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.
Saturday: No training.
Sunday: Biked to and from lunch (6 miles) and spent another hour on the trainer inside with Trainer Road.
Last week was my daughter’s soccer State Cup (made it to the 3rd round) but was able to sandwich in a hillclimb cycling workout and a long run around Lake Miramar
Tennis and kayaking on Saturday, 26Km run on Sunday
Sunday – 9 miles in 8-9 degrees f!
Monday – 6 miles
Tuesday – 5 miles treadmill
Wednesday – 5 miles
All running.
Short zone5 intervals (Tacx Neo) on Saturday, 5 hours endurance cycling outside on Sunday.
Long run of 1:30 at an easy pace.. very calm and peaceful in spite of breaking no new records!
Saturday: Two hours of tennis, just hitting a bit.
Sunday, 5k light jog as a warmup and a tennis match.
I did lose the game, so I totally expect to win this giveaway to even things out :)
8 mile run with deep winter gear (including ski goggles to deal with the cold and snow squalls)
8 mile XC ski (even colder with -37C wind chill)
13 mile run in a balmy -5C for our holiday Monday here in Ontario
Bike intervals on Saturay,
Steady 10k on Sunday
Climbed Snowdon in North Wales, UK, then spent the next day swim training. Managed to slip in some shoulder surgery last week too and spent a couple of days recovering on the sofa. Light leg work next week me thinks :)
Keep up the good work Ray!
Friday 12km
Saturday 12km
Sunday 19km
16K on Sunday in Windsor Great Park. My favourite route.
Rest days!
I took the weekend off training and went and got my open water scuba ticket! Was a great experience! Back on the bike now….
I did 10 mile sessions on both days and played hockey in central park—it was VERY cold. It would be sweet to up grade my oldCycleops Mag trainer if i won the $600 credit!
Skiing, cycling and some snow running! Top weekend!
Training for the Ojai marathon. First long run of 10 miles, plus a 5 mile recovery. Played beach volleyball all day Monday, which wasn’t quite part of the training plan :)
Crazy cold here in New England last weekend. Saturday was 3500 yards of swimming at the pool. Woke up on Sunday morning to -8F temp and headed over to a friend’s house for a 2 hour bike trainer party.
A big milestone – I got to run for one minute after a nineteen minute walk. First run of any sort since a stress fracture in October last year. Next weekend: run for two minutes. Destination: Half Marathon in July.
I had a volleyball match and did a freeletics workout.
Plan was to do a 16k tempo run around Howth (North Dublin) with some nice hills.
Last Sunday was an easy 8 miles on the tarmac after the legs were still a bit sore from last week’s muddy hill session.
At least a three mile run.
However, it was so damned cold that the idea of crossing the street to get to the condo’s treadmill was not tolerable, so I opted for laps around my apartment and curl ups. I think the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler is gonna be ugly.
I HAD an 8 mile hike planned. Unfortunately it didn’t happen. Had to settle for a short bike ride instead to get my blood pumping.
Field hockey on Saturday and gentle recovery 5k Sunday
I planned to do a very short treadmill run (I’ve been insanely busy with work and haven’t run for a few months, so I have to go slow)… but alas, work and kids got in the way, so no dice.
Saturday was an hour on the trainer… stupid winter
11 mile tempo…ouch.
Swim bike run (brick) at the beach on Saturday. Long(ish) ride of Sunday checking out the changes on the cycleway into the city.
I did a short local ride to try out a Garmin 520 purchased as Clever Training actually …
Saturday was kettlebells & TRX; sunday was a rest day.
1.5 Hour Trainerroad workout on Saturday
22 mi Long run on Sunday + 30 min yoga
Saturday: A loosely-organized “speed run” (yes, sprinting) through a local disc golf course.
Sunday: 22 mile trail run in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA.
Training for a 10k relay. A first. Pretty excited!
I was traveling for wedding this weekend, so I did 30 minutes on the hotel treadmill on Saturday.
Last weekend I had my first long run in prep for my first half marathon in a couple of years.
Time to “train the brain” for the upcoming long runs.
i spent the whole week in austria, ski holidays, so i spent the saturday coming back to germany, and on sunday was just too tired. anyway we are still on off season :-)
Swimming drills and some Ice Hockey ;-)
Five and a half hours on the bike and a thirty minute brick run!
My training log for last weekend consisted of beers and lawn mowing – thrown in with the occasional whining kid.
But what if it was just a 10K? …because, yeah, it was a 10K on Saturday, in New Jersey, in 18 degree weather. I was happy to just get out there and run though.
Once I recover from my current injury, I hope to do a full half-IM preparation to be ready for the Budapest half-IM in July 2016. Last weekend was therefore a mere 4K swim.
Training last week was a bunch of intervals and group rides at the start of the week, some easier rides on Thursday and Friday, and a road race on Saturday (which I won!). Race season is in full swing in California!
Saturday
Long and slow run (12km)
Sunday
Long endurance bike ride on my trainer (3 hours)
Easy weekend due to snow and ice. 4 mile run and yoga.
WEDNESDAY: Interval training 6x(3min effort + 1 min recovery)
SUNDAY: 50 min running (= 11.5 km)
Run 12 km in zone 2.
I am in Italy so walking up/down stairs and lifting a wine glass!
I did some xc skiing now that the winter came finally back here in Helsinki
As crazy as this might sound I actually did some strength training.
Just a couple of short runs, 6 miles and 4 miles, since I was stuck on a treadmill.
Lots of laps round the hill behind our house on Shetland Isles, and then a 5k pb in Edinburgh. Good week!
Three-hour long easy trail run, on packed snow trails. My last long run before the Chena River to Ridge race here in Fairbanks on the 27th! I’m not sure I’m ready, but I’ll show up and get ‘er done.
Thanks for the love, Ray!
Last weekend was my post sktrip weekend, so mostly in the car and getting over a cold (as result of a week of being on the ski’s…)
Started freeletics cardio guide + running.
EZ xc-skiing with my girfriend on saturday and a 28km long run (partly with her) on Sunday… This week is rest weeeeeeekkkk!!!!
Climbed Mt. Baw Baw with Hells 500 on Saturday and played tail end charlie for a women’s ride on Sunday. 125km all told
Saturday was a 15 mile run @ 6:45min/mile in horrible snowy, windy Glasgow weather. Did 1 hour easy spin on turbo that night
Sunday did a 55 mile ride with 2 hours aerobic and a 15min tempo brick run. Swim club training at night.
I slept well after that.
I was due to do a long bike and a 10k run, but unfortunately I had a gingerbread-esque weekend and all exercise was off the agenda…
Last weekend I was recovering from the flu! Last night was intervals along the river
Last week was 1 run training
1 wattbike session, 2hours mtb and 1/2 marathon :)
Ran my 25km commuting route that I bike on weekdays
Just five days of core work last week while I’m letting my knee heal.
Unfortunately coming back from an injury, so low-speed, low-distance running. Supplemented though with a good core and upper body workout.
Took a newbie on our local Sunday ride.
Saw some kangaroos, drank some coffee and laughed about mechanical doping,
On Saturday, I ran 30 minutes on the treadmill while watching the Olympic Trials. Then Sunday I ran 14 miles, also on the treadmill because it was -10 degrees with a windchill of -26. I watched Shameless on my iPad for company, and the time flew by pretty quickly.
I did a interval session on a wattbike. 2x5mins+4 with 15s sprints every minute.
Last weekend was a lot of running! 12k on Saturday… 32km on Sunday!
Sunday we made a nice long loop with the team, the headwind made it hard on the way back, it was pretty intense! Than I climbed the hill in the city, to double the elevation for the day. 4 hour traning altogether, nice one in winter!
Saturday was reserved for a moderately high paced group ride over 120k, but with one guy on a busted rim and another on worn brakepads the ride got cut short ending up with a bottle of glenfiddich at the best bikeshop in town. Sunday I compensated the lost k’s with another group ride, but that meant 75k in constant rain and snow.
I’ll be using the credit for a trainer for some warm and dry workouts untill it’s summertime again!
Well, didn’t do anything during the weekend except watching the kids swim.. :-) But, visited Zwift both on Friday and Monday morning for a trip.
Long run–but it’s freezing here in Chicago so I had to go to the indoor track. Also had a trainer ride and some foam rolling.
2 runs this weekend. One was long and slow, the other a bit shorter and faster.
I wrapped up another week of an FTP builder training program then moved several hundred pounds of old carpet tiles from the basement to the garage for some strength training
Pretty sweet set of repeats. Lift box, unpack box, fold up box. Repeat until sleep. (moved)
Long bike ride 100+ miles around OKC interrupted by olympic marathon trials! then a long run on Sunday
65km rolling hills ride Saturday, 85km climbing ride Sunday in the beautiful Gold Coast Hinterland. Was going to be a bit longer, but mechanicals intervened…
Easy Run saturday and 4 hour Long Trail run out on the course in the Blue mountains preparing for Six Foot Track marathon
I did a recovery run from the previous week’s race, swam and commuted to work by bike.
A short bike ride on Saturday and I helped my wife finish her first half marathon last Sunday in Barcelona! I enjoyed every km!
Saturday was a long run on empty stomach early in the morning. Very hard! Sunday was a very easy 40min jog to recover and get ready for Monday 1.200m repeats!
A nice and scenic 200K ride in preparation for a long distance cycling race!
Nothing. I did ski on Sunday, though.
One hour and Half both Saturday and Sunday on the trainer at 195 watt Steady State. Valentine Day was definitely a bust for a single Dude.
Just one hour each day on the bike trainer. It is western NY in the winter, roads are not safe!
My Training plan for Feb 13, 14, 15 vs results
Feb 13 Easy Zwift spin one hour or less, two high leg speed efforts 90 miles >7k elevation
link to strava.com
90 minute bike with 2 x 15 @ Threshold and the remainder @ Endurance pace on Saturday, then an hour of Fartlek-ing around for the Sunday run.
I set my person best for average speed for ~1.5hr ride! Gotta love this time of year in TX!
Walking with the pregnant wife on the Saturday, sailing on Sunday- came 2nd happy days!
Short run around the neighborhood with the partner and dog.
Last week was kinda light workout-wise for me (unless you include last Sunday). Did a 3 mile run on Monday, then 1.3 miles running and ~25 minutes on a stationary bike on Tuesday. Rested Wednesday, but Thursday, Friday, Saturday, was helping my grandmother move to a new house…so….moving a lot of boxes counts as x-training right? Sunday was a 7.7 mile long run (working my distance back up for a 1/2 marathon in May).
About 15km running on snow and indoor climbing.
I did an 8 mile run around lake Miramar in San Diego.
I had a 3 1/2 hr. bike, which was thankfully shortened 30 mins by a nice tailwind, and a 2 hr. run.
I did an interval workout on my tacx vortex smart on sunday!
‘Running’ around looking for wedding things with the fiance. Not really a workout but would be bad for my health not to
Saturday: 1 hour run
Sunday: 2 hour run and core work
A 10k run which turned into a 7.2k run :(
rest week for me so just weights on my traininglog.
Spent a lot of time at the indoor waterpark, but my Sunday was 5 miles in the snow.