Heads up!!! Here’s your massive holiday sports tech deals list! This includes the Garmin Epix for just $419, the Apple AirTag 4-Pack for just $69, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $249, (or the brand new Hero 13 or $299!) and plenty more! Go check out the full list of 100+ deals 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 2024 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.
Weekend training plans are testing out my new shimano pd-r550’s without falling at a stop sign (first time clipless user), doing some strength training, and laps in the pool.
Recovery weekend. Saturday: hour of gentle turbo, then relax for an FTP test on Tuesday.
Back to back long runs I hope!
My Goal was to run two times the day. At first a 12k Run and later some Speedwork on the treatmile.
Friday will be running (4×2000), and saturday-sunday will be road cycling, probably some hilly routes!
What I planned: Several TRX workouts, a few short runs (coming back from injury) and yoga.
What I did: suffered from ear infections (both ears), slept and helped make a carrot cake.
No specific training, but cutting down and removing oversize Christmas trees is pretty strenuous and makes for good aerobic exercise
Weight training on Saturday + 12 miles run on Sunday.
3 days of downhill skiing – strength training?
I have a duathlon in two weeks. On Tues 3/29 I will recon the course with a 3m run and a 15 bike ride. On Wed pm I will ride my bike home from work, on Thursday I will ride the 12m to work. My wife is away this coming weekend so I will have to do my run-bike-run (3-17-3) brick early to take my son to the children’s theatre and then baseball.
22 mile run and 3 hours of mountain biking
A short off road run
Bike 20 miles and run 5 miles to beat away the chocolate!
Got a nice 4.25 Mile run in on Sunday! Not the weekend but planning a 10K tomorrow.
2x painful 90 min TrainerRoad threshold sessions. And the Kickr won’t let me wimp out!
Saturday training plan 1 x 2557 mile flight from Maui to Portland, OR. Sunday training plan was either a 90 minute ride followed by a 20 minute run, or a 70 minute run. The Easter Bunny had other plans though!
This weekend I cycled the flat roads of Suffolk in the UK whilst battling the winds of Storm Katie, needed to get some miles in my legs! and of course refuelled on chocolate eggs! :)
10 mile peace run and a 20 mile long run on Sunday. Last big weekend before Marathon taper.
Bike rides and Cadbury caramel eggs
Rest per Dr orders.
Trail run with Team RWB and some miles in the saddle
Last long run before a half marathon next weekend
Saturday will run in the mad bull 5K in our town. Also will plan to get out on the bike and climb some of our local hills here in Kentucky. Look to get in between 20 and 50 miles.
Training plan was do my 5th and final run of the week… Accomplished!
Planning on joining the club ride on Saturday or Sunday and possibly a trail run.
Tapper period before my IM.
I need to improve my hiking skills, after Easter hike my knees are complaining!
Lotta yard work…so strength training? Maybe take a short trip to Watopia when I my arms get tired raking.
11 mile run, 3 hour training ride and Choctaw milk!
Skiing then warm up indoors with Zwift!
Gravel racing… Maybe ;)
I am going to do a 3 hour ride Saturday and 1.5 hour run on Sunday
57 mile gravel race in the hills of Michigan, 80-ish miles road riding in boring Chicago environs, intermittently punctuated by whiskey.
I went for an 84km ride on Saturday with a friend primarily flat land training with a few sprints thrown in.
Long run and nap after.
This week’s training plans includes today’s 4 mile run; Tuesday 60-60×20; Wednesday rest; Thursday threshold; Friday rest; Saturday 3x2mi interval, 5 min rest; Sunday 8 mi easy.
Training includes lots of recovery after this past weekend’s Hell of Hunterdon. Just soft pedaling on the trainer is work right now. Ha!
Explore the new Zwift expansion (which is excellent!)
Easter egg hunts.
some trx session for me
Weights, Easter hunt with the kids then a nice long ride
No real training for me… Merely resting and getting ready for my (Road cycling) race on Sunday.
I’m tapering for Paris marathon, so just two runs at slow pace… and several capillarization sessions with my Compex device.
Easy hour run on Saturday. Long run Sunday! – 2 hours
Did a couple hours with trainerroad, and a 2hr run on Sunday – hope to win this!
Prime rib, chocolate, and a couple of Peloton classes is how I spent the weekend!
I will be running 6 miles on Saturday and biking 60 miles on Sunday.
Trainer, trainer, and more trainer. Still cold outside and just snowed…again. Using the cream in the Cadbury egg as comfort for my college basketball defeat while utilizing the sugar as fuel! Double win!!
A 5k trail run on Saturday and then off on my holidays on Sunday!
Saturday s 90 min HR 2 and 30 min HR 3 – I’ll do that on some nice ravine trails. Sunday will be a light bike and lots of stretching.
Go for a runoff the beach in Florida–on vacation!!
Brick with my 9 yr old son (4 bike and 1 run) and then a 6 mile run on Sunday.
Had to take the weekend off to finish kicking the flu. But now it’s race season time. Next 4 weekends I’ll be running halfs!
A hike and long ride. Thanks!
Planning a 45 mile bike ride and a 3k swim!
Hope to ride 26mi if my rolled ankle is better. No marathon relay for me :(
Went out for a long run with a friend and then spent Sunday hobbling around after said run. Not sure why it hit me so hard, but it did!
Crashed my 2015 Tarmac a couple of weeks ago at 35k/hr and am now bikeless. :(
So weekend training plans include running, running and some more running. Never know how far until I’m actually out there because I don’t have any races on the dock right now, especially none that would require a bike. :((((((((((
Next little while will be dedicated to getting back into running shape.
So lots of running a mile walking a mile training
Easy run and chocolate reward… Fat loading at its best…
My training plans revolved around testing out a new mountain bike (Felt Decree), and (unfortunately) a fair amount of time on my Kickr. At least Zwift helps!
Training this weekend will be a short run Saturday and then the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle 8k.
Long trail runs, rock climbing & beers with friends
I’m getting my interval sessions in this long weekend.
Friday swimming intervals 3000 m
Saturday bike riding 10 km warm up/ 40 km of main route/ 10 km recovery
Sunday running 12 km with temp 5.30
Sunday night burger night!
My weekend training plans are to get in a long run before the kids wake up on Sunday
Training for my upcoming half-marathon.
Last training run this Saturday before me and all my family from around the country converge in Chicago for a 10k/half-marathon followed by ample amounts of beer and Spring training baseball!
Does riding a bus back from a hockey tournament for 16 straight hours count as training?
Had aimed to get a nice 15k run in, which I managed to do between the cold rain downpours :)
Weekend is already done, but I ran 10 miles and found some Easter eggs! Not all at once..
Me please! My weekend plans involved exploring DC and breaking the daily step record on my fitbit!
Swim intervals, long bike, rest day and bike VO2max
A short run and a long one…gotta tire out the dog!
There will be swimming, biking, and running. Not in that order. Volumes to be determined. Each time I finish on my stationary trainer, I think “gosh, I wonder how THAT ride would have looked if I’d been measuring power.” Please help me out!
This weekend, I will spend my Sunday Funday Runday with my awesome friends training for our spring Half Marathons!
CrossFit, some Olympic lifting and a long run.
Planning a short ride of about 20k on Saturday and a longer 40k on Sunday.
Riding across the brand new SR-520 bridge between Seattle and Bellevue with 5,999 of my closest friends!
I’m going to say that this weekend is a rest day…. If only every rest day involved ribs and strawberry rhubarb pie.
Best intentions is to see me have a crack at a 5k parkrun on Saturday followed by a long 15k sunday run… But Chocolate could happen so a 12k long run Monday morning is a backup!!!
Slow, slow bike ride (first time out after ski season)
Tempo run on Saturday and a long interval run session around Centennial Park on Sunday.
A recovery week before starting another steady state build.
My training plans included dying eggs and going on nice long walks with my mom whom I hadn’t seen since Thanksgiving. Easy weekends are important to recuperate the mind and body.
Ride Friday, sailing Sunday. Beer
Long run, then hiking with the dog
Going for a run on the beach
30 minute tempo run on Saturday and a 6 mile run on Sunday.
Treadmill intervals and a swim
I’m on vacation this week and at the peak of my half marathon training. Flying to Orlando tomorrow and already plotted my run routes around the hotel. Doing 10 on Wednesday and 8 on Friday on unfamiliar grounds will be tough.
Taking the new bike out for its first ride. Need to burn off the candy I helped my kids eat.
Kia Ora.Weekend over in this part of the world… but did manage a chocolate-fueled jaunt on the treadmill, followed by a session of tin throwing. Good times.
My weekend plans include a lot of sweet spot base on the road bike, fueled by Cadbury eggs…
I have a 40 mile road ride planned for Sat and some mountain biking on Sun.
Weather permitting, I’ll be working out the kinks on a new bike.
I’ll be back in the gym on Friday and in the pool on Sunday for a good 3000m set. Coming back after 10days off on vacation.
Going for a short run 8km then grab my bike for 30km
Tapering for Boston Marathon. 6 miler Friday after work, cross training Saturday (round of golf), and long run Sunday of about 16 miles.
Do a criterium race on Saturday and 2.5 hr endurance ride on Sunday.