Heads up! The big Garmin annual spring sale has started, with $200 off the Fenix 8 (first sale to date!), $100 off the Edge 1050, Forerunner 965 at $499, the Forerunner 265, the new Instinct 3, and countless other Garmin products including inReach Mini 2. Plus the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium is on sale, and some Suunto & Wahoo product deals too. Full list & thoughts 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.
Trying to find some plowed and reasonably dry pavement to ride after we got 2 feet of heavy, wet snow dumped on us in Boulder this week.
Doing a 53 mile ride, first time outside since being hit by a car in Sept.
A trail run in the Santa Monica Mtns!
Sunrise 8 mile tempo run on Easter morning, then spending the day with my family
Going to try for a couple hours on the bike after Easter brunch with friends. Pool workout today consisted of chasing the kids in a wading pool.
My plans for this weekend is to do two rides both up a local mountain pass feuled with lots of Easter eggs.
Running my 25th consecutive Crescent City Classic 10k in New Orleans!
Mountain Bike ride on Saturday and a Road Bike ride on Sunday.
My goal for the weekend is if my first ride up Mt Tamarancho, should be around 40+ miles and 4000+ feet of ascending….. For some reason, I’ve only done Mt Diablo, Mt. Tam and Mt Hamilton still need to be climbed!
10K this weekend!
A couple of runs. One on the roads and one on the trails.
Track run then eating plenty of deviled eggs!
Long run on Sunday.
10 mile threshold, hit the canyons in SLC
Saturday: Short/Light 20 Mile ride and 6 Mile Run
Sunday: 90 Min Run in the morning and 90 min-2hr Trainer Road tm night
I got a 6 miler planned for Saturday :-)
Planning on Saturday and Sunday early morning runs, maybe a bit of swimming or cycling as well.
Will try to improve my half-marathon best!
Ride 2 hours Saturday followed by 3 mile run and run 8 miles sunday
I’m going for a long run. Hopefully Seattle is blessed with some sun.
Riding with good buddies Sat/Sun mornings and getting dropped!
Easter Triathalon – 11 mile run, walk the farmers market, and a recovery brunch
6 mile lactate threshold on Friday, recovery run on Saturday, and 20 miles on Sunday. Avoiding the Peeps
Just started tapering for April marathon, so 14 easy miles.
40 mile ride Saturday and Sunday
I’m going out for an “easy” 40 mile ride with my brother in law on Saturday. I’m just hoping to survive.
25 mi bike ride followed with 3 mile run Saturday. 8 mile run Sunday
run and more running. tempo sat and long sunday
Heading to New Orleans for a lot of walking …and eating.
A 5500 meter swim – training for 4.4 mile Chesapeake Bay Swim.
Long trail run on Saturday to enjoy nature.
I hope start training again…..
It was to long
60 minutes on the indoor trainer Saturday followed by a 40 mile outdoor ride on Sunday.
Burning off all of the chocolate that I am going to eat :P :P :P
Gosh Darn Gravel Grinder 50K route in central TN on Saturday, maybe at MTB ride Sunday if trails are open
I’ll be running 8 miles on Saturday and 10-12 on Sunday
Chasing my kids after they get jacked up on chocolates and desserts.
Training run for my first duathlon in June.
Plan to complete the Zwift full course of Pretzel this weekend!
New coach, doing various long and short efforts to collect data for trainingpeaks!
13+ on the trails on Saturday, 8+ on Sunday. Just starting to ramp up the training.
Ride, ride, and ride.
I have new wheels to try out, so a couple trips up the mountain for me.
Saturday and Sunday trail runs. With my husband, if he can keep up.
A long run in the cold, Iowa weather. This will proceed another long ride in the cold, Iowa weather. I need to move to Hawaii.
TrainerRoad Saturday afternoon and a fair bit of rest on Sunday.
Recovery from injury, no training unfortunately. Using the break to catch up on other important things like work and rest, but I will be back soon and probably stronger again.
I had a great plan to do a series of runs while I’m off visiting family for the long weekend, only to arrive and discover I’d forgotten my shoes. Sad panda.
Planning on getting back in the gym and prep for the upcoming tri season
I plan to do a short easy run and relax!
Some running…
First day back after an Achilles strain… Short 30 min run… Nothing fancy
A 4+ hour brick, then enjoy the rest of the weekend with the family!
Since I am stationed in Alaska I am still on the trainer!! 90 min workout Saturday, long easy run Sunday afternoon.
About 60 miles ridding..with hill repeats.
Couple of long rides 60+ miles
Cycling both Saturday and Sunday.
Enjoying the spring weather with a 12 mile run.
20+ mile run, 30 mile bike ride, and rock climbing! Should be a fun weekend!
I will be running my LSD of 28km this weekend in a negative spilt at optimal pace to wrap up the weekend with a 100km mileage clocked this week.
Perhaps a 10k on Saturday and serious eating on Sunday.
Off road 10km run Sat, Mountain biking 30km Sun.
Get back in the swing of things.
A spring break trip to Niagara Falls and Toronto (yes going north!) with running mixed in.
8 mile run on Sunday morning, then off to the Warriors game!
Friday: 45 min. Stride run
Saturday: 2 hour Brick & 60 min. Swim
Sunday: 3 hour Ride
Dreaming of getting rid of my Achilles tendinitis that is threatening my London marathon for the second time in 2 years. NO!!!
A light run on Saturday, and eating on Sunday!
Oh, no. I got a cold. Therefore my weekend will be at home nursing with my flue :(
Long 30 mile ride on Saturday, and a nice track workout of 200’s on Sunday. Maybe some Goaltimate after my ride on Saturday, but that will depend on how long the Goalty pickup game goes.
I will be going for an extended run…. for holiday beers or desert beers. Southern Tier Creme Brulee, floats anyone. Then continue onto a Bike and carry for Chocolate bunnies, or as it might be best know hunting fo wabbits.
Run with my daughter on Saturday. Ride with my sun on Sunday.
Slow weekend with only a couple of shorter runs as I begin taper to a 1/2 marathon next weekend.
I’ll ride my bike, for however long I feel like it, on Saturday and run around, to somewhere, on Sunday. Mostly, just be outside and be moving :)
goal is do some laps as much as I can in the hospital floor – still recovering from open heart surgery, many days yet to be back on my bike or jogging, but this weekend I’ll be feeling awesome just being able to walk ;-)
I am going to hop onto a hiking trail and take a nice long hike on Saturday and Sunday.
1,5 hour bike on Saturday
5 mile run on Sunday
Tomorrow I plan going for a three hour ride then do a run off the ride. Sunday is church then a long run.
Running intervals and at least 3 indoor cycling sessions planned.
I’m doing a 6 hour race on a 1.93 mile trail loop! will be wearing a bunny tail, and maybe some bunny ears. Just viewing it as training for longer races coming up this spring and summer.
20mi bike ride Sat, 1hr swim Sun
Training with power could be my thing, if I win.
Nice one Ray! Keep it up.
I will be training if the weather permits, I hope a lot of cycling.
Brick workout followed by Belgian beer night at the local pub. Better recovery than compression boots, I promise!
I will do normal 10K in friday-sunday and a football game on sunday afternoon :)
ride, ride and more riding. got to get the miles up!
I’ll be running a 12 mile training run through hills, watching some basketball and eating chocolate.
I’m gonna get a long ride in on Sunday. Still finding my position on the new tri bike; hope I get it soon! Getting tired of changing out stems..
10 K tranning for the marathon. =)
Off for a run with the easter bunny on Saturday. Then a relaxing sauna.
My plans are to ride with a friend around 40 miles on Saturday morning, a 13 mile solo run in the afternoon, and 50 miles ride again on Sunday.
20 min easy bike ride tomorrow, and 1 hour long run Sunday, if my body gets rid of what appears to be the flu in time.
Group ride on Saturday. Solo ride on Easter.
Trail ridn!
Just hoping to get in a good run and watch a little basketball.
Hopefully I am going to be able to do some interval training if the weather allows it
This weekend I’m planning to train for a 5k and, hopefully, do some hiking with my husband.
With all the snow I’ll be riding the trainer inside. Bummer.
As many miles as I can get before the rain hits Saturday afternoon.
Planning an 8 mile run as training for a May Half Marathon
Run today, backcountry ski tomorrow, bike ride Sunday. Monday …