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.
2/8 – 1 mile in the pool, 1 hour spin class
2/9 – 3.5 mile run with 2 miles of intervals
2/10 – Core and 1 hour spin class
2/11 – 4 mile run with 15 minute tempo
2/12 – Core and 1 hour spin
2/13 – 10 mile run
2/14 – Rest day!
Last weekend was tough, bad problems at work meant I worked 30 hours but my wife is amazing so watched the kids while I got in a 5k run and then 30 minutes in the pool. I’m not a great swimmer so that time is a killer, still working on my breathing but have run a marathon so would love to try a tri next. Love the site, thanks for what you do, the reviews help a lot.
Did a workout on trainerroad overlapped on zwift which is controlling my tacx vortex smart.. Wonderful times in the pain cave..
Rest day on Saturday and 48 minutes on the bike on Sunday.
3 mile treadmill run.
Hill intervals and on sunday long relaxed run – half marathon training!
The usual – a long brick on Saturday and a long swim and a long run on Sunday. Gotta stick to the routine :)
Did a 40 mile bike ride on Sunday
Training weekend at elevation, lots of cycling in the hills
two collegiate cycling races in southern california (all off of less than two hours of sleep a night)
My last week’s training focus was on intervals on the bike trainer, and also high-volume sets of kettlebell jerks and cleans using doubles and snatches with a single kettlebell. I use Wahoo fitness app, which helps me keep track of all my metrics.
Swimming on Saturday and Running followed by Swimming on Sunday
way too cold in upstate new york to do any training outside. just the stepper.
45 minute indoor trainer to sweat out some bad stuff
It was more than frigid in the Northeast, so instead of doing a long run on Sunday, I added another 2h computrainer ride to the 2 h I did on Saturday. And it was a ride on Mallorca!
I exercised my drinking arm for the first time this year at a party, and discovered that it still worked well after 6 dry weeks!
(I had a swim as well)
Managed to get in a 9 mile run before it snowed….
Trying to get back in shape after post IM laziness bout. Long run with hmp intervals. And a 2.5 hr trainer ride (which I skipped). So basically just sat around a date.
BTW congrats to you and the girl. That’s awesome.
3 hour zone 2 bike ride
Running, plenty of running! Unfortunately there is to much snow on the ground for me to go riding, and I don’t have an indoor trainer yet so till the snow melts there will just be a bunch of running!
Lifted and put down dozens and dozens of heavy boxes/beds/furniture (moving us and helping another family member). So didn’t get a true work out in but was sore none the less.
Trainer road on the kickr. After doing sweetspot base training for a while I had moved to a century program but although my ftp is static I just couldn’t hack the tail ends of the sessions. Back to more base training for me!
Thursday – rest day
Friday – gym strength training followed by 500 meter swim
Saturday – rest day
Sunday – 2 x 20 minute FTP on stationary bike 1:40 including warm up and cool down
Monday – Core workout
Tuesday – gym strength training followed by 300 meter swim
Wednesday – intervals 5 x 3 minute VO2max stationary bike
I squeezed in 31.8 on Saturday & Sunday
2/13/2016 4:04 PM
Distance 20 mi
Duration 2:22:42.20
Pace 7:08 mi
Elevation 1,557ft
Long steady run… just didn’t have it for the pick up at the end, so I just kept to pretty steady. Not enough water while I was out there, I was dying the last 5. It was 80 degrees out…
2/14/2016 8:06 PM
Distance 11.8 mi
Duration 1:27:06.20
Pace 7:22 mi
Elevation 1,145ft
Therapy in The Great Hills – ATX
Last weekend was the start of a rest week and vacation, so nothing on my schedule (except hiking and skiing).
Anything after this weeks family vacation in Florida.
Very little sadly – getting over a chest infection!
Rest on Saturday and 8 mile run on Sunday. This is my tapering week I have Okinawa Marathon 21 Feb.
Friday was a short shakeout run. Saturday I work up early to pound out my long run of the week, 12miles with a progression: Sunday was just some hip and core strengthening and mobility work and a then a restful day :)
everyday GCN 20minute fat burning interval
No structured workout…just chasing after the kids.
I got up early and ran 10 miles and then went my kiddos basketball games.
Trainer workouts Saturday and Sunday AM. Can’t wait for the warm weather.
Long run on a snowy but sunny Saturday. Long bike on the indoor trainer on a gloomy Sunday.
I was supposed to run 9, but it was hot and it turned into a hard-fought 7.
Biking several miles in sub-zero windchills but no snow to and from Research Design Facility at Virginia Tech for an annual Design Robotics Summit (Friday and Saturday) and biking through snow to and from a woodshop for my graduate teaching assistantship work (Sunday). M.Arch is fun!
3 spinning classes, 1 hour each – 2400 calories burned. 1×50 min trainer ride – 710 cals.
Did a 14,7km recovery ride with my wife and our 3 year old daughter at the back. This was after cycling as part of the suprise for my brother-in-law’s birthday 1 km for every life year he lived so far. He just turned 40 and I’ve wished I’d knew him 10 years ago rather than only now – it kinda hurted after 30kms. ?
long run on Saturday followed by a tempo run on Sunday. Did a good bouldering workout on Sunday too !
Two virtual bike rides (32.9 and 50.0 miles) and a 6.5 mile run on the warmest of the frigid days!
Saturday: Suffefest The Way Out + Power Station
Sunday: 10K Treadmill Run
I spent a few hours snowboarding on sunday.
Saturday – 70km hilly road bike
Sunday – 16km trail run followed by 9.6km kayak
This week only weight training and CrossFit WODs.
I’v been slacking over the past few months so last weekend was my chance to wake the legs up from their long hibernation. I went for a 31 mile ride on Saturday and a 18 mile ride on Sunday.
My speed was bad. My power was bad. My endurance was bad. But all uphill from here!
“long run” of 1hr20min
Did a trail run in the mountains.
Last weekend I enjoyed (sarcasm) a nice monotonous treadmill run as I watched it snow outside.
Zwift intervals.
Long walks with my nonrunning spouse, 20 min/mile pace with stops for selfies
Zero miles, family came in for the weekend. Hopefully something this weekend!
I ran the coldest 5K of my life on Saturday morning (with a wind chill of -2 at the gun) and then got in a slow and steady 15-miler on Sunday afternoon.
3x trainer rides with focus on VO2Max and Anaerobic zones
1x trainer ride with focus on sweet spot
1x trainer ride for active recovery
(all with TrainerRoad and on Wahoo Kickr)
Unfortunately no ride outdoors.
Nordic Track 1 hour Saturday
Swim 1 hour sunday
Spartacus on Monday 45 min
Nordic Track and Concept2 30 min each Tues
nordic track 20 min today Weds
most of heart rate in 130-140
Nothing fancy just a couple trainer rides.
A long run in 27 degree weather with 24 mph winds that was cut short from 9 miles to 7.5 miles after my training partner and I worried we had early onset hypothermia on Saturday followed by group swim on Sunday that was 12 drills as parts of 50s, then 75s then what our coach called “kick a magedon”!
Medium Tempo run
Saturday almost drowned surfing. Monday Bike. Wednesday run. More consistency needed!
20 min FTP test… that was painful, but rewarding.
Now I must do 1 hour test… can’t even think of all that pain.
Majority of workouts last week were slow runs followed by tempo rides the next day. It was a rest week for me.
Cross country races have started again.
HRMAX already after 200m till finish :-)
Intensive but fun.
Indoor biking on our recumbent bike!
Just a nice slow long run.
A solid session of tin-throwing at the gym… followed by an attempt at a run that rapidly became a walk – one day I’ll be injury free… one day.
High cadence turbo training.
I did a short run with my son on Sunday. It was the coldest day of the year so we were glad to get in a short run.
3 mile easy run through Shoreditch/Hackney this past Sunday!
2016 Snake Creek Gap TT! A 50 mile point to point mountain bike race in Georgia!
Indoor Training last weekend as I wanted a quick workout before spending some quality time with my Fiancee.
A great run along the water, palm trees blowing, and blue skies!! The air was crisp, but the sun was warm!
A couple of 100km rides backed up with 8km hill runs!
Quick 10k trail run in the Welsh hills, making the most of the crisp blue skies after what seems like 6 weeks of rain!! ?
Unfortunately, only short running intervals for me – and now today I just found out I have to have my knee scoped next week. Thanks to you and Clever Training for a great giveaway – this would be a perfect way to start my rehab!
Raining weekend. Rather than staying at home pedaling in the bike trainer went out with the kids. Small route through the hills (10kms) and having fun with the mud. To turn IT into a great day we ended up in the swimming pool. 2.5km of peaceful relax.
The past weekend, i cycled 58km with sprint segments on Sat. On Sun, i ran 8.88km for chinese new year celebration with 5 sets of hilly intervals.
I took a nine mile run around the lake by my house then went to the gym and did some strength training.
10km run in gym on Saturday and 8 km run with my daughters riding their bikes next to me through the streets of Jakarta.
Saturday: 1.5 hour swim at pool with friends followed later by 1 hour snow shoeing with different friends (reward: acadian meat pie and laughter with same friends), Sunday: 2 hours snow shovelling with Mum and puppy dogs
Small injury, so I just did some upper body weights in the gym.
Thanks Ray !
Indoor TT, it was awful.
6km walks both Saturday and Sunday. Would have done bike riding, but I’m recovering from a neck problem caused by a poor fit on the new bike.
Trying out the new Sufferfest video Power Station. I love/hate it, it is like Revolver for climbers and it even features Quintana winning Tirreno–Adriatico in the snow last year!
Saturday lots of ” have to do” this and that
Sunday , Zwift FTP BUILD week8 day 2, plus evening brisk walk for 5km
Monday, long weekend, Zwift FTP BUILD week8 day3
Thank you Ray for giving us a go-to place for all and honest reviews regarding sports-tech
A long weekend here in snowy Canada, so a few TrainerRoad rider… Carter, Hermit, Donner and Beacon.
Recovery week ride for 1 hour.
Saturday I went out for a brief recovery run, 12km at a steady/rather slow pace.
Sunday it’s been a busy day, in the morning threashold session in the swimming pool followed in the evening by the second brick of the 2016, Threshold Ride using Trainer Road -> 4km run as quick as possible
55 mi 5k ride Saturday, pr half marathon Sunday! Good weekend.
Canada based:
2 x Nordic skate ski loops.. Chasing the dog (and imagining being chased by Bears)
3 x 5k runs.. Chasing soldiers
1x ice climbing effort …chasing a higher level of crampon grip(failing and falling .. In that order and several times
1x indoor bike- of the sufferlandian variety… Think there was a dinosaur involved… Can’t be sure as I Was chasing consciousness at the time..
I am training for my first 50km and last weekend did a 6 mile tempo run on Saturday followed by a 14 mile trail run on Sunday. Overall it was a great weekend.
Biked 40+ miles in 30 degree weather.
1.5 hr ride on the kinetic doing 2 x 20′ Z4 efforts with 5′ recovery in between followed by a 30 minute treadmill run. Sunday was an hour on the treadmill with increasing pace – oooof!
Interval training (on stationary bike, because I live in Canada), followed by a x-country ski.
Had planned to workout on bike trainer…but my four kids convinced me to go sledding for several hours. Ran up the hill at least 50 times…best HIIT in years.
A 70 kilometer bike ride and 10 kilometer run. Both in prepapration for upcoming events.
Did 6 x 600m repeats on the track on Saturday and Ran eight miles Sunday.
Just a boring hour long run.
Freezing weekend on the east coast – decided to run on the treadmill for my long run. At least I caught up on TV that way!
I went for a brief trainer ride and promptly returned to the couch in typical “I have the flu and this was a bad idea” fashion.
1500k swim in 40 minutes
Downhill skiing in northern Vermont was on tap, unfortunately it was brutally cold.