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.
No adventure, just chilling after a 1,000 miles of cycling from John O’Groats to Lands End.
Coffee in bella italia and roadracing in the black forest
Yesterday (Sat), I left all gadgets at home and just ran at what felt like an easy pace. It made running even more enjoyable than usual. No checking of the watch and worrying about this, that and the next thing. Just movement, a sense of freedom and whatever thoughts happened to pass through my head. I think I’ll do the same today but run a bit further and perhaps incorporate some hillier terrain.
Even if you’re attached to your gadgets and data, I recommend that once in a while, you put them away and simply go out and do what you love. I suspect (and hope) you will return feeling refreshed and invigorated.
Gadgets and data can certainly be useful, but I sometimes wonder whether (and to what extent) they alter (in a problematic way) the structure of one’s experience of an activity.
Between Family affairs i did two short runs. 10km + 4km
Half marathon round Bois de la Cambre/Foret des Soignes, BXL
Well, technically my physical therapist instructed me not to run since I’m recovering from an ankle sprain. But I think a couple of slow miles would still be okay.
Saturday a nice Trainerroad workout, today just a base run.
5k run today
Going for a long run this weekend :)
Not sure it’s an adventure but lots of trainer time!
Got to run a few miles on Saturday.
Continue the build-up to ironman distance: long run, long ride!
Sat: Easy bike ride
Sun: Cyclosportive tour as group (Starkenburg-RTF)
1ookm roadrace in Austria… yahoo
Did a run-bike-run-bike-run this weekend.
Order is important. Running, cycling and yardwork.
A 15km exploratory walk of Barcelona on both Saturday and Sunday. With a rucksack!
Getting a 4600-yd swim in and starting to study for the next class of Law School!
Practice sprint tri!
A 2.5km swim as rehab while waiting for a running injury to heal.
The weekend has some tapering runs before the Ottawa Marathon next weekend.
6km recovery run following last weekends marathon.
Thanks Ray!
Finally feel recovered from my marathon so I’m doing squats and other leg work for greater strength.
Back to double-digit runs. Base building after Boston.Debating a fall marathon.The sale on the 735 looks tempting.
11km trail run to an old quarry.
easy run & ride on saturday + 160km ride with lots of climbing on sunday
Etape Caledonia!!
Unfortunately no training plans for the weekend. Business travel. A nice gadget would be great to boost my motivation!
2 days of cycling in the great weather! Taking in three of the big climbs in Kent, Yorks hill, Toys hill and White lane. Giro eat your heart out.
Testing my freshly-self-built Stevens Xenon on the road for the first time!
It was a 10k race in White Brook Windup and 600ft of ascent. Phew what a race!
my usual sunday group ride, and maybe a boring solo run
Two rounds around the lake and a nice barbecue later on :)
Prepping for the CVR World Cup in London on June 6th: so never mind the nice weather, Zwift that is!
I have just completed my first triathlon, I even managed to cut 2 minutes from my pb swim time which is never thought I would be able to do 6 months ago.
I’m already looking at booking another one!
Ran my longest run of the year, and my first run over 10 miles since getting injured last fall. Did a local Half marathon woth paces. Stuck to the plan until the last 3 miles, then just couldn’t help my self, had to pick it up.
Zwifting indoors as it rains outdoors.
Made a 100km ride on a mostly flat terrain. Maybe not too enjoyable, although better than nothing :)
Went cycling with my boy and took a nice 10k run in the woods while he was playing soccer with his team. Good fun!
Grafman 70.3 – Run was living hell but hey – win some lose some right?
Race yesterday and rest today!
A bit short on time this weekend, so limited it to a 10k run.
Long ride with my friends.. awesome.
A couple of good walks in a park. Slow days, recently.
Ran the Ecotrail 20k in Oslo. Had a fab day:)
A trail run was done today sunday! :)
The Guernsey 36 mile ultramarathon!
Took advantage of the weather to walk around our neighborhood and managed to spot 2 chipmunks!
I am going on a 10k charity run for cancer research!
Nice easy recovery jog
10k PR using stryd!
bike and run in the sun :-)
Friday evening Mtn Bike ride up water dog lake; Saturday walk San Carlos hometown days parade with my kids while they scooter (for their school); Sunday road bike up Kings Mtn road then take a nap
I have a good trip on my kickbike this sunday. More intense as on my bike(s) and less the running (that I can’t do anymore). Love it. Great weather and good to see so much green on my trip.
Fun filled weekend with bike time trial efforts and swim on Saturday and easy spin with a hilly run off the bike for Sunday! Kids baseball game spectating in between it all as well!
Road ride with my son. He still rides with me. Next season Ill be riding with him… I hope.
mountain bike climbing intervals
did a 50-60 km walk through the night to raise money for cancer
I rode a preview ride for a very hilly 70.3 Tri course. Temps were perfect in the mid 50’s with sun and not too much wind. I feel bad for the people who have to run 13 after that bike because my legs were toast.
Long ride on Saturday, followed by recovery/technique spin Sunday.
64 miles on the TT bike completed today, practice for 100 mile TT.
Half Triathlon in Nieuwkoop (NL)
Nice run today under the the parisian sun :-)
90km bike ride tomorrow morning
5k race on Saturday followed by a short mountain bike ride and a 30 mile bike ride on Sunday.
Am I too late?
Weight workout on a beautiful NW day.
Making a visit to Wattopia
My first ever open water swim:-)
walking the dog – training for my next marathon doesn’t begin in earnest until mid next month.
Had planned a long (100 miles+) but forgot that we had planned to visit my inlaws and their 50th Anniversary. And we had to paint the patio…. But I managed to squeeze in a short and intense bike ride (40 k).
no near term races on the calendar. just logging some running miles. a 2hr trail run and a 10mi road run.
Pushing a twin stroller loaded with 3 years-old twins up a 750m counts as “athletic adventure”?? :-)
Run and open water swim in the beautiful sun :)
A little running and a small bike ride.
Help my wife train for her upcoming ‘Race for Life’ Charity race.
Nothing this weekend as saving myself for a 95 miler next weekend
Short run due to weekend mostly filled with spouse birthday party.
Starting to run again after injury. Looking forward to it
to visit best friend do a hard ride the a long slow recovery ride with him
and the a long lunch
Chasing after children. All day. All weekend. You’ll see…
Friendly soccer game was on the menu…
I went out on my mountain bike, foraging for wild spring edibles. Came home with some fiddleheads and cattail shoots and a great ride.
Ran 10ks on saturday and sunday. must be getting old duh :)
50 miles in the cold and wind of the American Midwest….
Nothing too crazy, just doing runs in different states on my road trip from Florida to New York with the family!
Would get back on the trail, having finally recovered from that 100 miler DNF…
a walk to the yogurt shop was all I could muster
Recovering from an Achilles issue so just enjoying some time golfing.
4 days of mountain bike racing in the Port to Port
A 40k trail run!!!
I went on a 50km mountainbike ride with my father.
I rode the very hilly Tour of Pembrokeshire sportive. Hills hills headwind and more hills.
Cycled the furthest I’ve ever been in a day: 171 miles circumnavigating London
Long Ride
Visiting friends that just had a baby girl this weekend, so it’s going to be a recovery weekend
3 mile run today.
Looong bike and first outdoor swim of the year
Running for about an hour and nice day with kids on a sunny day
Fast running in the trail!