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.
-
Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
-
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.
Biking. Loads and loads of wet, windy weather biking this weekend as I train for Ironman Canada in a midwest spring that won’t warm up.
Nice swim yesterday, and a long bike ride today, even if it’s 10 degrees outside
First outdoor ride in a LONG time!
Orange Theory, coaching kids soccer & baseball, then a run to finish it off
Long run and a long ride for the holiday weekend.
Riding bikes, as always!
No sports past weekend, just putting new flooring in my new house. So there was enough athletic exercise :)
Got my personal best 5K :-) 29:10!
Did a long run on the Sammamish River Trail yesterday!
Last fine-tune run training for my next race next-week: 100 Km del Passatore
Running along the Mississippi River while I’m in New Orleans this weekend.
Moving heavy metal repeatedly for no apparent reason.
I tried to improve my uphill prowess! :)
Winds 22mph gusting 31 :(
Since I raced back to back weekends (a sprint and a half iron)…I’m taking a week off…watching my wife race a half marathon down in Fredericksburg, VA. I might hop on the rollers later on.
Group ride with friends in rural South Carolina. Approximately 24 miles on Saturday and a personal record of 17 mph.
Probably some running and cycling
Well I have to be a little more specific then (if possible, you can cancel my previous entry): had a run yesterday and I wish I had the 935 with me.
Running adventures in the Colorado front range!
Sat on the couch- recovering form achilles surgery….
I have an easy 5 mile les on Saturday and a 2 hour tour of the waterfront on Sunday
Ramping up the running miles.
This weekend I participated in my first bike races. 40k individual time trial and 40k team time trial. I am beat today.
Got lost on a bike ride, but found a new area I haven’t explored before.
I walked around the zoo! That counts, right?
Riding Zwift waiting for my wife to give birth.
Constantly looking for something decent to run in Florida. It’s hopeless!
Probably a longer run – 3,2,1 mile intervals.
Sprint intervals on the treadmill to speed (Stupid Rain) up my 5K speed for my upcoming sprint Tri. Oh yeah, and I should probably do a few laps in the pool.
Triathlon Sierakow
State Track Meet. Coaching, not running.
I plan to complete a 1 hour swim and a 5k run this weekend beside daddy duty.
On saturday: sports meeting in the school of my sun – for the kids AND the parents! :-)
On sunday I jumped through a high rope course together with my 11y old sun. Very funny :-)
Of course we rode the 16 km to the high rope course on our bikes.
Hoping to get in 150+ miles of cycling with buddies across Saturday and Sunday!
Saturday morning group bike ride.
Exploring XC trails in Ellison Provincial Park just outside it Vernon, BC
Starting with a long ride and ending with an easy run. :-)
Some cycling with tacx and looong walk with dogie :).
awesome local trail run :)
Hopefully a run in NYC Central Park; nice change for a Texan
Biked and ran around DC
Was supposed to race a half ironman but was rained out :(
Riding new route with good friends.
Sat: 70k bike run
Sunday: This is rest day!
Have to make up athletic adventures next weekend. Stuck at work in Mission Control all weekend.
Enjoy the southern California weather with a ride along the coast.
Long run with beautiful weather.
25km ride to a bump that qualifies as a climb, a few repeats up to the temple on top, and back home again… if the roads are not too flooded!
Running with the kids – we’re working on pacing and not just sprint, stop, sprint, stop!
Slow and easy 90 minute run and a solid 40 mile bike around the reservoir.
Wife is sick, so just moved around the children in the bakfiets to give her some rest…
Friday: lots of climbing during my daughter’s field trip; Saturday: running with the dogs and bike ride; Sunday: Trail running. It was a great weekend!
I walked fast among hundred in the Recon expo in Las Vegas. That about 6 miles of pure sweat and enjoyment. For that I need good watch and good shoes to walk so much.
Biking Skyline Drive end-to-end w/ the gang.
Did a triathlon simulation with my tri club on Saturday and a group bike ride on Sunday.
Going out for a sloid long run with long marathon pace portions !
Getting out and enjoying the nice weather in Vegas before the heat gets turned up.
Long run through some new trails and the first outdoor ride of the season!
Mile TT?
I ran on my “go to” trail one last time before my wife and I moved cities. It was bittersweet!
Shock Wiz tuning
A duatlon Cross near my home.
5K running TT.
Not much. I watched a marathon and cheered the runners, surely that counts!
Running injury so I started a new round of P90X. Funny how the legs workout takes me out for days when I typically run ~40 miles/week.
First open water swim of the season! Barely made it 200 meters.
Heading out for a long bike ride and hike.
A bit of cycling
9k on Saturday,
I doing what is called the “7 fjellturen”, which is Norwegian for 7 mountain hike. It is roughly 35 km with 2800 m incline. people normally hike it, but I will attempt to run hopefully most of it.
The goal is below 6 hours, but what I have to beat (my former record) is 7 hours and 30
Minutes :-)
long ride in country
Long rides – doc said I need more endurance training, so long rides to be!
Not so much training as ‘cross training’ doing some DIY in the garden
Simple run, gearing up for a big week.
A couple of rides one in an epic headwind. Though the spring cleaning of the home was less fun then the headwind!
Weekend of running and strength training at the gym. Whoopee!
Short run followed by a long bike ride throughout Stockholm looking for new Running shoes for The Girl.
Upside, Got to try on the “Just arrived” FR935, Felt really good as I’ve been following the comments here on a daily basis for almost two months!
And it looks like we will be needing two after comparison to the Fenix5s on The Girl :)
I’m Training the fuck out because i want to win my AG
I got smashed by the Belgian Waffle Ride in San Diego, CA to much heat not enough water and dehydration set in….. you win some, you lose some
Did a century ride and BBQ’ed this weekend!
I want to ride my bike after days of illnes :D
Long run, long bike, long nap!
It was a slow weekend here, unless a coach can vicariously count the exercise that his soccer players got in a few games. :-) I’d still be in the hunt for some prizes, though! The season is almost over.
Do the park loop on my bike. There is a KOM that’s just waiting for me, that I edge ever closer to attaining.
The last of two simple ride with my singlespeed ended up riding for 15 kms with a flat rear tire. Very gently and very slow ’til home.
Sunny day in Autumn Buenos Aires, Argentina. I went for a run at Bosques de Palermo and did some jumping rope.
Hi Ray. This weekend I was very happy testing my new wahoo kickr trainer. I did on Saturday some solid tempo intervals ( 3 x10 min) and on Sunday enjoyed testing the resistance on Road Grand Tours climbing the Stelvio.
Finally starting Triathlon season….Hammonton Triathlon. Hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend!
long trainer rides in the late pm.
We did a 47 windy beach ride. The boss got a chance to ride her new P2. She has a Tri in two weeks and this was the first big ride and she loved it.
Long run and a long ride on the new tri bike-can’t wait…….and then a few tasty beverages!
Long ride
This past weekend was a recovery weekend, having just run the Pacific Northwest Marathon last weekend. So upper body weights and an easy swim….no running this weekend! Besides, Florida is too humid after having been in Oregon. :/
Went for a ride up through New Hampshire.
Adventures were merely watching my kids do a triathlon and a swim meet…..
80 K ride, just for a picture.
“Do I feel lucky?” Well, do ya, punk?
Recovering from setting a personal best on the Göteborgsvarvet half marathon. An easy run at the start of the week and then some intervals mid week and a long run in the weekend.
I went for a blast along the beautiful Columbia river on my new triathlon bike!
This weekend ran 6 miles both Saturday and Sunday.
Went for a 6 mile run and coached my son’s 7th grade AAU basketball team to a tournament championship…and wished for a new Garmin watch!
Couple of 30 mile rides around the town to work on climbing and cadence followed by a day of golf.