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.
Well, an 18 mi long run with 10 min strong finish WAS on the training plan last weekend, but a terrible cold forced me to scrap my plans, and I only managed to eke out 5 slow miles on the treadmill.
Saturday, saw the US Olympic Marathon Trials and Sunday, did the LA Marathon.
Nice hard brick… Like beat yourself in the head with a brick kind of brick…
Back to back bike rides last weekend.
Only got in a spinning class on the weekend. A half meter of snow fell yesterday – got a good workout shovelling the driveway!
A lot of missed runs.
Friday: 12 mile run while wearing a 45 lbs backpack
Saturday: 20 min on versa climber / 20 min on C2 rower / 20 min on the jacobs ladder followed by self myofascial release session
Sunday : Off
Brick – 2.5hr of bike (30mins AT Test) and 1hr of run (easy).
85mi Sat.
140mi Sun.
83mi Mon, followed by a great nap
Personal trainer session and 45 minute trainer ride.
1500y swim Saturday and an easy 10k on Sunday.
Long weekend = long runs. I’m just ramping up my running after taking a step back to focus work and academics for a little bit and I’m getting a ton of joy out of LSD. So, I treated myself to two 1.75 hour runs and a 2 hour run just enjoying the simplicity of one foot in front of the other! (also did a lot of foam rolling and some strength training since weekends like this are just begging for overtraining injuries.)
A 14 mile run and some cross-training.
Ice hockey and a good old Canadian flu bug…
I actually hit all of my workouts last week: 34 miles of running, including nailing a tough 5 mile progression run, a whole bunch of strength work, and an hour of yoga!
This past Sunday I went to the gym in the morning for about 45 min, later that afternoon I went for a 41 min run, with 6-1 min intervals mixed in the middle, covering 4.26 miles. Back to the gym on Tuesday for another 45 min, twenty min easy run on Wednesday, ran 2 miles. I will be back at the gym tomorrow. I usually run on Wednesday and Saturday each week and make it to the gym three days a week. I’m 37 my son is 10 we run together once or twice a week, we’re both fairly new to running and are trying to improve a little more each week. I have a Forerunner 235, my son has a Forerunner 225. I also have two daughters 8 and 12 that I encourage to run. Today we all ran, including my wife, and are already making plans for our run on Saturday. Good Times!
I enjoy following your blog Ray, your reviews are interestingly informative and entertaining at the same time, keep up the good work!
1 hr Quadricep workout along the swimming pool when kid is having swimming class
3 hr run (ok, it’s walk…) with kids in a country trail ~200m elevation
1.5 hr football which exhausted me in the end…
more luck needed……………………
Swim ladder by 50s to 300, short z2 run, next day followed by distance run. Thanks!
2.5 hours on the stationary bike. Almost mended fractured toe is keeping me from running the streets. Something is better than nothing.
I went up and down a hill for hours with my kids, YAY for President’s Day Snowstorm!
My last weekend was spent in Florida with my girlfriend… so the “training log” reads as:
Friday: long walk on the beach with her + bike ride through town (also with her)
Saturday: Run five miles on the beach by myself, nurse my calves
Sunday: Tennis with her + another long walk on the beach with her
The Sat/Sun plans got flipped and cut short mid-stream due to a close encounter with a tree branch for my face, so Saturday was just 8 rolling miles on trails, and Sunday I found a nice 23 or so on the trails with about 2700′ of vert. A little light, but a good start.
I’m still starting off slow for the year. I got a few 3-5 mile walks in with my kids. Working up so I can get a 5k conoleted.
Saturday was a 90 minute sweet spot trainer ride and Sunday was a 90 minute endurance trainer ride. Good stuff! Thanks to Ray and Clever Training for putting on this giveaway!!!
Sunday was supposed to be the HMRRC Winter Marathon in Albany, NY but it was postponed due to the cold temps predicted. The temperature was supposed to be around 0 with wind chills near -30!
Since the marathon didn’t happen I just did a casual 4 miles in -13 degrees with a wind chill of -25! I love winter…and free stuff ;-)
Metric century ride on Zwift. It was a study in nutrition and making sure my HR didn’t drop off. I was able to bring up my power and HR in the second half, and was pretty happy about that.
I’m currently travelling for work, so last weekends workout consisted of running on the treadmill in the hotels “fitness suite”…
Alp D’huez trek on the bike. Well okay, not really, but the Tacx trainer at least lets you emulate the ride, and it is a whole lot better than going out in the heavy rain.
I am recovering from a knee injury. I did a lot of walking this past weekend.
Slow Group Ride
Ride and make all adjustments necessary for the new bike.
i swam 2,500 yards on M, W, F and run 4 miles weekend
An easy 1.5hr xc ski as final prep for the Canadian Ski Marathon (Feb 20-21). -30C kept it to one ski and short. Record dump of snow yesterday should make for good conditions… But forecast is for plus temps. Should be interesting…
Ran 7 miles easy Saturday and 8 miles hard on Sunday.
Two runs last weekend. A Saturday 18 mile easy run and a Sunday 9 mile light tempo run.
Started off with cross country skiing in Ramundberget in the middle of Sweden, a short 8k run on Ljusterö in Stocholm archipelago on Sunday before returning to Shanghai. Managed to get a 17k run in the city on Tuesday, Wednesday a bootcamp session with my group (I am an instructor) plus a 5k recovery run and today a 5x5min AT run on the treadmill…looking like it will be a good week!
A nice 12mi run along a river in a new town.
the usual stroller run, 10miles, no world records.
Very wet out and back MTB on the Grand Ridge trail (Issaquah – Duthie Hill MTB park and back). Uphill both ways !!!
3 mile run and 10 mile bike
Clearing a 12M run to start a recovery week!
My long bike ride of 4 hours and 45 minutes between 119-130 Watts.
Intervals Friday evening, core workout Saturday and 18 mile trail run Sunday. Life is good!
An hour of crosstraining at OrangeTheory, a rest day, and 6mi run.
Actually, not that much. I put in a run Saturday morning, but after feeling run down most of the week I took Sunday off.
2:15 trainer ride on my kickr snap. 4x18min over under intervals with 3 min peaks 1:30min valleys. Sunday was a 2 hour ride at 80-85% ftp the whole time.
90 minutes on the treadmill and some welcome downtime!
Rocky Raccoon 50 miler. Huntsville, Tx.
Did a 8.88km Chinese New Year fun run on Valentine’s Day with my beloved running group.
On Sunday, I did a 13-mile run, easy using my newly bought Wahoo Tickr X with my Fenix3.
Saturday: 1500y swim followed by a 1hr 140 watt average trainer ride; Sunday: 1hr Zone 2 HR run
Road inside due to weather. DID 42.1 miles Saturday (mostly TrainerRoad) and 18 miles Sunday morning.
Ran the Lost Dutchman Half Marathon in Apache Junction, AZ
12 mile lunch break road ride, and a run I’ve yet to go on. :|
Helped a friend train for an upcoming trip to France. We road about 80k with 2000m of climbing.
Swim Endurance on Saturday and Short Run on Sunday.
Hey bud! Canadian here so my running’s been slower as of late with the snow but I do find the cold air to be a training tool of sorts. Got a work related VO2 test coming up so I’ve been doing natural intervals (sprint to that mailbox) on my long runs and doing intense stationary roller training in the basement on my bike with garmin sensors while I watch movies. Anyway, last weekend did a chilly 10.3k trying to find some interesting trails (not much to look at, industrial suburbia setting) and 45 min as hard-as-I-could stationary cycling, fair bit of strength training as well. Treadmill hell this week.
Thanks for the site, love the reviews.
trail run with an out of town friend on Saturday,
and then a marathon training run on Sunday. 16mi with 12 at MP…. except I only managed about 10 at MP.
Warmup: 15 minutes (approx. 2 miles) with stretching, drills, strides
Workout: 4 x 800 @ 5K race effort w/1:00 recovery between reps; 4 x 1600 @ 10K race effort with 3:00 rest between reps; 4 x 800 @ 5K race effort w/1:00 recovery between reps
Cooldown: 15 minutes stretch, refuel, take a NAP!
Read more at link to running.competitor.com hate Tuesdays!
But my intellectual workout involves figuring out all my Fenix 3 watch functions
Valley of the Sun Stage Race in Phoenix AZ…Hot and fast!
Training the last weekend has been a 2.5 hours MTB ride, finding out that half of the planned ride was “diverted due to woodcutting works”, and for relaxing a 1.5h walk with about 8kg in the baby sling :)
Training plan was carrying 2yr old son up and down hills near Melbourne. I didn’t know Strava did hiking Course Records!
Did a Long Run (by my standards anyway) in preparation for a Sprint Triathlon coming in April :)
I did 5 miles snowshoeing around Trillium lake last weekend.
8K at zone 2 and strength training.
Saturday: Coached the local Fleet Feet Half Marathon training program run. 1 hr Z2 bike ride.
Sunday: 2 hr bike with 2×15 FTP set. Master Swim workout.
1 hour treadmill at the fire department
Last Saturday weekend I did a brick workout, 3.5 hr bike ride with 15 x 4′ @ 70.3 pace and 1′ easy in between and 30 min run at Olympic distance pace.
Sunday was 1:45 run with 50 min being at 70.3 pace.
10k. Haha nah a 5k and got on my bike trainer for 20 minutes. #yolo
Trail running in Singapore including finding a detour around a fallen tree
I did my regular commute to work on my bike (5×2) and explored a Wadi in Oman (part Hike).
A 17.5 mile ride, 1,800 ft elevation in the freezing cold temp. Going up in 20 degree weather isn’t bad, but descending sucks!
I did a Pilates session and a 2500m ocean swim, training for the Mooloolaba triathlon in just a few weeks time! I’m a little (OK a lot) freaked out by the ocean swim, so this effort had me fist pumping!! :-)
A cold 5k on Saturday (-5 F) and an easy bike on Sunday.
Sadly no running, but some cross training chasing the kiddo Saturday and brewing on Sunday
Glad you asked. Sat was 130km through Akuna Bay and West Head (northern Sydney) then Sunday featured a shorter ride battling the warmth and the wind around Port Botany.
Saturday: Medium paced 8 mile run. That’s it for the weekend.
10 mile run that was cut down to 5 miles since it was too cold for my dog to run. He just gave up halfway in. The turn of events led to a bonus session of carrying a 40lb dog through the snowy streets of Cincinnati for a few miles!
Quick training run and then a short ride. All in all, being a little lazy.
Did some prioceptive exercise to recover from my sprain ankle. Almost ready for the comeback. Cheers
1 hour tempo run on Sunday and a 2 hour nice ride on Saturday
Finished the Tour of Sufferlandria. Two stages with two rides each, all indoor (of course) on a Tacx Vortex Smart.
1:30 fide Saturday followed with 1:30 run Sunday
A short ride on SDR and a commute to work and back on Sunday.
return to swimming one month after a minor surgery.
A short run and a long run (but switched this week).
Saturday was 8km (usually my recovery run)
Sunday was a 37km trail run. Great idea for Valentine’s Day morning. Sorry wife!
Pool swim sessions both days with some indoor roller training too
I ran 10 miles and biked 75 miles along central coast of California
A big fat zero.
Just as training was building well a bug took me down for a few days; on the plus side my TSB in now back into positive figures so I’ll take the ‘rest’ weekend.
Just did a trainer ride
Did the last day of tour of sufferlandria, 1:55 on stationary trainer, including 64 sprints
A quick 3.5 miles on the treadmill before heading out to spend the day with my wife.
Saturday – trainer road session; Sunday – treadmill session. Solid, but not spectacular
4mi run and strength training Saturday and a 40min easy recovery run Sunday
Ahhh! Rest days for the weekend! Trainer was getting warrantied and I vowed not to run this month (injury maintenance). But, I’m back in business with Zwift and the gym! I’ll be a cycling/running fool when this weather breaks, and this data junkie would love to do so rocking some new gadgets!
Run along Mission Creek. Creek running high with snow melt. Couples walking. Pressed the pace.
50 mile bike then transition to 3 mile run!
Sunday = 5km morning hike but i was too busy enjoying myself last weekend :)
125km ride around the back county of Busselton, Western Australia. Beautiful area!
Did an easy 3 mile run on Saturday, then a 6 mile run on Sunday.
I did spin classes for 40 miles, weight training full body with 8 exercises and various movement patterns for 1 hour each day, played basketball for about 2 hours with a 3 vs 3, walked for about 20-30 miles for the weekend. Finishing every night with walking the dog for about an hour as well, and spending time with the lovely misses as well.