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.
Nothing but a walk, to my frustration. I got a prescription of antibiotics last Friday to cure an infection. This will probably mean I can’t start the triathlon I was training for in 2 weeks, so I am a bit disappointed…
Did a short 7km run after a road trip with my parents
Recover from the 80km I ran on Thursday and starting to run back on Monday to prepare for my 1st 100 mile race
Road bike -40mile + 10krun
Just an easy recovery ride
One or two MTB rides on the local mountain.
Taper weekend, 7 days before Ironman Brazil.
Wake boarding weekend!!!
Since its travel time for work, it’s hitting the pavements
Did a 10 k competition
A sunday morning run and a sunday evening run and a core workout
Ran 14 km – personal record but also came in last!
Weekend of training. 1.5 hours on the bike followed by 30 min run on Saturday, and 45min run on Sunday
I will do my longest run because because olympus marathon 44km 3300m+ (GR) is comming in hot! ???
long bike plus run sat and swim long run sunday!
Today MTB race 65 km and back home 156 km :) how and very very hard day.
Indoor rowing with some weightlifting after. The next day an open water swim with my new new wave swim buoy!
I’m still regenerating from a tough Transvulcania but I was cheering today for my wife who participated at a women’s run here in Vienna, Austria. With running after the kids I got my 14000 steps as well. ?
Racing mountain 2 main tri in Greenville sc
The very, very beginning of marathon training for October. So 5 miles today
The Brooklyn Half Marathon!
Fargo marathon 10k. Just back from an injury. First run in 6 months.
Ran very nice 36km trail race. But my legs are in fire today. :)
Group ride ~120 km road bike
Solo break on my last appearance at the Windermere Sunday group ride before I move to North Carolina… Can’t wait to explore the Appalachians!
Running 13k, and looking forward to 10k race in few weeks.
Saturday was a 90 minute bike and 5 mile run off the bike then my oldest daughter graduated from high school. Sunday was a nice easy 6 mile run then a nap.
First ever open water swim Saturday, bike and household chores Sunday!!
Easy run, 6km
Walk a lot of steps going nowhere (back and front), short run trying emptying my head. Didn’t work…short sprint, did feel a little bit better
Did a road bike on Saturday up to the highest point nearby (870m) and Sunday had a really great mountain biking tech-ish ride. Still feel the rocks in my hands :)
21k run
Getting back in shape!
I was practicing training, running because on the end of juni i’ll be running my first 5 km contest
long intensified run, short bike ride around the dam, easy walk, cheering on fire fighters competition and lot of fun with friends on local fun fair :)
First outdoor road ride of the year (I am in Newfoundland after all! – a slight snow flurry out there right now!)
My 100th parkrun on Saturday followed by on Sunday a really bad run at a hilly 10k trail race – no idea why, just one of those days I guess. But really looking forward to a fell-running course next weekend.
Run and swim
1st Rogaine of the season coming up – need some off trail running time in the hills.
Back to back long easy to prepare for an upcoming ultra!
Hike and Trail running in the park and a long run for ultra and marathon training while raising funds for St. Jude for my charity bib to run in the Marines Corps marathon this fall. link to heroes.stjude.org
Just went for a quick hike to the mountains.
General Smallwood tri on Saturday, hilly 60 mile ride and a swim on Sunday. And then sleep.
Saturday 9 mile run and Sunday was a marshal at the Worcester marathon and half marathon here in the UK
Just a 10 mile trail run. Easy weekend planned after two ultras in the last month
Run training in Scottsdale, AZ!
Not feeling the best along with threatening weather so an hour a day on my Stages SC3.
Going for a run and some resistance band exercises- been 2 weeks since my first marathon so I’m easing back in!
Short bike ride with my MTB. Lovely weather!
Two runs planned for the weekend. Two runs completed this weekend.
Did the bike course of challenge Roth.
Memorial swim for an old friend who passed
Walking the Dorset hills
Cramming mileage to hopefully get some last fitness gains before Ojai Marathon next Sunday
I am running marathon number 32 at Dorchester in Dorset, England. It is part of my quest to reach 100 marathons.
Saturday – 140km training ride
Sunday – 160km Black Rat sportive
After a long period of being injured, the well known ITBS, i got back on track the last 6 weeks. This weekend i managed to put my first quality 300m’s in the bank. An emotional moment for someone totally into the game of running.
Last workout before the move to Portland
This weekend was a family biking tour of the beautiful Brioni Islands.
A short tempo run on saterday, followed by a 101km bike workout this morning with my club.
I am taking my family to hike parts of the Grand Canyon this week
long trail run on wildwood trail in portland saturday, pool swim on sunday!
Swimming and then a nice family run with wife and daughter ;-)
I’ll be doing PT and foundation training so hopefully I can get my hips and butt sorted enough to race this summer.
Last Runs before Ultra… .
I did my first road ride in 6 months to celebrate the life of a friend who was taken from us one year ago while on his bike. If felt amazing being off the trainer and on the open road again.
Volunteering at and then running in a local 5K.
Easy running around Boston.
Roadcycling in the mountains
Cycling sportive,in the rain
Had some hill training for the first time in a month?
Early morning 25 km long run, and lots of reading!
First weekend back on the turbo trainer after a few weeks off with an injury
Beach run in Florida
Walking miles and miles supporting son at football tournament then back to training in Monday!!
Half marathon
Did my last long run before ahead of the marathon two weeks from now. Was supposed to be a nice confidence booster with a fast finish but instead I completely bonked in the heat. Oops!
A moderate training run with hill sprints on Saturday and a tempo run on Sunday – bit of prepping for a 4×4.5km relay run on Ascension Day! B-)
Two easy 12km-runs in the sun!
Penguins lead 4:0 in the 5th Game of the Eastern Conference. Yes!
Hosting 20 relatives :|
After a weekend of fatherly duties, and trying to find the time to get a run in. Tonight was the night, with kids feed, bathed and tucked into bed. It was my time. So managed to haul myself around 6 miles of undulating roads.
Tennis drills and a ride if the rain ever stops.
Ride my heart out!
Started taper on Saturday, therefore long run was difficult as hell. After that one I’ve started doubting how my marathon run will end up next Sunday. However, looking forward visit Edinburgh and finish a marathon track there.
I’m riding with the group I always ride with on Saturday mornings and doing the same route we always do on Saturday mornings. Except, I am attempting to ride with the A group (21 mph avg) instead of the B group (20 mph avg) for the first time. Excited.
Ran around the neighborhood lake.
Weekend is over already but I started my Saturday on SUP in a bog, some cycling later and pool today.
43 mile bike ride outside of Athens, GA yesterday and a 6 mile trail run today.
Hike with the kids and a keep on the taper runs before first marathon next weekend.
Getting back in to tennis and a long walk with the dog!
Camping with the kids. Going to go on some beach cruises on the bikes.
Running some old friends into the ground. Then me.
Getting ready fir my first sprint triathlon in thirty years, without that magnificent gadget.
Just to get those easy minutes under the belt.
Just finished MCM Historic half marathon today…..cool, overcast weather!
I’ll try to do my first trail. 21 kms of mountain.
Royal 162 gravel race in Southern Minnesota. 40 degrees, raining, 15 mph winds, soft and squishy gravel, one thing deep River crossing, and 6k feet of climbing. Good times.
A nice 10 km run in friday and a up tempo racebike ride on saturday.
Hanging at the beach, by which I mean maximizing my recovery time of course…
Running on familiar roads in the first Stirling Scottish Marathon…