a weight session on Saturday, then a short 9K run on Sunday.
I spent the weekend carrying my newborn babygirl around the house. They sometimes need that Ray, good luck?
Long 8 mile run!
Saturday took a day to take care of wife, then on Balentines Day, took her to the pool and swam laps. 1300 yards. Then hit hot tub for a little while and then had a healthy brunch and walked the dog before a snow storm came in.
Trip to Japanese Restaurant on Friday followed by Run Saturday and MTB Sunday
Saturday morning: 6hr30min end bike with 4 x 20 min tempo intervals
Saturday afternoon: 30min easy run
Sunday morning: 1hr30 tol run and 30min sea swim
Sunday afternoon: 45 min easy run with 5 x 20s lt’s
25km long run up to a Hungarian castle and back.
Weekend off of training, sandwiched on either end by yoga. I’ll take it!
Sat- 2 hour skate ski
Sun- 2 hour snowshoe
Mon (provincial holiday)- 3 hour skate ski & 45 indoor trainer ride
Just received my (4 months late) Canyon MTB, so I test rode it on saturday and sunday in spite of the muddy conditions..
8 miles run on Saturday, 10 mile run on Sunday, both in the brutal cold.
I accompanied a friend for her first marathon on Saturday. Since it was only a training, we ran on the “Prater Hauptallee“ a 4.2 km long straight road in Vienna. Prefect. 5 up 5 down and we where there
Than easy 12 km on Sunday. That’s it.
Went for a 4 mile run on Saturday. Then the dog and I went hiking for 3 miles on Sunday as a rest day. It’s cold here in the northeast US and I hate working out inside.
3 x VO2 max intervals on trainer 50min
30 mile Bike on Saturday
12 mile run on Sunday
18km run on Saturday and skiing with my kids on Sunday
Hitting my local mountain for a 1000m ascent, losing my way on an unknown junction and ending up riding 4ks of dirt road on my ride bike on the descent. Completing a loop around the mountain for some flat kms and then home!
2 h Turbo Session with 5 min intervals on Friday
Saturday fitness and backroll
4 h 113 k group ride with my boys
Nice weekend
Master’s Swims – twice,
Three Lunchtime Runs – nice.
Two Velodrome trips – first training, then raced,
Long ride in the snow – gently paced.
Weight training too – no easy life,
Slept in Sunday – curled up with my Wife.
A 15 mile long run to ramp up for my ultra in a few of months, followed by rest to be injury-free for my ski trip this week!
Having to take two weeks off work so my usual 10k three times a week (lunchtime runs) have been replaced with a couple of simple local 5k runs. First time I’ve even run locally :)
100 minute run in the lead up to a half marathon. 100 minutes is aaaaages to run for so I really need some new gadgets to keep me occupied :o)
Only some gym series to strenght legs. Thinking about the snow…
3 miler on Saturday. Basketball game Saturday night.
Sunday 4 mile cupcake run.
Plannen where 3 Hiours on the bike and 1.5 hours Running. But due to lack of motovation after a 12 hours drive on saturday i did not pass the 1.5 hours on the bike.
3.5hr fast group ride and a 4hr endurance spin the next day
15 mile long run and a 6 mile tempo.
1 hr on Zwift on Saturday + 50-mile Zwift session on Sunday (that got interrupted by work, so was only 1 mile… booo!). Made up for it Monday, which I suppose was still technically the weekend in the US (due to the holiday).
Da nada i’m afraid. still out with fractured sacrum.
Saturday had a 60′ run (descending pace at 15′ intervals), with a Sunday was a 90′ team spin session #speedsherpanation.
Getting bike mileage up at the weekend. 2.5hr Z2 ride on Sat and 4hr Sunday ride with hills taken at tempo effort level
Basic building weeks, longer swim sets, bike intervals with big ring work, run ladders and endurance efforts, and some strength, ironman Louisville lookout!
run 10 min w/u 7X5k pace rest on marathon pace
Bike 3 intervals of 15 mins @90% FTP
Late Friday run of 10k and early Saturday run of 12k with my valentine :) Sunday is a rest day.
8K easy run because my legs were sore due to crossfit
a few 5k easy runs in the bitter cold
Finally got an hour ride outside, followed by several hours on the phone with insurance due to my wife’s car accident. Need a win for the week.
Approx 10 miles cycling with 2 year old on the baby seat then an afternoon hike with her in a child backpack up the local hills!
Ton of sweetspot on the bike with some 4x100m sprints on the run – funtimes!
Upper body & core workout (otherwise known as snow shoveling).
On call this weekend but I did a 45 min interval run and 80 minutes on the rollers enjoying zwift Richmond !
A quick 5 miles before several inches of snow fell on my favorite running path
Last week I got in 220 miles on the bike. All indoors. My goal was 300 but couldn’t make it.
Elliptical workout, swim (still learning), and physical therapy. Still healing from 4 tibial stress fractures. I typically run 3-4x a week and use the Garmin Vivoactive.
Took the weekend off and it was great. 4 miler and 5k races this weekend
Final 2 stages of the Tour of Sufferlandria and a couple of transition runs.
I have a newborn so just a quick easy run Sunday morning.
Very very relaxed mountain bike ride on Saturday with my mates followed by a much needed sleep in on Sunday.
I spent some hours on Zwift and rode intervals.
I rode 10 miles on the fatbike in -15 degree weather with -30 degree windchill. The camelback did not hold up well in those temps.
40km Ride on Saturday and a 50km ride on Sunday with my girlfriend, preparations for the Cape Town Cycle Tour are starting to get serious!!!
2 hr brick on Saturday, a very cold 10 miles on Sunday, loved every second!
On Saturday I did a 1500m race pace swim test and then on Sunday I went out with a friend and did an 18k long run plus 1k easy swim. Then sleep.
Going to see Deadpool which thanks to a good accumulation of ice and snow was a winter version of tough mudder. ;)
Being laid up in a sling with a injured shoulder while looking up races and info on a new wearable. I want a garmin so stinking bad I can taste it.
So pick me!
Saturday: -40 Celsius in Montreal: 2 Hour endurance ride on Insideride rollers and Breaking Bad marathon
Sunday: Rinse and repeat
Monday (Family Day): Resting metabolic and Vo2 Max test at Peak Centre Montreal (including numerous finger pricks)….followed up by a 2-hour, 10km, snowshoe run.
Boston 2016 prep-fist time qualifier!
Sat was 5 miles at a steady pace; Sunday was 15 within a target pace. Love the blog!
I’m training for the marathon of Rotterdam. Saturday I ran 12 km in a pace of 7:00 minutes per km and Sunday I ran 25 km in a pace of 6:15 per km.
35 K skate ski Saturday, stair repeats till the legs wobble on Sunday. Thanks!
foot injury and travel prevented trained last weekend, but this weekend is a 2hr bike, long swim, and possible a run
This past weekend was forced indoors do to the frigid temps in Boston. I took a speed workout to the treadmill and my Sunday long run onto my bike for some cross training.
Had a two trainer ride followed by a 5 mile run Saturday. And a 6 mile run Sunday.
28 mile bike ride + 2 mile run.
Thursday – Long slow 10 mile run with HR under 140 (average)
Friday – Rest day
Saturday – 5k (1st Place Age Group! first ever)
Sunday – setting up home office (that counts as cardio and weights, right? :))
Monday – Spin 1 hr / 1.5 mile run at tempo
Cross Country Skiing and Cross Country Skiing!
Three workout sessions on Zwift
Missed a couple of workouts last week but over the weekend picked back up with swim/run brick and bike training session.
Loong steep ride and long steep run!
Trying to get back on the wagon. Got out for a short 4km run on Sunday.
I got an interval session on Saturday using my trainer, and Sunday it was spent in the pool…. with the kids. :)
Seeing Deadpool with my sweetie and joining a gym!
A nice 2 hour ride with a brick 60 min treadmill run on Saturday…..All inside training! Followed by a 1:20 run interval run on the treadmill on Sunday. 3×1600 with tempo otherwise!
Had an 18k long run planned, but had to skip due to the preparations for my brothers babyshower.
Ended up doing a half marathon in 19f with a wind chill I’m trying to forget.
Saturday: 11 km run
Sunday: 1.1 km pool swim
Lots of stationary bike this time of year in Sweden. Last weekend offered 5x8min intervals at 105% FTP, 2 min rest.
all about that base building
Last weekend was a 55 minute training run and a 1 miler on Sunday to keep my running streak alive. Then we got blasted with snow and Ice (i hate winter)
Long run (3h) really early on Sunday to avoid problems with my wife on Valentine’s Day. No stretching at all after the run, I arrived to house and made her breakfast right away! ;)
Hill reps on the bike – not fun but hopefully it’ll pay off in the end
11 hours in the plane, so no workout on the weekend. :-/ Since then, though, running every day.
Barely surviving the last two “Stages” of the Tour of Sufferlandria 2016. Was feeling thoroughly violated at the end….
Continued it band rehab, so no running. Completed 2 p90x 3 workouts instead.
On Friday I did a Sufferfest bike trainer video, on Sat I froze my camelback (and my balls) on a 10mile trail run around and about potomac overlook (it was beautiful, though) and I Sun I finished the Tour of Sufferlandria by doing the last two stages (4 videos) with a swim break, with my 3 and 5 yr olds, inbetween.
I had to take this past weekend off for recovery due to a shoulder pain.
All Saturday worrying about Sunday’s long run. Turned out to be a breeze. Well sort of. :)
Zumba dancing, actually.
Seeing that we are 8 weeks away from Ironman SA Championship in PE, whoop whoop, we started Saturday with a beautiful 125km ride from Bellville out towards Stellenbosch and Wellington. Weather was perfect, little overcast, so not the typical Cape Town summers day which was a relieve for a change. Our ride was followed by a 20min, high cadence brick run.
Sunday we swapped the tar for a 10k trail run on a wine farm in the Stellenbosch mountains.
What weekends are made for!
Liege-Bastogne-Liege on my sweet Tacx Vortex Smart.
Some nice outside riding at 15 degF after a long week of riding in the basement.
Struggling to get over a bug, so restricted to a gentle 30 mins steady on the treadmill.
1 hr recovery ride Saturday. Went to the horsetrack Sunday…. we can call it heart rate training.
Saturday: I can’t remember – something on the treadmill. Sunday: 2.5 hours on the treadmill.
replacing and hanging doors all day on Satuday (might not be on Strava, but let me tell you it’s a workout!) and a 20km Zwift ride on Sunday.
Saturday: 60 mile bike with 50 minute progression.
PM Easy 3k swim/drills
Sunday: 12.5 mile run with strides.
PM 4k swim with 4×800, last one hard.
Saturday ran 1 hr 40 min in -2 degrees and wind chill of -30 lots of Vaseline on face and a “sock” down below! Sunday 3 1/2 hrs on Computrainer IM Canada course!
After one pizza I hit the road for 60 km
link to strava.com
I just hammered through the Tour of Sufferlandria!
My weekend was Sunday and Monday. Sunday did a 1 hour trainer ride along side of my wife (we’re both breaking in new tri bikes) and Monday I got to enjoy 10 miles on the treadmill. ????
When for my first run pushing my 8 month old son in a BOB. Baby jogging rocks!
Lots and lots of mind-numbing steady state.
A 20 mile road ride.
San Luis Obispo 200k brevet out of Cayucos. Great weather for a long day on the bike.