Last call for sports tech deals before New Year!! Most of these are still live till Dec 31st. The Garmin Fenix 8 is $250 off to $749, (even the Fenix 8 Pro is $100 off!), the Garmin Edge 850 is $110 off, Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on sale, the Garmin inReach Mini 2 is $249, the GoPro Hero 13 Black, DJI NEO, and a ton of other brands/deals, including Wahoo, Oura, Whoop, Polar, Samsung, Google, and more than 100 sports tech 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.
This weekend I’m travelling and won’t have an opportunity at all to train! I get home on Monday night though and hope to get out for a ride then!
Sunday 5k just to see how long it takes me. I am walking in one in a couple weeks and i have not done squat for it.
I imagine food with family and GoT will be in order. As well as the new XMen movie.
I will also br getting a wish list together for if i win the drawing. I gave been jonesng for a Garmin 235 in the bluesince last October.
Plans:
1st: Remembering and honoring the men and women who didn’t make it home.
2nd: BBQ’ing with friends and taking in Game 7 OKC vs. GSW!
This weekend will be a mix of cycling and getting wet running!
No real plan, I’ll be playing around with my Polar A360 wristband. I could use the giveaway though, my budget is tight this year.
Saturday 5kms jogging to relax the legs.
Sunday 130 km’s biking between Romagna and Toscana region in Italy.
?
Actually I got to go I’m almost late!
NUTS trail run in Kuusamo, Finland done – awesomeness! :)
Did a 5k run yesterday. But with a lack of sleep due to a 2yr old i’ll be working on my recovery skills today. I’ll be aided by Nemo, Lightning and Woody :)
As I’m on call duty the entire weekend. I’ll do a specific bike route where the furthest away from home is 35 minutes which gets me enough time to come home within a hour – Even with a flat. Total bike route is 95km
I plan to do an overnight hike in Denali National Park this weekend. And eat some BBQ, of course.
Gym training,and afternoon beach volleyball:))
My weekend is full of kid’s things so I’ll go with a session of turbo training at home and/or a short run
Just a 20k run in easy zone 2 tempo. Gonna be great
Broke my leg some weeks ago. So the plan looks like 20 min indoor cycling and some strength training
Solo 60km ride on Saturday, 70km group ride on Sunday, followed by 20km waffle ride, for a 150km weekend
Training?? Pff that’s the past! Now it’s time for raacciinngg! A crit’ this afternoon!
Running, resting, lawn cutting. I hope I will have the opportunity to spend more time running than lawn cutting. ?
Mountain biking yesterday and today a long run.
Friday evening – MTB 2h
Saturday – MTB 1,5h
Sunday – 20k running
bit of MTB in prep for a holiday and maybe some road riding if the weather is nice
Not too much this weekend as I had to spent half of it driving around and getting things done.. But 40k on the bike and a 5k run are the least!
I plan to make a long 2 hours run training for a marathon scheduled in 2 weeks, then I am gonna help a friend for finishing his triathlon.
I’ll be running mainly short 5k-runs in order to practise for an upcoming sprint-orienteering race.
I’ll be running 5k/day plus 5k swimming every other day. Must be getting old or something huh?
Hello Ray
This weekend: Lot’s of running (as much as the weather allows) and yoga when I need to stay inside.
Nate
Short weekend here and no BBQ for me.
Yesterday I went for a short trail running session and I’ll go for another one right now.
It’s a tough (bbq-wise) weekend in Poland to but one has to be strong and go out there. 10k on Saturday and 18k on Sunday.
I will be starting to train for my first 5K!
I’ll follow the recently 42k training program introduced by Polar, into their Flow Web interface.
Short ride on saturday , which did not turn out to happen. Long MTB ride on Sunday, hopefully.
Still recovering from my race last weekend, so this weekend will be limited to an easy parkrun.
Half marathon 6 a.m. sunday morning. Lovin’ the early sunrise!
OW swimming for an hour or so while the kids build sandcastles with my husband :)
A leisurely cycle around the English countryside with a couple of runs through the park thrown in.
Long run 20km+
A Brock workout, preparing for my first olympic tri next weekend, wish me luck!
Flying to US today with running gears packed. A nice monday run along the lake will replace my sunday run this time.
with 3 months due, I’ll take it easy and do some yoga this weekend.
bad weather in italy… so just bike on saturday!
18 km run on Saturday and a 55 km bike ride on Sunday
10m tt effort and then running after wobbly child round the forest!
(Sneaking another training session in when the family aren’t looking)
The plan was to brick Sat and long ride sunday. It ended out being a bike / run on Sat and cake on sunday….
Having tough trainings for weekend:
Saturday swim and long bike
Sunday trip with kids then bike and run in the evening.
Yesterday went for a walk, today will go swim in the pool.
First a long (120k) groupride, followed by a recovery ride on Sunday!
I will try to bike with friends about 200 km with my MTB in two days from Hermon mountain to Tel Aviv
Ride some hills in the Eastern suburbs and then run a fast 7km on Sunday
I´m doing a 145k race around a fjord in Norway.
two to three hours each day, building up kms.
Well this weekend, will be a recovery one with a bit of hiking and walking along the L’Yonne.
Break away from a week too busy to get on the bike, apart from a brief daily commute. Spend some kilometres coming to terms with training with a power meter. Spend some time at the Mountain Bike Park on Sunday on handling skills.
Finally, take my youngest daughter to ride some crazy Circus bikes that a brilliant guy here dreams up and builds.
Long bike rides in the rare English sun!
My workout plans include a 10K race on Saturday and a 90 minute TT Spinervals session on Sunday.
This weekend’s plans: long runs… just for the fun of it!
Recovering from a marathon last weekend.
First Metric Century of the year…Hope I got my seat height right finally…
5K Parkrun Saturday
Long Ride Sunday
Working the bank holiday Monday but still commuting by bike
Resting after the 25k with my wife, my daughter and her boyfriend.
link to youtu.be
and getting nervous. 100k in Biel (Switzerland) in two weeks.
A 10K Race! First run race of the year!
Went for a BQ at the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City, Michigan. Heat and humidity was absolutely terrible for this time of year (especially after training in cool weather all winter/spring) and only got 3:04 which beats the qualifying time but won’t get me in the race :(.
Start of the running season for me! A 10K race to kick it off!
Had a 5k run yesterday and some serious gardening, today restday and danceshow of my daughter
Off Saturday. BBQ at home!
75 mile ride Sunday followed by 10 minute brick run. Rest!
40 minute run. BBQ at a friend’s!
A charity bike race.
Preparation for a 30km trail run: 20 km up and down on stairs and hills (~1000 m accumulated D+) on Saturday, long run on Sunday (~30 km).
A pair of futter park loops Saturday and Sunday. Doesn’t get any better than this.
Bbq swim… Bbq gym.. Bbq run !!!
Cycle 40k on Sunday if weather permits or go a for short run of 3k.
I had a 1 hour swimming on Saturday and today I will go for a short run
Free parkrun with my son.
Then a Club Handicap sprint distance triathlon. Great weekend.
Easy Sunday run here in Amsterdam…
Trail running along the Big Sur Coast.
there’s a 10k run that i’m entering in my hometown. after that maybe some mountainbiking…
A gentle hills ride to make the most of the sun before winter sets in.
Easy long run training for my first marathon, few beers training for the after party!
Hi Ray,
My weekend started as usual with a PT session at lunch on Friday, followed by 10km run of Melbourne’ Tan. Unfortunately I’ve convinced our trainer to move into Triathlons. So he smashed out a 2nd place in the Melbourne summer sprint series and is now working on ITU age group olympic distance. Ride home from work Friday night, 15km. Yarra Boulevard after sunset. Saturday morning swim with the local boys at Balwyn’s 50m year-round outdoor pool, 2km, alongside the Chinese olympic squad preparing for Rio. They’re a bit faster. Ride Sunday from Surrey Hills to Emerald and back, 100km. Emerald is smack bang in the middle of the Aussie forests. Over the local benchmark for riding: the 1 in 20 hill up Mt Dandenong. Pink buns at the Emerald bakery. Sun night easy run with mate to Wattle Park. Monday morning back in the pool for 1500m, easier start before work. Will be cold this week, almost freezing.
100 mile group ride on Saturday, some light intervals or a recovery ride Sunday.
Monday is my usual rest day.
Brick session Saturday- 70km ride with a 5km run
Setting up for the week ahead with a body balance class
It’s national day on june 6th so we have an extra day of from work. I cross my fingers for sunny and warm wheater so I can take long bike rides.
Hard intervals Saturday and an easy ride Sunday.
long ride with the local crew!
80 k bikeride and enjoying the scenery on saturday. For sunday a 5×5 weight training.
Going for a trail run and then a hike with the family and my fat dogs
Grilling and then biking if the weather gets better.
5h long ride on Friday, swim on Saturday and a 2,5h run on Sunday cause I have an IM race in 3 weeks!
Did already fun race with a kids during weekly Parkrun series. Will try to accommodate all Tri workouts including hard cycle session and some stretching session.
After a GranFondo in Tremblant (Canada) saturday, i will do a small trainer ride on my new triathlon bike. And a BBQ too !
I plan a run and taking care of my two children :-)
Long run on sunday.
7×3 AT with long warm up cool down (in shanghai) and a trail run in HK on friday morning…was awesome!!
It is stinkin’ hot today (40C) and I am volunteering in a race. I am part of the Xtra Mile Crew in the Ottawa Race Weekend Half Marathon and Marathon. We jump on to the course at various places around the course to offer encouragement and assistance to folks who need a little boost. Yesterday was drinking lots of water and staying cool. Tomorrow is an easy run.
We’re training for a 250+ mile ride that raises money for Alzheimer’s disease. And hiking and BBQ.
Long flat ride on Saturday and then the Ottawa half-marathon in Sunday.
Hopefully getting to get myself prepared for masters track nationals on Saturday :)
Racing the Goulburn junior tour
A beautiful 13k trail race in La roca del Valles near Barcelona, 80% of the race in shade between trees !
I am recovering from surgery so it will be just walking, I hope next week I can start training hard
My last exam for sophomore year in College is on tuesday, so no training at all this weekend, just studying hard… but next week I have a beautiful trail race for a charity that helps building a school in Ethiopia.
A few hill runs, white water rafting and a bike ride