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.
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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.
I just got back from a short 4.5 mile run. The first in a week. It was harder than I expected. I didn’t think I’d get out if shape so quickly. At least I’m hoping it’s out of shape and not getting sick…
Ran 9k by myself on an isolated trail.
Does running around the house trying to tire out my little ones count as a workout? because thats what I have been doing!
I’ve been confined to the trainer and trainerroad just when the weather is getting nice! I’m in the middle of my build block.
A half hour of intervals on the erg. Wish I was out on a lake, but social distancing in my basement instead.
One and half hour tennis against a ball machine.
Zwift ride on the bike trainer, run on the treadmill before that!
I ran 13 miles around town this morning all by my lonesome!
Nice 3 hours in chilling strong wind but beautiful sunny weather solo (as nearly always, nothing new to learn here folks) on my bike.
A 20′ workout shared with my kids followed by 30K of home-trainer watching a documentary.
I’ve been running. Does result is some interesting routes when attempting to avoid the popular paths (not sure those hills were on the plan, but they were empty).
Last workout was a VO2 workout on TrainerRoad. Last outdoor workout was a nice gravel ride last weekend.
I would go with a KICKR most likely but a new Garmin Fenix sounds nice.
5k short run by the beach south of Athens named Batis . Night solo run with head torch with nobody around respecting the governments restrictions . I was looking at trainers the other day and here is the chance
Did a Zwift workout yesterday & am Solo commuting to work on my bike to avoid public transport. They just introduced $20,000 fines here in Perth Australia if you cycle with someone other than a family member
Went for a walk with my dogs and bike ride with my husband and daughter on this rare sunny day in March!
A group ride on Zwift with my Tri Club
11k run this morning. I guess running alone is allowed at least now in Tokyo, Japan.
The last workout I had was today at 6 am, I went out for a run! It was great :-)
I ran 7km at 6am solo.
I ran around my property with high cadence intervals. Thanks DC Rainmaker!
Rode my bike outside and stayed 6 feet from everyone I saw.
Thanks Ray!
I did the Sufferfest “Who Dares” video on my rollers this morning in my garage!
Zwift B Race today. As usual, it wasn’t pretty.
I have been sick for the past bit so it’s been a few weeks but it was a treadmill hour run
Managed a 45 km ride outside this morning before everything clamps down here in Chile. Not looking forward to 7 days trapped indoors.
Easy Six mile recovey run on miserably sore legs. :-)
I was riding my bike on home trainer.
Run in my new ifit treadmill
Four laps around the volcano on Zwift before my wife woke up
Running in my neighborhood, lots of hills and not many sidewalks.
Zwifting as a group ride, with club coleagues
2x20s on an old tacx flux
Did a xfit WOD in the garage. At least 6” away from two others, facing away from each other, using disinfectant wipes on everything.
I wish I had something more exciting, but the last SD workout I had was a walk around the neighborhood. So glad for the fresh air and movement, though! Thanks so much for offering this thoughtful giveaway.
Trail run with completely solo!
10k treadmill session whilst rewatching Star Trek episodes ?
Midday run today, which I haven’t done on a weekday in years
I’ve been using my GoPro to record outdoor rides (solo) for me to watch when I’m spinning in the basement. Among other things I managed to see (but not get good video of) are an osprey and a small flock of turkeys.
And I do mean the avian kind of turkey, not the extremely common flocks of parents with young children that have been flooding the cycling trails in desperation… (I don’t blame them, I’ve had toddlers, I can’t imagine how stir crazy they must be…)
A lonely early morning run around town as the sun came up. I saw more turkeys than people.
Watched GCN for 30 minutes while on the trainer.
Today I’ve managed to do a small circuit training while waiting for the build to finish. Wasn’t very intense, but was good for a small restart
Did some cross training inside this morning!
Today I made a 1h run workout on a 15sqm garden, I need an indoor trainer or I will get crazy :)
I did stage five of Tour De Watopia on my trainer this morning. No one else was even in the room.
Two 50k rides – a week apart – first on my road bike (solo, of course), then on my TT bike. Almost 10 minutes faster on the TT bike.
This morning I completed the running leg of the Tour of Watopia. Yesterday I finished the biking leg, and tomorrow I’m going to get some more of that double XP and maybe get to level 30 on the bike.
Quick run around my gated community with the wife.
I hiked up 1200 feet in one mile with my 9 year old
Daughter to the top of a mountain called Mollie’s nipple. Perfect way to spend one on one time with her, be outside and social distance from everyone else.
1hr trainer interval ride in my garage.
Went for a run
Took my daughter for a run through the neighborhood!
90min 3*15min Sweet Spot
Running on my own, outside while I still can.
Bike – Zwift race on the volcano
Run – 10 mile solo run playing “groups of people are hot lava”
I did a yoga workout from YouTube and then a 3.5 mile walk in my neighborhood yesterday.
Rode thru neighborhood, sadly New Jersey is a hot spot
Signed up for Peloton with the 90 day free virus trial and did a bootcamp! And next day I’m sore and ready to try again!
Time to win
Just been walking around my yard when it’s not raining.
Usual 5km by the lake. So many more people out at 6am
Retaking my indoor trainer session on my magnetic roller (I think is time for an upgrade) with an easy 45 min session.
Last social distanced workout was a Zwift group ride yesterday. Would have been more awesome with a new smart trainer :-)
I managed a social distancing ride yesterday on a local trail.
Walking with the kids
I got outside for a nice 20 mile route on the road as the trails are packed
Back to run today… 2min run, 1min walk…
will be happy to boost my pain cave.
Thx
Stephane
I ran around a frozen lake. Zero other humans.
Running outside— while maintaining an appropriate 6 foot bubble!
I just got back from a run on the neighborhood trails!
Worked out my arms with dumbbells.
Insanity workout in the park!
Rode a peloton app FTP Ride in my spin bike. Spin bike is in the garage. Rode with the garage door open to see outside
Lower my FTP number in zwift app by 20% and joined a group workout. Just to keep it easy during this hard time.
Really simple – a walk around the block. Fortunately there is a nice wide powerline reserve to keep everyone appropriately distanced.
Isolated in the woods with no bike, no bike trainer, but an endless pool. So a 30:00 swim in the endless pool that has a broken heater. ?
because I don’t have nearly enough power meters (4 and counting) thanks to Zwift…
Tour of Watopia, Stage 6
I rode my Cervelo P3 in my living room for two-hours watching Star Wars: A New Hope. My Greyhound, LEGO, slept through all the trainer noise, blasters and SCUBA (Darth Vader) breathing.
When I got finished, went into the kitchen, started to open the cheese package, and BOOM he was wide awake.
Made me laugh.
Zwift FTP booster, week 3 day 7!
Definitely can use equipment during this difficult time.
TrainerRoad 1:15 workout shortened to 1:00 by only cutting rest. It was brutal but had to do some parenting while kids are home too.
Fighting a strong headwind without drafting (for about 100km of the 170km ride).
I just got home from a short active rest around my extended neighborhood
I did Shasta this morning in Trainer Road. Then I proceeded to work on my butt muscles and sat the rest of the day and studied.
My coworker organized remote yoga inspired stretch session. Eight of us joined her online.
I went for a run after a month off from running, in my attempt to go fast and be away from home as less as possible, pace was a bit too high and I ended up with pretty bad DOMS..
I did a ‘solo’ run yesterday around my neighborhood, as here in Japan it is still allowed… but most likely not for long.
I just put in a Z2 ride on Watopia!
Got in a run through my neighborhood.
I’m embarrassed to say my last work out was 4 weeks ago. Time to hop back on the train one foot at a time. Social distancing wasn’t a thing back then. I did about 1500m swim. 5x 200, 2x(4×50 descend 1-4), 100 warmdown
Well… not hard… Just played video games all day long (after the workouts)
Last workouts have been Zwift and riding around the neighborhood with kiddie trailer.
DC im one of your earliest followers.
Just walking endlessly around my house, wish I had a trainer. ?
Last workout was a solo benchmark run for the Greg McMillan training program (via Garmin). Nice and quick outdoor run.
45min Pool Swim before all facilities were closed 1 week ago. Had COVID19 symptoms so no training this week but would be great to get a new toy for when I’m back active!
I spent 45 minutes on the trainer.
Just finished a quick Zwift on my vintage powerbeam pro ant + / Surley Traveler’s Check and Vector pedals. Also recently started Athlean X1 workout. Hitting it hard while stuck inside. Best to everyone…stay safe, work hard.