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.
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!
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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.
Outdoor cycle in the country, only saw a couple of cars and 1 other cyclist going in the other direction
I’ve been running every day. This mornings run was especially lovely….so many people were out walking around, running, getting out!
15k spin into the wilds of the Wicklow mountains, not a sinner about!
Still working (essential medical manufacturing) so stress level is high. Tour of Watopia ride/race to sweat the stress out (and raise FTP!).
Ran intervals to get a kite to stay airborne.
I did a Zwift Meetup ride with my triathlon team and we chatted on Discord, it was great!
I ran a solo 5k yesterday
Went out for a run as part of marathon training for an event that has now been deferred until October. :-(
Did a zwift ride followed up with some strength training.
A lone mtb ride.
Hi Ray,
THE new activity for 2020: social distancing workouts. I did a 12k run ?? alone in Rotterdam. Forest was to dark so 2 laps around the park with light. ??
Running at the beach
6km round the park. Keep your distance!
Short 4 mile bike ride and strength circuits in my basement.
Riding my bike
First ride on Zwift since 2015! Same same but…. more betterer?
Zwift race – WTRL TTT
A brilliant way of friends riding and competing together in these difficult times.
Used some bungee ropes for a “dry swimming” workout on my terrace =)
Going for a walk
I barely got a run in last Thursday, which helped open up the lungs a bit and coughed like mad afterwards, but was pretty woozy. Not really workout time for me right now. Soon, soon….
Body weight HIIT: 200m run, 10m duck walk, 10 x air squats, 20 x push ups, repeat for 60 minutes
5 miles on a treadmill. should do more bodyweight, but oh well
i did a 9 km run this morning
Group run this morning…carefully watching the wind to stay out of everyone’s exhale! lol
Race + Structure intro training on Zwift!
Thanks DCR – spreading joy in tough times!
Last workout with social distancing in mind was SufferFest G.O.A.T. – best & most uplifting soundtrack IMO.
Love Suff’s focus on low intensity workouts to protect immune systems. Think that’s a great touch.
Tour of Watopia stage 5 on my trainer yesterday.
A Fartlek run today while running slalom to avoid people walking.
Would be great if luck takes me and I could buy a smart trainer ?
Push-ups in the living room!
I just own a basic turbo from lidl. last Sunday I committed to spend 4 hours on the bike, got so tired of watching YouTube. can’t even use zwift because I don’t have any sensors.
Does chasing my kids around count?
Been running outside every day. Easy to social distance if you live in the middle of nowhere.
Getting in as many TrainerRoad workouts as possible. Last night it was Tunnabora and today it’s Tallac.
A ride on the good old computrainer and a zoom CrossFit workout.
Rode around town and got sidetracked onto some trails … with my road bike.
I did an indoor recovery ride on TrainerRoad!
Dog walk
working my way through workout world on youtube
Cat C Zwift race. Got my a$@ handed to me :-)
Tour of Watoa stage 5 race. I didn’t win. ?
Zwift Tour of Watopia Stage 5 race.
Meetup with a friend for a ride on Zwift: really cool
Just walking and yoga
8 mile run around town with two friends at least 6 feet apart.
A keep fit video from youtube this morning was my last socially distant workout :)
Kite skating on icy lake: really nice
Some strength training at home. That’s all.
This morning I did a 45 minute yoga practice (yesterday I did a 6.2 mi tempo run for a race that became virtual). I am trying really hard to do some sort of quality workout every day.
Woohoo a giveway. Most of my cardio for the last few years has been running. But now with nearly empty streets and social distancing, I’ve dusted off the old bike and have been biking around town – solo and with the kids. I think in the last week, I’ve already exceeded my strava biking total from last year! It’s weird, the streets are emptier now at 5pm on a weekday as they are at 6am Sunday morning. Strange new world.
Riding all alone
Jumping rope while kids are trying to distract me with their shenanigans
Went for a 3.5 mile run in the rain while the pollen count was down.
just a bit of strength training on a mat
Had my first run/walk since shoulder surgery on Tuesday. Felt ok but shoulder isn’t quite there yet.
Just Yoga alone on my mat
Forest solo run
I rode on zwift,
Solo bike ride
2hr sweet spot intervals on the kickr
3 sets of 5x1min VO2max intervals on Xert
Solo early-morning spring ride at sunrise in beautiful Western NY.
Evening before, a Wolf Brigade Public Assistance Project workout with my son in the basement gym: link to wolfbrigade.com
Inline skating for 7 miles. Normally this would be “playing in traffic”, but with so few people driving now, it’s (relatively) safe to skate in the roadway.
4 mile run
Still able to run and bike. A direct drive trainer would be awesome!
Tour of Watopia Stage 5, locked in my living room sweating to death.
solo run!
I ran outside utilizing the fantastic Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music I bought after carefully researching all the excellent reviews by one DCRainmaker. And his review was spot on for my personal needs, and love the watch albiet button shortage which was pointed out by DC…but, still love the watch for all the other reasons he mentioned…at least for the 92 days I had it prior to the Vivoactive 4 coming out. Now I have watch envy once again. I always have watch envy…
Just 1h nordic walking for relax :)
Netflix on PC and a trainer under my legs
10 mile treadmill tempo run – if my spring race is canceled, I can work on top-line speed for my fall race
A lot of time on the trainer!
Core work inside and a run around the neighborhood
I spent 80 minutes on a very, very dumb bike trainer just yesterday
I went for a run in the park. There was much space to keep the distance to others. :-)
Going full solo on my commute to work and weekend rides. Only time i’m not solo is on Zwift, think thats legal :D
Headed to the last open HS track and watched over a workout run by my two college-aged sons.
Last actual workout was modifying a Ronnestad-type cycling workout for running on a track – 2(13x 30 sec really hard, 15 sec really easy).
1 hour easy run. Still building that base!
TrainerRoad with Zwift keeps me properly social distanced and training hard but also socially together and motivated. A win-win for me!
We’ve been managing to get in a family walk or bike ride nearly every evening. It’s been pretty awesome. Here’s our last: link to strava.com
Shin splits have been getting to me so my last workout was a ride on the old school resistance trainer.
Cheers mate!
Did a short run around my neighborhood! Battling Achilles Tendonitis so I’m trying to get back to where I can do a long run! Thank you for doing this!
I did the TrainerRoad Mount Field workout last night on my KICKR Snap.
running around the neighborhood with my trainning partnet… the dog :)
I’m doing a couple of runs per week to keep myself moving.
Everyday, I make exercise demo videos in my living room and post them to my social media channels. I get out and run with my dog for 5km on days he’s not too tired. I also stream and follow along the noon workout my local gym goes live with on their FB page.
Fortunately running is still allowed, so I ran five miles around town on Wednesday. Sixty degrees, sunny, with a breeze…so beautiful! And so many people taking walks and runs outside, to socially distance from!
Mellow friday morning ride on Zwift with some cycling friends from real life, all of us on our smart trainers and chatting on discord.
I managed to get in a 5 mile solo run.
I had a run in south east London last night across Blackheath. Didn’t go far or hard, but was a great out after working all day indoors
Socially distance myself by making sure I was always ahead of everyone on my last group ride ;)
“Social Distancing 10K” around my neighborhood to visit friends and talk to them from a distance!
Trainer workout with Xert “I Won’t Back Down ” a good one !
My rowing machine.
short backcountry ski
Core and indoor cycling
I ran with my dog at 5 am and only saw one other person.
Testing out some structured running on Zwift. Interesting. (Along with testing out some rides.) My indoor training has now become social!
Mountain Bike ride on local sweet single track, but snow’s a coming’…
TrainerRoad Geiger, in my basement, with a 20+ year old fluid trainer