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.
Still in recovery mode from meniscus surgery … but still plan to put in a few miles on the bike.
Group ride Sat morning, MTB Sat afternoon.
60+mile cafe ride on Sunday with my local club
Packing a Subaru Forester with everything I own, and hitting the road to a new town. (If you’ve played packing Tetris before, you know it can be a workout)
Just eating candy. I’m told recover is the most important part of training
Half marathon for this Sunday!
Eating candy with my husband!
LSD today then an interval @MP tmr.
Rail trail run with some of my team mates.
I’m doing two HIIT workouts, a group run, and a 5-mile hike this weekend.
Still recovering from IM. A little bit of pool time to practise how to float.
Going for a trail run this weekend if it doesn’t rain :) Thanks!
Running in lakeshore path in south side Chicago.
Remember myself that I am in the off-season so a little bit of cycling and than REST!!
A 24-mile run.
Off season, so probably just going for a 10k easy run
60 km bunch ride on the retro steel bike, then weekend on call.
I have done my 2.4km run, took the dog for a recovery walk, done the gardening. tomorrow i will be doing true grit obstacle course race. happy days.
Getting ready to start Austin Marathon training plan.
Mtb trail at pulau ubin
Trail run up to Russian Ridge
TRX and rowing.
No training this weekend due to a death in the family. :'( on many levels.
Rest: slippes disc
Road bike ride on Sunday.
Running!!
Some indoor cycling – it’s cold already here!
I have been suffering from a bit of an ankle knack so no running this weekend. Might still have to go to my boxing class though.
Easy runs on saturday and runday.
I’m doing a mountain time trial tomorrow. 25min. of pure pain! Wish me luck.
Easy run + weekend warrior cycling out
Deep sand hill training, swimming with my son and some integrated hot yoga stretching exercises with mrs…
Going for a long run!
90 minute trail run out of Carnation Washington Sat. morning. YMCA swim Sunday morning … :)
It was going to be a long outdoor ride, but rain intervened and turned it into a pretzel. ?
Running in the snowing Moscow
TFC racing series on Zwift.
Carrying on with Couch to 5k running program. This weekend it will be Week 3 Workout 1.
Eating pizza and drinking beer with friends
2km Halloween fun run with my son
Short run on Sat, maybe a bike. Longer run on Sunday, probably around 15 miles.
18k long run
Got a 120k loop, then sitting and praying my new smart trainer arrives this weekend!
Marathon race
Short run around the local state park.
I have a mornings ride on my gravel bike then out with the kids in the afternoon with their bikes.
I’ll be going for an easy Sunday run :-)
Some gym and running time 4 me
An easy paced 5 mile run today & nice long off road ride tomorrow along the river round a couple of lakes to annoy the fishermen.
Only a short run. Still recovering from injury.
Running!
Last proper trail ride on wet roots and leaves. Or comfy gym-time.
Stretching and rolling on Sat, then hitting the trail on Sunday ?
Short run in my transition period; waiting for Ironman italy – Emilia Romagna 2017!
Its Noosa Tri weekend in Aus!! Wish me luck!
Two rides around the south of France. Got to love a long bridge weekend.
Trainerroad in my garage
Indoor ride, cold outdoor swim and run
A run down to Blarney Castle in Cork Ireland
If I make lucky my wife will let me get out on my bike ???
A couple of hours on the bike.
TRX, Squads and so on.. :-)
it’s cold here in Moscow: i’m going to go to swimming pool
Just 5k run
Just like walking & stuff
Indoor swimming, mtb with friends and a recovery run on sunday
is being a coach potato also ok. need to rest a little after badminton interclub of yesterday :)
next run is for after the weekend
Cycling Saturday. Body weight workout Sunday
Just finished an FTP test (increase of >14%!). Recovery the rest of today and all day tomorrow:). Then start next training block on Monday.
I will get my trainer out on the balcony and re-register for Zwift and get in my bike. ?
And as always a longer slow run in the Berlin woods.
This weekend dedicated to rest and working on bikes in the garage. Back to riding and running on Monday.
12 km run and a 2 hour bike. Both 140 bpm max limit. Nice and easy!
Sadly time is against me this weekend
Eaely morning walk on Saturday with my son. Then a 90 minute Turbo Trainser session courtesy of TrainerRoads Baxter workout. Then lots of work in the garden and cleaning my bikes.
Sunday will be dominated by a MTB event called Cross Mountain – 52km across some of Wales’s finest, and maybe a little surf later if time / tides and waves allow.
Started my weekend with my local parkrun as usual. It was a quick one, new pbs all over the place. I got one too!!
Cycling, and maybe a run and a swim!
Just some cx races!
Autumn training ride
Intervals and swimming with my club Lomond Swimming and Triathlon Club up in Scotland.
If it’s going to rain on Sunday then an hour or so on a trainer. If it’s not going to rain then 30-ish miles on a bike.
50 mile ride with 3000′ climbing in Italy.
Raining this weekend but trying to get a ride in Saturday morning.
Swimming in morning and some athletics in the afternoon!
Have to complete the 5 k of swiming for this week und continue with a few k running and a bike ride if the weather allows it.
I’m going to do… just nothing
I have 6 hours to decide (in my sleep) where I want to run for my Saturday morning run.
Saturday is for rolling and recovering, Sunday, being Diwali, plan is to do a pre-festive burn with a race pace half marathon. Hope to clock 1:45 or lower…followed by stretches and cool down, bien sûr :)
Weekend started on Friday for me. I went for a run. On Saturday I would like to jump on the bike and hit some CX trails. On Sunday most likely on the bike too with my friend who just bought new Ridley Gravel bike :)
Bike today, running tomorrow
Still recovering from IMBarca :D, so some unstructured biking I guess.
Run today. Trying to get back into it after a cycling holiday.
I will do some hiking
Hiking Cumberland Falls, one of the largest waterfalls on the east coast. Maybe some trail biking as well. :)
Saturday morning 90 minute road cycle, Sunday evening 60 minute run. Nights are closing in, winter is coming!!
Local 5k with my daughter. I may win this time!
Probably not…
Recovery for me, after a 30k, very hilly mtb ride on Friday.
Recovery from severe bacterial illness and hope that it is not the worst possible.
Cycle with the local bike club
Pre Halloween 10k run on Sunday morning.
Some fast running on the menu (10k race on Sunday!)