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.
-
Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
-
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.
Now this question isn’t too difficult…I did stage 5 in the Tour of Watopia and some pull-ups on a pipe in my apartment that may or may not be the gas line. It seems stable enough.
That said, $500 would go a long way toward a proper bike computer, a mount for my phone to give thumbs up indoors, and maybe even…man, I’m not sure. Exciting!
Easy, another Zwift morning workout. From here in your old neighborhood of Washington DC, it’s neat to ride with all the European folks.
Cross Country skiing at 6 am.
Just did some core work alone in my basement.
30 minute Peloton ride this afternoon.
I rode my bike for 32 miles. Very little traffic
This morning I did a 10K Zwiftopia treadmill run using my phone, ant+ foot pod and Cable ant+ to Bluetooth bridge.
A bike ride solo in a rural area
50km sunny bike ride along the coast with nothing but my thoughts
Managed a 1 hour Zwift workout with my coach on Hangouts!
A 30k road ride on my lonesome.
500m seated power Sprints on my road bike in the neighborhood since the track is closed!
5k trail run with my boyfriend
Riding on the weekend before sun up pretty much insures social distancing…..
I was running with my beloved dog. While seperated from everybody, nothing can seperate us!
25k rigid 29er boot around the city dodging potholes and ice patches.
An hour mountain bike ride in Jones State Forest. Even came across a meter-long rat snake on the single track!
i did a bunch of vo2 max intervals.
I did a trail run in the snow – trail to my self.
Cleared the clothes rack, I mean weight bench in the garage and did some lifting for a change!
An hour of Z2 on my CycleOps Fluid2 and a YouTube video of the roads of France and techno music while the dogs watched TV in the other room with the wife.
I ran hills this morning ?
Went to our gym the last day they were open and tough strength training session.
Sufferfest There Is No Try
10 km run on the treadmill.
Running around the neighborhood (socially distanced from any other folks) and then some yoga back at home.
Just a normal fast 35K ride. Solo.
Zwift trainer ride in my basement.
Catch with my boy at the park. Simple and Distant.
Ran 4 through a neighborhood I have never been through.
TrainerRoad workout indoors – it was a bit of VO2 max work and definitely tough!
Just a gentle adaptation week turbo ride around Watopia tonight…. keep up the good work!
A 14 mile run this morning.
Went for a solo ride at lunch, then my son and I went for a couple miles on the local paved trails. He loves it and said he wanted to do it every Thursday for now on.
Dog walk, what else?
4 different types of pushups done till exhaustion, with posture training mixed in – all indoors.
Simply making my way up the Aple in Zwift! Climb, baby, Climb!
Riding to pick up car after it got emergency seat belt replacement. Service guy showed more interest in bikes (and purchasing one for himself) than would expect in normal times…
Walking around the neighborhood with the dogs…..for the fifth time today. ?
Riding indoors on TrainerRoad…
30 mile bike ride. No coffee shops really sucks
30 swift intense climb
6.2 mile run by myself on quiet streets. Near my race PR. Just no races to set a new one…
Still forced to ride inside due to cold weather and snow on the ground, so not much has changed there! ?
A gentle ride with lad around the neighborhood
Dear sweet RNG, please favor me for once! ;)
I literally just came back from a run to see this post. My proper social distancing while running: run alone, choose a time of day when few people are likely to be out, choose a route that is unlikely to have much foot traffic, give a wide berth to any people I do see while also nodding and giving a friendly smile.
Also, as I’ve only just restarted running again after a cold winter (to which I was not acclimated at all), my runs are pretty short, only 5k, so I am minimizing my outside-in-public time.
Of course, as an introvert nerd, social distancing is my usual default state, so that aspect of this pandemic situation has not been all that stressful for me. ;)
Hope everyone is staying safe. :)
Group ride in Watopia on Zwift.
5k stroller run with my 2.5 year old. I feel so inadequate without 3 kids in a contraption.
My last socially distant workout was on my turbo using Zwift….what would we do without Zwift!
Stage 5 of Tour of Watopia! Lots of trainer time these days, as nice as it is outside.
I am still full time training indoors. Did a nice little 8% hike for an hour on the tready. Zwift just tells me I was running slowly haha.
All I’ve been comfortable doing is riding the trainer. Thank goodness for Trainer Road!
Went for a run this morning during a driving snow storm with my confused doggy.
It did Collins workout on Trainer Road and it was very enjoyable
Short run early in the morning to avoid people.
Went on a nice easy run down to the water yesterday. Spent a lot of the run in the street avoiding people on the sidewalks.
Riding Divvy bikeshare here in Chicago.
14 mile trail run Cougar Mountain , all parking lots now closed
30mins Watopia with planks and lunges afterwards.
On the turbo virtually riding Gascony Lavardens
indoor trainer ride…alone…about as safe as it gets.
1:30 on Zwift. Easy first half hour. Fairly hard final hour doing the tour of watopia. Fifth day in a row with a solid indoor slog. Off today. Woohoo!
1ish mile toddler stroller walk while carrying a crying baby. At least the sun was out and it was not snowing.
Meet up ride on Zwift
Zwift’s Tour of Watopia Stage 4.
35-mi endurance-pace ride while my brother struggled waaayyy behind to keep up
Rode my trainer for a Zwift session!
I have a treadmill and a kickr (that I won from you, let’s make history with the first repeat winner!) so I’ve managed to keep a normal routine of trainer road.
25 min TRX-session at home, it’s been a regular for the last 2 months.
6 mile treadmill run on Zwift using the Runn sensor.
A 15-mile bike ride around a virus-free virtual Central Park.
3 mile Beach Walk
The sufferfest toga
Today 1 hour indoor trainer ride.
Local solo cycling loop (still allowed in Australia) on my lunch break, working from home. Back on to a bush park with wide gravel paths. People doing the same, all giving each other a smile, nod, and a requisite amount of distance.
Doing all my cycling on Zwift
Elliptical this morning and family walk in the afternoon.
I ran a quick 5 miles this morning just after sunset.
40 mile road ride with a shut-in buddy – kept 12 feet apart at all times.
Zwift Watopia Tick Tock loop with a Kickr Snap for 32 miles in Zone 2. Really want a direct drive trainer now. Thanks Ray!
The last workout was from Trainerroad, before I catched the virus myself :(
13.5 mile bike ride on a nice bike trail in the desert. Saw maybe 3 or 4 other cyclists out, and a couple people walking. Biking is such a great socially distant sport (at least the way I ride… haha!)
A headwind. Even with the window open it’s too hot!
4 mile run around the neighborhood.
12 mile workout run on the cemetery near my house.
Training indoors on my Elite Suito (from clever training, based on your trainer reviews, thank you!). I’ve actually been riding on that thing exclusively since I broke my leg in a motorcycle accident last year.
Passo dello Stelvio @ Rouvy
20 mile ride around the neighborhood on roads that are quite devoid of traffic! (Wearing walking boot while recovering from broken ankle)
Tallac on TrainerRoad indoors, but also with Zwift running for the xp. :)
Zwift training ride that lasted about an hour yesterday.
My last outdoor run felt like a game, avoiding getting close to anyone at all cost. I was jumping into bushes and back tracking to avoid people – probably looked stupid but A+ social distancing :-)
Zwift free ride in the basement while my son slept. First ride in weeks.
I did a 4.20 mile run today. All the cars except for.one jerk kept appropriate social distance, he felt I should have been on the sidewalk.
62 mile solo ride with the first half into a headwind and the last half too tired to enjoy the tailwind.
7 mile recovery run
Zwift Stage 5 in my pain cave today at 4:01pm CST.
A 4 mile run with my youngest daugther.
Zwift ride, last night, garage hideout.
My last workout was stage 2 of the FulGaz Tour of Europe – although it crashed about 30 mins into my ride.
Bike ride on the streets of LA!