Heads up! There’s some pretty substantial sales that just started. For watches, the Garmin Epix is down to $499, and the Fenix 7 to $449, with the Pro editions also $200 off! Meanwhile the top-end Edge 1040 cycling GPS is down to $499, and both the Edge 540 & Edge 840 are also on sale. As is Varia radar for $149. Some incredible deals, and ll the deals are 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:
With TPC (The Pro's Closet), you'll save $40 on purchases over $200 with coupon code DCRAIN40 for tech and non-tech purchases!
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 and Equipment 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! 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 2023 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.
Going to go for a longish spin with the club and s solo long run. Fingers crossed for the weather.
Running on SAT and bike race on SUN, however it is weather dependent. Actually it is raining cats and dogs…
I have not run or biked in a while so i am planning to either bike or run for a bit to get my ass back in training :)
Running the rain. Trying to avoid the parts of the lakes that are flooded.
trail running today followed by a gravel biking adventure tomorrow.
Still waiting for this hamstring to heal, ugh
Coming back from long term injury so I’m doing a 5k parkrun to see where I am.
Cycling on Saturday and running on Monday hopefully.
20km run and hopefully some time on the bike trainer before the Tri season starts here.
Walking the dogs in the Lake District
Slow recovery running this weekend after a brutal Ice Age Trail 50-miler last weekend!
swam yesterday to avoid the rain, braving the cold on the bike today :)
just a walk saturday, out for a pack run sunday
Swimming and cycling before work on Sunday
90k cycling + solid run.
brick workout – 100K on the bike and 10K run :-))
Bike ride with a 70 lb trailer of kid
A short run on Sat and a 5mi trail run on sun.
Biking with friends!
This weekend is cold and rainy in the Chicago area, so it’s Zwift time. Next weekend, however, we leave for Hawaii, where I have a rented Robaix uDi2 waiting for me! Cannot wait to get out on those sunny roads!
Triathlon of Carcassonne on Sunday !
TrainerRoad in the basement.
Sunday morning 30k run
Long run Saturday and bike ride Sunday (post Ironman 70.3 Santa Rosa last weekend). Probably hike Torrey Pines also!
50 mile ride Saturday, trainer ride Sunday (bad weather) excellent pasta tonight and some beers
My workout this weekend is packing before moving!
Just relax as I’ve no longer time to run due to babies arrival..
I ran the treadmill, and then will go on a 3 to 4 hour bike ride tomorrow. Trying out the new Solos glasses.
I’ll be relaxing after a busy week running and starting to taper for a trail marathon in two weeks time :)
3 mile easy run….
It’s cold and wet out, so I’m going back on the trainer for the weekend.
Tired from playing basketball whole week, I am gonna spend my weekend hiking in the woods and relaxing.
First open water swim of 2017 here in michigan…
Today I was riding bicycle, tomorrow probably some walk.
Just a litte 15km run from my home to and around alster lake
On a ship, so running around the top deck is all the adventure i will be getting.
I’m training for an Iron Distance which it 10 weeks away so volumes are up. Sunday is the weeks big ride (probably 150k on the flat on the TT bike if it’s nice, hills on a road bike if it looks like rain). So in preparation for this first thing this morning (Saturday) I ran my TT bike on the Turbo for 40 mins to check everything was in order after I moved my power meter onto it. Next I went for only my second open water swim of the year, it’s warming up so I took the opportunity when it came. Swam 1.6k at a high ‘keep yourself warm’ cadence. Lastly I ran 5x 1k intervals with easy 4k warm down which was what my training plan said I was actually supposed to be doing today.
I’ll be visiting family in Arizona. I’m bringing my trail shoes and heading out to explore some of the awesome trails in the Superstition Mountains.
75# ruck for 5 miles, plus an easy 60-ish minute run. Maybe some weird stuff with sandbags if I’m feeling froggy.
First BRIC of the year
I’ve broken my collarbone, so its back on the trainer for me.
10k trail running!
Did a long run this morning 13.2 Ran with my running club Taconic RR. Several younger guys showed up and it turned into a Progression with last five at 6:59 average. To me these guys were the fast young guns as they were 15 to 20 years younger than me, but during the run they talked about running with the fast young guys and I had to comment that I thought they were the fast young guys
This weekend I’m hitting up a northern lake, with a wetsuit for the first open-water swim of the year! Ice came off 3 weeks ago…
Late night ride, after a christening and tons of cake.
Sunday I will go for one last ski tour of the season.
20k trail run
I will prepare for the Gran Fondo Mont Tremblant, planned for next week. Kinda interval training (no power meter yet…).
My epic adventure was to break the 30 km barrier in my training for my first full marathon.
And, guess what, mission accomplished!
link to strava.com
Unfortunately… or fortunately depending on how you look at it, this weekends ‘athletic adventures’ consist of t-ball practice and learning how to play ‘gaga ball’ from my kids.
Gearing up to stay warm and dry over a very cold and very wet weekend. Getting out still beats a treadmill.
It’s my birthday today – would make a perfect present! ?
Did a 23k trail adventure training run today, so nice I might repeat tomorrow.
going to dust off the bike :)
This is a “support the kids” weekend, with a kids’ tri, and last soccer and t-ball games of the season.
Saturday: Road cycling training, I plan to pick up some longer route in easy tempo.
Sunday: Vertical running training in the near mountains.
Raced a lokal 12k run today. Did the same race back in 2010 and managed to shave 22+ minutes (!) of my finishing time…
I was supposed to do a couple of hard trainer sessions, but suddenly my Kickr started to make a terrible mechanical noise:( so probably I’ll change my plan to have some quality runs!
Last 16k run before my marathon next weekend.
I’m training for a trail ultra in late June – the Black Hills 50. Weekends are for long runs, so today an easy 12 miles (into a strong head wind just for mental toughness training :) ) and tomorrow a longer run that will include hill repeats (living in flatland, the only way to train for a trail event in hill country is either dreadmill workouts (my morning routine before work) or hill repeats on my one hill! Also mental training on both counts :)
Running and watching rugby!
Will try to set a new personal best for 5km run.
A long ride in the mountains
Long trail run today, recovery run tomorrow, then start all over again on Monday!
Comparing myself to Phil up Old La Honda
Celebrate 17th anniversary with my Wife with scotch and ribeye Friday, then bike of that steak and scotch with a 50+ mile bike ride. Then a 10ish mile run on Sunday.
Set a new 10k PR at a small event in the next village.
Sunday will be a short hike and some downhill scooter wirh my significant other.
Boring 10 mile loop today, hopefully a tam run tomorrow
Bike trainer
Hopefully staying dry and pedaling
An exhausting weekend of daddy day care :D
Trail run, street hike, and pool time.
Just riding around on my new F10 and some recovery swimming.
An easy 7k run on Sunday plus the daily core excercises.
A half marathon today, then rest on Sunday.
Finally getting some nice weather here, so out for a run today and probably a swim tomorrow!
A nice 10k to start well the weekend.
Short hike on Saturday. Bike over the Santa Cruz Mountains to the ocean and back on Sunday.
Parcour :)
A tennis tournament. Let’s just say it didn’t go quite as planned.
A bike and a run and maybe a swim. All the good stuff!
I’m going for my standard 10-15k this sunday. The weather here is so so, a little coldish and cloudy, so perfect for running!
Today Geocaching with Family and a short Ride.
On Sunday a Ride with a Friend for about 140 km.
Hoping there’s no rain here in Bavaria on Sunday
early morning run followed by a little kayak fishing with my son
Going for a long run in the mountains here in colorado :) We just got 2-3 feet of snow in May and i’m excited to put my microspikes back on for a few hours!
20km run Sunday
A slow and easy ride in the countryside
I got my road bike serviced today so tomorrow is the start of the summer training season :)
Spending the day at the trampoline park with 9 kids for my son’s 10th birthday!
will try to shake off DC weather related rust and ride the Mt Vernon Parkway
Long bike ride and a barbecue afterwards.
Long weekend here (Canada) so hope to get in a few rides on the bike.
Off for a mountain bike ride at the local trail centre with my 9 year old son.
I’ll be doing a recovery run. Still taking it slow after recent marathon.
Recovering from first 26km run of the year then a recovery run a couple of of days later.
planning on at least a full hour of fidget spinning and a strava gran fondo..
Long run today long ride tomorrow. Thanks for the giveaway!
I will do a 15k trail run Sunday morning.
I’m trying to crack the 30min barrier on a 5K run after 4-5yrs of illness related exercise layoff. Long road (and 80lbs!) back! 30.48 last weekend
Hauling 8 cubic yards of mulch (tomorrow), brick workout (hopefully) still this afternoon/evening. 5+ mile stroller run with my 10 month old daughter tomorrow as well! Then I plan to collapse.