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!
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.
6km run from my place down to the hospital and back between rain/thunder storms (first storm of the year).
A Zwift vo2 max workout on my wahoo kickr. It was a tough two hour session!! Looking forward to tow group ride this afternoon.
I rode my commuter bike to and from work.
Sufferfest TBTITW. Love that ride.
6.5 mile solo run on a dirt road.
Went for a run with the dog. Only saw a couple of people from a distance
Just an early morning ride in the pain cave…
An hour of bodyweight exercises as selected by my toddler/UNO cards.
Treadmill Wednesday
2km easy WU
12 X 60′ @ 5K PB pace, 60′ RI easy jog
2km easy CD
A 10KM run out in the nature. Hopefully we will be alowed to continue running #Staysafe
I rode my bike to work this morning. It’s getting warm enough, I should probably take off the studded tires.
Going on Zwift regularly since being in lockdown. Last outdoor activity was a short run to the athletics field only to find out that it had been closed off.
Pedaled sufferfest training without proper suffer.
Went for an easy run around the ‘Naardermeer’, NLD. Very quiet, so social distancing was no problem…
link to strava.com
Netflix trainer ride in the basement.
Made a 10km…alone
A quick out and back over local hill…weather apps all swore it would be cloudy all day…started hailing at my turn around point. Hahaha….small hail but still
1h30 on the bike trainer! ;)
Running intervals through deserted town centre
Rode solo yesterday for 45 miles out to the Sourlands for a few climbs, never passing closer than 6 feet and making sure that I pull out to pass other riders at least 50 feet beforehand and remaining out of their line until I am at least 50 feet past them. The wife did her own solo ride yesterday too taking advantage of the quieter than usual roads.
A short bike ride with two people as this is the maximum allowed group size in Belgium at the moment :-)
2 hour trainer ride yesterday
last workout on Zwift was 4xx 8minutes @ 105% of FTP
Just finished a 11km run In Utrecht, with my girlfriend tagging along on her bike. Definitely kept 1,5m for social distancing.
Be safe!
1 hour of Trainerroad!
Bike intervals on a trainer!
Just a ride by myself.
I’ve been running through the Financial District here in Toronto. There’s been no traffic or crowds all week.
I did a Zwift race with a friend… he had just completed a trainer road workout before the race and his legs cramped up before the lead-in segment finished lol
Finally got my Kickr Snap indoor setup again (I had a long hiatus from cycling to focus on running). Got in a quick 10-min shakeout test in this morning after my easy 5k around the block. :)
Morning core strength workout in the living room. Now that the gyms in the UK are closed I have had to acquire some weights for home use (I feel sorry for the delivery guy).
A socially acceptable Zwift ride, during which my Neo started over heating again….
Treadmill run and rowing machine, at home.
Just a short run around the neighborhood.
Been riding my bike solo. Feel safer than ever with so few cars on the roads. Thanks for all your great reviews and giveaways.
Easy run outdoors in the rain :)
I was able to get out for one run.
1O KM 3 WEEKS AGO.
Completed a 10k tempo run at the middle school track. A good mental and physical workout!
I did a virtual ride of Sa Calobra, where I was supposed to be in real life this weekend :(
Yoga attempt
Well. Zwift on the trainer — about as socially distant as I can get! Mind you, I had a beer first and that worked out poorly for me.
Managed one outdoor ride this week, and that was distant too. I think I passed another bicyclist going the other way on the other side of a 4-lane road.
I went out for a run in the neighborhood.
The hunted sufferfest session ¡¡
Just returned to the UK after being in Asia for 3 months. Gave me the wonderful gift of exploring my home country of Shropshire in glorious sunshine and clear skies, with super quiet roads, sublime..!!
FTP test at home on my trainer. It hurt! :-)
48 mile road ride yesterday.
A horrible 3 mile run on a treadmill, which was supposed to be 4 miles but I just couldn’t take anymore!
10 km on the treadmill yesterday. again.
and the zwift thing does not pair with the treadmill.
I rode my cross bike outside yesterday on nearly empty dirt roads :)
Hi Ray
60 min on zwift , doing an structured workout
A run around town on the wider streets so I have room to breath!
Trying out Zwift (and honestly not understanding the hype)
Zwift workout, in the storage room…. far away from family, friends en everyone ….. keeping my distance even in zwift.
An hour on Rouvy riding virtually with friends.
Yesterday I did an awesome virtual group ride and race with some regular buddies.
2 mile dog walk through the neighborhood, with 2 neighbors, walking side-by-side 10 feet apart across the empty streets.
Most recent was a family walk with the dog.
Yoga with Adrian Video
base training on Zwift after a long injury layoff – long way to go!
Trainer ride and family walk around the neighborhood.
Went for a 5k run with my son
Train while Healing my achilles!
So far my running has just continued as normal. I just hop on the trails by my house and typically don’t see many people.
Braes Bayou East
Some core activation in the morning, then a 2.5 hour solo ride.
30 mile ride outside to escape the boredom of my attic office.
Ride to the top of a mountain. No one else for miles!
Yoga on the off day, TrainerRoad the rest of the week
Road ride around the hood avoiding many walkers, joggers, dogs and bikers.
An indoor ride usingg zwift for like 50 minutes
7+ mile run with my s/o! Paved rail trail was busy on a nice day, by Michigan standards, but with everyone spent up, it made physical distancing challenging on a 10 ft wide path. Most people seemed to be conscientious though
2h lunch break bike workout into the nearby mid range mountains (Spessart). In Germany or at least in my region of Germany we are (still?) allowed to go outside on our own or with people that we live with anyways.
Just got back from a solo 10 mile easy run this morning.
Went for a run on a nearby multiuse path ’cause it had been cleared of snow (mostly).
walking outside to find some calm
Literally almost got hit by a car trying to give a dog walker social distance on my last run.
I did a three-part workout in my basement: Spin to warm up, a crossfit-inspired workout (with the equipment that I have available), and a spin to cool down. My 5 year old son joined me and did a spin the whole time, and we watched an episode of Planet Earth while doing the workout!
A 4 mile run
I just did a 7 mile run up our second biggest hill in the city… a smaller bridge than our larger one. I’m now self-isolating because the GF is a nurse and may have been exposed. Womp.
Trainer Road workout
fired up the apple tv for an hour in watopia after the kids were finally in their beds
90 minutes on Zwift in the basement before a full day of work in upstairs office.
Done PowerStation from Sufferfest in my garage, aka Suffering Room :)
Using up my last day of Zwift trial period….
Elliptical. Hope to get a 5 mile run in today.
I did a short gravel ride. I had the roads for myself.
Lots of miles on the dreadmill…
Ran 8.4 miles during lunch break yesterday
I managed 35 minutes of yoga with a kid running all over this morning!
took the road bike on a spin near my house. mtn biking is off the table with shelter in place :(
I did an hour swim yesterday, I was the only one in the 82 degree pool. It was awesome. They are limiting activities to less than 10, but I was solo!!
Jason Ledford
I was able to run 9 miles near where I live.
Trainer Road Base Building Plan in my Basement while watching some Netflix or Amazon Video or Hulu or …
Running around the yard with 2 toddlers who have FAR too much pent up energy
50 kilometers cycling today together with my boyfriend…But in a proper social distance anyway ;)
In Germany, It us still allowed to go out and exercise. So we are kind of the Lucky ones in these difficult times.
Stay healthy!
Frauke.
Sufferfest: The Way Out followed by dog walking.
Owl+3 from Trainerroad. No commute to take up time, so might as well do the 2hr version of workouts in the morning now!
Zwift tour of Watopia.
Ran on country gravel road where I spotted no one 100 feet from me.