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.
Exploring routes around my daughter’s new house. I’ll be spending time there with the grandkids.
I tried going up Monte Camoghe but there was too much snow
I’m doing no athletic endeavor this weekend because I have a cold. Hoping to make up for it Memorial Day weekend.
8 miles.. longest run post knee surgery in March… While hopefully looking for a new place to live. Will be exploring miles, so always exciting
Swimming & watching baseball on gv ?
This weekend I gave up my long run to track to London with my Husband a dog. All for the best reason ever watching his daughter race in the Highgate Harriers Night of the 10000 PBs. She was running the women’s A race – Jo Pavey was in the same race. She smashed her goal – European qualifying time and got a BUCS (Varsity equivalent) bronze medal. So so amazing. Not much else I’d give up my run for!
Ran 8km at an easy recovery pace to be ready for a solid bike and swim brick session Monday morning :-)
can’t beat that for the start of a week.
Continuing my runstreak with days 146 & 147! Hope the weather holds
Orienteering
Getting back to fitness with some running
Long ride on Friday and long run on Saturday. Rest day on Sunday
Did a DneprTriFest sprint. not bad even if the water was like +12c
Going for a 200km ride on a time trial bike. Auch
90 km ride sat, lsd run Sunday (if the lightning will stop), and tempo ride Monday. Oh, and work. To help pay for all of the play…
Trail run with my dog
Ride out around berlin’s lakes and run around Berlin’s parks
Well, since I had to work on Saturday, I didn’t let it get me down. 40 mile bike to work, 40 miles back, then finish with a 50 miler on Sunday. Thank Ray
I ran the world’s largest half marathon, Göteborgsvarvet.
3 hr MTB with my partner Kylie @ Old Hiddenvale Adventure Park.
Raced at Ironman 70.3 Barcelona and had a fantastic day!
Had a cold for 8 weeks, then one week well with training, then setback with 3 days of fever, but now up and running again! So i have not yet decided what to do, but most likely take a run or two and also adjust the bike for the outdoor season! One of my sons also turning 4 yrs, so I’ll likely take a run with him while he’s on the bike beside me with some new shiny gadgets on the bike
Building my wife’s surprise bike for our anniversary as well as spectating a 5k she is running in. I am also planning to do a 35 mile training ride in the great outdoors this evening before subset!
A jog with my dogs
Circuit training.
I was run director for our monthly 10k trail event. So lots of rushing about getting people into the right places and not any race action!
I’m teaming up with 5 friends for a 193 km and 2800 m gentlemen’s race. This year’s course is undisclosed but previous editions had tough climbs, one of them on gravel, and I’m not much of a climber.
Mountain Biking around ATL on a few of the courses here!!
Saturday – Bike intervals on the trainer.
Sunday – Day of rest!
Saturday long swim and Sunday a long run.
First ever run in London (I was there for a conference) on a beautiful Saturday morning. Did the top Strava route for London: Westminster and Big Ben, across the Thames and down the South Bank to Tower Bridge and back. Tons of sights. Ten of the funnest kilometers ever. Highly recommend it.
100M ultra 2wks ago and a marathon next wkend, so this one was just a cycle to and from work ysday, and chasing the kids around the park with a bit of kite flying and tennis thrown in today.
Road bike trip to Vienna with my friend Alex ?
Training for my first triathlon! Running yesterday (6 mi interval day) and 45 mi road bike ride through Georgia today. Cheers!
Cheering my son on at the local kids tri and squeezing in my workout before the weather front hit.
Just pedalling away on my bike…
10km run with interval for sprinting.
My wife and I spent the weekend on the walking trail training our new puppy. He was only good for two miles but great joggers and bike riders made it invaluable!
Hi, on saturday I attended a XC marathon race and on sunday a nice road bike recovery ride.
Bike during the weekend..twice
A swim and a run for me
Bike rides until knee recovers.
Rollerskiing for me
Running, mostly. Insofar as repeatedly climbing the same hill at the pace of an asthmatic pensioner counts as running anyway.
I’ve run a little bit in my hometown. I went home for the weekend
Trail running trying to gain over 1000m elevation on Saturday :)
Cycling for two hours on Sunday.
On Saturday, run conference championship with my training group; on Sunday, run 14 miles through Baltimore (a favorite city) with my favorite coach. The Sunday run is celebrating a great coach’s instructions that helped me earn a huge PR at a recent half marathon!
Just knocked out the French Creek Triathlon in Pennsylvania
Still rehabbing from knee replacement so a 3 mile walk for me. Starting slow!
I was riding my gravel bike today to support my girlfriend at her first marathon. She did it!
I just completed Ironman Chattanooga 70.3!
Just an easy run since I’m recovering from the flu.
I’m up for a 600km bike competition called Vänern runt..
Training 5k’s both Saturday and Sunday, followed by yard work.
Went for a short run and injured my foot, massive bruise on my instep and an ice pack for company.
Running through the party strip and hundreds of drunken teens, probably not again…
Preparing for the Gold Coast Marathon and learning to Freebord.
Will be helping out at Wetherby parkrun and then taking a long run early on Sunday morning.
Just starting tapering for 21k next week end…
On Saturday, I stared at my three bikes and decided to drink a beer instead. On Sunday, I joined a road ride.
Trail runs and kettlebells!
Interval running on track.
Getting in some hill training on South Mountain in Phoenix, AZ!
Last big week of training for the Hamburg Half Marathon this week with interval training on Monday, couple of sorter 6 and 10 km spread through the week and then a trainings 21km at the weekend … oh and it’s Christi Himmelfart here in Germany so will be hopefully out with the kids on the bike on Thursday :) ….. should keep me busy!
Climbing the hills of Pasadena on my bike!
easy recovery run after long week of cycling!
I have had a busy weekend with a few personal records:
– i ran 10km for the first time (took me 1:07 but hopefully i ll improve by the 10k race mid june)
– i did my longest ride ever (100km)
– i lead a group of cyclists for a 45km ride as they were all recent members of my cycling club
So a great weekend! :)
Not much I’m sick as all get out!
Set up & ride my new KICKR 2 and run my son’s school walkathon
Nice 80k cycle,well nice enough in between showers.
I went out for my first run after hurting my chests 3 weeks ago. Painful!
Hilly 10k training run after a rare boozy weekend
Indoor cycling at home :)
Recovery cycling rides.
cycling with my daughter on her new bike, in the spring sunshine. Bliss.
Training for my half marathon coming up in July, mid distance runs on both days, love running.
Joined a sprint triathlon as opening of the season.
Riding my bike, then running with the wife!
Yesterday was a brick workout. 90 min spin and 80 min trail run. Today was a 3 hour ride.
I made a new record for my 5km. A moderate 5:09/km.
30 mile ride. First 15 into a tough east wind. The return was bliss.
My weekend so far has consisted of walking 3-4 miles in a twelve hour shift at work, and lifting heavy patients up in bed. I wish I was riding my new bike, but work kind of takes priority. Who says you can’t work out when you’re a night shift nurse?
Half-marathon race, then some much needed rest.
Ride my bike 80k
Sprint orienteering belgian championship
Saturday I ran a trail marathon, today I ran a birthday party for 10 six year Oldenburg. Your guess, which run was tougher…
Running hill repeats, got a few mountain races coming up, need to find my climbing legs
Today is a rest day! Tomorrow is a run day! Specifically a 5 mile tempo run on my favorite route! And early enough to beat the heat!!
Did a practice run of Memorial Day Cotton Row 10K….and boy was it hot!
Enghien’s triathlon today (m) :)
Saturday did 45mi ride with 3500ft elevation and today open water swim followed by a 12mi run.
IMLP2017…..I’m looking at you!
Trail run on Bidston Hill on Saturday. Short amble on the bike on Sunday
Some disc golf, a bit of running and some biking with my road racer.
I borrowed my dads road bike and took it out for my first long ride! Only 30km as I’m only getting into cycling but I absolutely loved it! Other than that I went for a run and lifted some weights too! All about getting moving and having fun!
Keeping the run streak alive through 179 days and successfully completed my third half marathon in a month @GeistHalf
A couple of nice long runs.
Sauturday was a rest and recovery day from the Amgen toc ride. Sunday was a easy 6 mile run in the heat. Now more recovery.
Did my first 3km open water swim!
Soccer game…wish i was going on a long bike ride instead.
First long run after battling injury the past 6 months.