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.
A 2 hour trainer road turbo session and my 1st bric run
100km on Zwift!
I logged yoga and a swim on Saturday, and yoga and a trainer ride on Sunday!
Two easy runs. Easy in terms of what I used to run, difficult as part of my injury recovery program.
I ran the L.A. marathon. PR!
3 days of resort skiing, with some sidecountry tours!
Light week with a couple of swim sessions and a workout.
16km run and 3000m swim. Chill weekend! :-)
Half marathon in the snow and a sufferFest video
A fun, easy 12 mile run on Saturday, Sunday was intervals on the indoor trainer.
Half marathon training has begun! I’m finally returning to that distance after a couple years of focusing on 10K. This week, I had a 5K “long” run and today I did some short intervals.
On my training plan was an easy 5K with intervals. Planned on a swim but didn’t happen – making up for it this week!
Borrowed a Kickr and did 2 workouts. One with Trainerroad and the other one with Zwift.
60 km in total.
On Saturday I did a long run (18,5 km) and on Sunday a shorter, faster run (10,5 km)
Weds: 1 hour low tempo (75% max HR) elliptical
Fri: 1 hour low tempo (75% max HR) elliptical
Sun: 9 mile mountain run (2500′ elevation gain) at 80% max HR
Tues: 1 hour low tempo (75% max HR) elliptical
I have been combining this regimen with a fish & veggie/fruit diet for 5 months (averaging 2 lbs or 1kg of weight loss per week) and I am nearly at my target weight of 150 lbs (I put on a bit of “couvade” weight each time my wife was pregnant)! I would use this gift to get my Fenix 3 hr so that I can better track my exercise and sleep (I can sleep with big watches) while still looking professional at work.
I started the weekend with a 70km TT bike ried. On saterday I did a 2800m swim and on sunday to end the weekend a 22,7km run. Triatlon all the way…
Since it snowed heavily I opted for cross-training: ski-touring on Saturday followed by 20k of Nordic skiing on Sunday
3:20 on the KICKR then 40min run Saturday. Zwift for control.
Trainer Road base building on Tues/Thurs and a solo trail ride on Saturday. Also did some tabata rowing/circuit intervals on MWF.
unfortunately i had some problems with my back… but my weekend plan usually involves getting on my bike to enjoy the long ride of the week :)
On saturday I rode for 100 km trying not to fly due to the wind. On sunday I was running 12 km fighting against the wind again.
45 minute recovery run…
Saturday: A quick 30min run with short efforts.
Sunday: An early morning LSD run for 90min
A 2 mile run on a treadmill and pull ups/push ups
Saturday rest day. I did a 30 min session on my cycleops on sunday. 45 min run on monday. Core stability on 30 min session on my cycleops on wednesday…
Run, run and another run. All short/moderate, more weather taking advantage of than training.
Swimming on saturday.
Did some intervals on the track on sunday with friends after a party on saturday night ;) It was hard but a spring half marathon is coming !
A weekend of running with friends so Saturday is parkrun day and on Sunday we ran 18 miles to London
A couple of days ago I fell with my bike on a slippery road – so unfortunately almost no training atm… cheers and keep up this awesome site!!
Two weeks ago right knee surgery. So last week was building up again with 2 Zwift sessions on the trainer/torture device. As well as some rehab walks in heavy snowfall to remind me why I’m not riding outside. Then a few hours of Physio. During which I watched DC Rainmaker videos and now lust after that drone to film my rides.
Tempo 10k
Long run 2 hours with 30 mn bike
Weather is awful so sat on the spinning bike for 90 minutes with 60 minutes steady followed by 30 mins intervals.
Interval training! Sunday and Monday, Rest day on Tuesday – More base miles today!
Given the wonderful -25 deg F windchills, I went with a 45 minute treadmill run before I had to quit from shear boredom.
A simple long walk. Do it everyday and it does wonders.
10 hill repeats @ ftp 140 ish than 60mon of sweet spot
6 and 4 mile easy runs.
Easy run on Monday, intervals on Tuesday, Recovery on Wednesday, no run on Thursday, Easy on Friday, Long on Saturday :)
Sufferfest on Tuesday and Saturday morning followed up with a crit on Sunday morning.
Saturday I did a combined boot camp and boxing workout. Lots of arm/shoulder exercises so boxing was pretty though :P
We were vacationing for AB family day long-weekend but I still managed to fit a quick little 5k between lasagna feasts!
Hello Ray, nothing much in my training log as I am for my bussiness trip in freezy Canada. Trying to do at least some jogging in gym.
Sweet Spot base training on TrainerRoad three times a week in the garage/man cave…bloody cold though!!
Rest day Saturday and then a 2:30 aerobic endurance session on Sunday. Nice weather but very chilly. Part of the sufferfest intermediate plan. Now into the 4th week and just about keeping up!
5k parkrun on Saturday morning, 10 miles on Sunday Morning, Work and Back on the bike on Mondayfollowed by 20mins each way Soccer.
Long and sweet: 10mi race pace and 16mi easy
Intensive 15K run on Monday; 6x1K intervals on Wednesday; Long 35K run on Friday; 18K regenerative run on Saturday; Some track & field work on Sunday. This was my first week of marathon preparation…
Biked a few miles while it was snowing.
7 mile easy run on Sunday! Getting in shape for March half marathon.
18K run
40 miles commuting on the bike back and forth to work three days during the week, a longer ride of 64 miles on Saturday and then a bone chilling ride of 50 miles in the freezing wind on Sunday!
Hi!
Last week I rested, to heal heel problems. Did just recreative swims.
I logged a few thousand feet of vertical doing some alpine skiing.
On Saturday I ran the third and final run of this seasons “Winter Running Cup” in Munich. A 20K race in which narrowly achieved my goal of staying under 1:29 h:min! :)
My training last weekend consisted of a 10K run along the Detroit River on Saturday and a two hour indoor cycling class on Sunday.
These are base miles for my first half iron distance race this September.
Base training then beer…not at the same time of course.
Nothing last weekend due to family commitments. Don’t worry, it’s all ahead of you!
I had a 6Km recovery run on Saturday and a 1 hour strength training on Sunday
Finished the Tour of Sufferlandria on Saturday and recovered on Sunday.
Back to back 10 milers at 20 weeks pregnant!
Spent the weekend doing the physiotherapy required to rehab my right after it’s 7th meniscus removal surgery in 10 years. Was also allowed back on the stationary trainer and did my first “ride” 3 weeks post-op via Zwift and the Richmond course (kicked my arse but totally worth it)
Travel day to Florida on Saturday. -20 at home on Sunday. Sunny and 75 in FL. Did a lovely 7 mi run in only one layer of clothing.
Ciao Ray,
Swim lesson on Saturday and some intervals on the bike trainer on Sunday.
A casual 6 mile run to a hilly 10k race, all finished before midday :)
A run along the Brisbane river on Saturday and a hill run and pool swim on Sunday.
Typical training week, ended with a 21 miler with 12 at 6:45 pace. Good week!
The arrival of my new G3 PowerTap hub wheel enabled me to calibrate my Kckr on Saturday. Sunday was a maximal power output ramp test with the Kickr and the PowerTap. Making the best use of a rainy weekend.
9 km run which involved running away from a coyote. Another run on same route, and an hour at the pool with 200s.
I did some 1K intervals at MGP times 5 for my marathon race. Felt great!
Ran a half marathon 1:44:35 @ 4:51 average pace. Felt fantastic.
I’m only coming back to training after injury, so my weekend included easy 30 minutes of running only.
Sat: easy trainer ride & spectating US Marathon OT in LA
Sun: LA marathon
5k road run, thwarted by negative temps Saturday;
3mi trail run Sunday – little too icy still
More hours than I was willing to do on my trainer.
A 20km run in the hills.
Been on beachbody hammer and chisel and couple of runs a week. Getting ready to start tri training in tolwi weeks.
Last weekend … hmmm … I’ll call it cross-training. Pulled the rear axle (they aren’t easy lifting) out of my classic truck and working on pulling the body off the frame. :-) Swim/Bike/Run workouts are all crammed in the weekdays currently.
Last weekend was a long run and quick circuit training at home. The long run wasn’t quite as long as I had hoped, but it was something!
A training run of 2:40 on the treadmill on Valentine’s Day. So romantic!
11 mile outdoor run on Sat and 30 Zwift miles on the trainer on Sunday. Monday hurt!
I had on Sunday 10k cx run. Monday 1 hour pilates.
35 km turbo session on saturday, 1500 m pool swim and a 28 km turbo session on sunday.
Nothing! Rest
In trying to keep my girl happy, my training calendar was empty for the weekend itself.
I had a rest day on Saturday and a 3hr ride on Sunday
Past weekend I ran a 20km at a comfortable pace during a rainy and freezing afternoon in The Hague, Netherlands
It was meant to be 13 miles, but knee trouble turned it into more like 8 :(
I have been training for my first 15k. Last week I did my longest run of 8 miles!
Solid 6 weeks into my first IM training schedule and happy to be hitting a PB on the runs each weekend (11mls last weekend) followed by a 2k swim , that said, was totally drained this weekend and the snow on the roads over here in Scotland knocked me the wrong way … I ditched the 45mls cycle :( picking it up again this Sat/Sun for 50-55mls cycle, 12mls run,2k swim.
18 km long run.
On Saturday I ran hill loops, apparently cross country is good for the soul, and then a long slow run on Sunday.
X country skiing :15+30+15 kms.
5k parkrun followed by a 50k bike Saturday, then a nice 2k open water swim Sunday
I ran a Presidents Day themed 10k on Saturday that I signed up for on Thursday night. It was cold. It was windy. It was the farthest I’ve run in about six months, by 2 miles, and it was only ~20 seconds per mile slower than the fastest 5k I’ve run in that time span. On Sunday I did some recovery yoga like a boss.
6 miles on Saturday and 10 on Sunday
Saturday: stay inside, too darn outside
Sunday: Man up buddy and ride at least 25 miles when it is 25F out. Did 28 miles
Ran a local 10k in the rain. It was hilly and fun!
Went cross country skiing with my Girl, indoors in a skicenter. Too much people and the tracks was too bad so we didn’t stay for long.