Heads up! The big Garmin spring sale has started, with $200 off the Fenix 8, $100 off the Edge 1050, Forerunner 965, Forerunner 265, and countless other Garmin products. 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.
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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!
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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.
Four miles on the trails yesterday to muddy for anyone else to be there.
Did a 3×1 mile Tempo workout with a two mile warm up and cool down
An hour biking indoors in front of the tv.
Went for a long walk while on a work cal.
Short (23 mile) bike ride yesterday. Shorts and short-sleeves in the sun…very important vitamin d
13 km run in the forest, 6 am, yesterday
70km Zwift Group ride via a meetup my cycling team setup. It included 26 people from around our province.
Long zwift ride
Upgrade to a Neo 2T just in time for the …. summer?
My last workout while social distancing was riding snow-packed trails on my mountain bike using spiked tires through the forest behind my house on Wednesday – did not see one other person the whole time!
Got out for a nice ~1hour ride in the country. Nice to get some fresh air!
just dance on wii with my kids
Spent 1.5 hours on the trainer yesterday… and it is an old piece of junk that surely needs an upgrade
endurance with 5 min. HC intervals
Short 4.5k solo run in the city, jumping from one side of the street to the other whenever I saw someone in the distance!
Just did strength training, barbell. And that’s it for today.
Most of the days Trainerroad sweet spot plan, or rouvy, but we still can ride outside, alone or in two’s the most, sensibly!
I completed the first session of a free „Corona-special“ training plan on TrainingPeaks/Zwift: VO2 Max intervals ?
A did a TrainerRoad training (Mont Albert +1).
Hi,
Just a simple TRX train with my boys and some calisthenics!!
Stay safe!!
Well, I’ve been running more and more now that it’s getting a bit nicer outside. I’ve also got a few weights at home, so keeping busy there too. Finally, my gym trainer even sent me a bunch of training videos, so going through those as well.
My last workout was a 5 mile run….two days before I tested positive for COVID-19. 10 days later, I have beaten down the beer virus and am ready to win a KICKR Climb to go with the newly purchased KICKR Core (isolation has not been kind to the wallet…:)
We live really close to a major park, so I obviously wasn’t going to ride around that. But thankfully there are some pretty empty roads nearby that I rode on instead, got in about 25 miles yesterday.
I ride alone the local paths early morning. The mornings are still cold. Today was -2C.
I did a 1h group ride on Zwift yesterday.
I’m a member of Cyclebar, they’re doing live, virtual workouts on Instagram. I did one of those yesterday on our KICKR CORE.
Raced the last stage of the Zwift Tour of Watopia. Got a breakthrough and utterly ruined myself in the process.
Last workout was a bike commute (working supporting staff doing essential Covid-19 work). Much easier to do physical distancing when the roads are quiet.
30 minutes on my vasa this morning.
This Week in use my old hometrainer to connecte it to goldencheetah. Then after 5 years, il use it for a FTP test (20mn duration). It was so hard but after; i decide to build a non hazardous training with this old bike on my prehistorical hometrainer.
I wouldn’t say I managed it. Kaiser +2 destroyed me.
Did a Zwift workout in my garage yesterday
25 mile ride on Wednesday in chilly Rochester, NY
Tour de Watopia stage 5, avoided everyone at home to complete this!
Mtn bike/Trail run brick @ 5m separation
Last workout was a structured run-through on the Snap.
I did a 1.5 hour bike on my trainer followed by a 10 min run on my treadmill
A 5 mile run early in the morning.
A short Trainneroad session!
First ride on Zwift yesterday.
My bike & trainer and my home office are in the same room, so I now I hardly ever leave the spare bedroom….
My last workout was Mount Field on Trainerroad
Tues, Thurs & Sun – TR (I’ve gone back to Sweet Spot Base 1)
Wed & Sat – Zwift (non-structured active recovery)
When I can be bothered – some body weight core work….
SST session on Tacx training app
Yeah, just rolling on my old kurt road machine, that’s how to safely exercise when drivers get even crazier due the lockdown!
Went on a fifteen mile farm road trek and finally felt some sunshine!
Parked two miles from the trail, then took back roads that cut across the trail. Waved at the few fellow riders I saw from a safe distance.
Good old damn climb in the Tennessee hills
Golf- the ultimate social distancing sport. Nobody within 200 yards of me!
Zwift race yesterday!
30 miles on the Direto this morning
7 miles on the basement treadmill. Thrilling!
Cycled to work at 8 PM to gather my stuff i need to continue work from home.
10k on the dreadmill yesterday using my foot pod and zwift.
Mountain bike ride around the property.
I live in the “polder” enough room for social distance
2 hours of flat terrain with TT bike at Z2 for an IM that has now been called off.
Need a trainer urgently
5 mile trail run!
Tried out RGT yesterday in the pain attic. Fun route!
Zwift Pebble Pounder Paceline Work
Wheeled my trainer into the driveway and Zwift’d for 20mi while at 2m+ distance from people walking by. Was quite a bit nicer than being in the garage!
I have been able to run outside, so I have. 8 miles last night.
Try to run on in the backyard. Long live zwift. I need this so much……
I rode 25 miles on gravel and single track. So needed.
I did 240 laps running to my flat in 40 mintues!
Did rounds of burpees in my living room. The wife was my coach.
My coach has switched to all indoor training for the time being. Last session was solo but our biweekly group rides are now happening as Zwift meetups.
Clubbell swinging in my home office :)
Road ride last week
Ran 8 miles – half through town and half through the woods on a beautiful 60 deg. day.
Yesterday took a longer bike worokout. Nothing fancy, just a longer detaour while biking to the supermarket.
Weather was perfect, Sunny, nice headwind, cold.
In de end, I had a TE 4.1 and a good appetite.
Keep up the sports and stay healthy
Gerard
5 mile solo run outside in Boston
runnning alone at the dawn
Running on a paved path by the Mississippi, weaving a six foot radius path, as if drunk, around all the other people with the same idea.
weightlifting last night in my garage
Treadmill run and squats
Went out for a solo ride, ended up crashing right onto a freshly painted crosswalk and having to ride home covered in paint.
Interval training on a trainer…not smart the trainer…smart the rider!!!
Basic strength training at home.
on Wedensday, just before a partial lockdown, I’ve went to a 35-km mountain bike ride outside the city.
A group meetup ride in Zwift
I was used to run alone and now I’m doing the same as before.
A fresh mind on my own.
Zwift run, NY City Highline course. That NPE Runn device you reviewed recently works great with my 15 year old treadmill
The PE With Joe workouts with the kids
Yesterday did a 62km loop (alone) around Amsterdam. Luckily that is still OK overhere.
Yesterday evening was the last training I did. It was one of McMillan’s Runner’s Core Routine workouts. Inside my home, so properly social distancing.
A hard sufferfest indoor workout Indoors. Sweating puddles ?
I walk around my house and deal with a 2 year old. I need to get back at it soon!
3 weeks on from tendon repair to left shoulder (fortunately not the right for gear shifting) 10 virtual miles in Bravia thanks to my aging but steady Tacx Vortex. Italy yesterday downhill to Milan. Chapeau, to all health workers. ?
Running solo.
Up Alpe d’Zwift on a MTB.
One hour zwift ride on simple 50usd trainer, 2 days ago. It’s time for another one!
My last social distancing workout was a run with my wife — she’s slower, so trails
by about 10 yards. Larry
Running 10 k, just to be closer to my yearly plan of 2020 km….
Solo Zone 2 ride, with some intermittent sprints.
I went for a walk
Parks are empty :) Just did a 5k
Trainer ride with Peloton app
Did a Zwift new york city highline route, lots of climbing!
solo ride in the pollen this morning
First Zwift meetup with my friends and team!
Zwift Tour of Watopia Long ride
A recovery run in the sun