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.
75 Seconds to Evaporation
Yesterday’s brick and track workout was a hot one. When we arrived at the school, the little reader board temperature thing said 98*F. Though that felt a bit high, a quick check later on revealed it was instead 90*F with … Read More Here
My Giant Sac
Two weeks ago in the middle of my Rhode Island 70.3 taper I had a bit of spare time on my hands. One night while sitting around watching TV I decided I wanted something a bit more comfortable…so I wandered … Read More Here
A sporting weekend
This weekend turned out to be full of sports, and not just of the Cupcake Creation variety either (which, of course, is an official sport around these parts). But I see no reason to skip over the cupcakes.. As I … Read More Here
A week in review (aka: Cupcakes in review)
While the focal point of the past 7-10 days has been Ironman Rhode Island 70.3, it’s actually been rather busy otherwise as the Girl and I spent time with my family and relatives in both Rhode Island and Connecticut. Here’s … Read More Here
Ironman Rhode Island 70.3 – 2009 Race Report
The Ironman Rhode Island 70.3 course is a bit different than most triathlon courses out there, primarily due to its point to point nature. This means that instead of starting and ending in roughly the same place, you actually start … Read More Here
IMRI 70.3…Med tent edition
Well…suffice to say that didn’t exactly go as planned on multiple fronts. I collapsed at the finish line and then found myself in the medical tent a short bit later with a sweet 102*F core body temperature. I’m good now, … Read More Here
Tomorrow
Ok, I’ve only got a second – sorry – got all behind this weekend. Suffice to say…the girl and I are ready to roll: See the Great White Shark there? Well, hopefully he doesn’t appear tomorrow (again), at the same … Read More Here
What is qualifying? The definitive guide to the biggies
Back a while ago, someone asked what all the hubbub was about ‘qualifying’ for various big events within the Triathlon or Running world. So here’s the quick rundown of how it all works for the top events in each sport. … Read More Here
Per the schedule: “Rest and Recover”
Before we can get to the rest and relaxation part, we gotta get through the less than relaxing part. But it was pretty fun! Ok, well, actually, back to rest and relaxation first. Friday evening post-long-swim, the Girl and I … Read More Here
Getting to the taper
I think mentally I had written off this week as part of the taper for Rhode Island next week. Perhaps because I didn’t really look at my schedule in detail, perhaps because it was July, perhaps because I don’t really … Read More Here
Going really really really long with your Forerunner 305
One of the most common complaints with the Forerunner 305 is that for most age group athletes is its battery life – limited to about 10 hours on a good day. This precludes many folks from being able to use … Read More Here
It’s cheaper than a night out…century rides.
After attending a wedding Saturday evening, the girl and I were mixing up our nutrition for our long ride the next day when I realized that I had just gone through an ENTIRE CONTAINER of my sports drink (EFS) for … Read More Here
How I built the largest Rice Krispie Treat Running Shoe on Earth
If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know I enjoy cooking. Though I’m not sure if this particular activity actually counts as ‘cooking’ per se. But it does count in the book of slightly odd tasks … Read More Here
Send me to Antarctica, among other things…
The first thing I shall draw your attention to is a fully updated Garmin 305 review post. As I’ve mentioned a few times, review posts that I do account for a fair chunk of traffic to my blog, so I … Read More Here
Washington DC ITU Pro Race Spectator Report
If you’ve been following along in the tri world you likely know that this past Sunday here in little ole Washington DC there was a major pro triathlon as part of the Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series that’s stopping … Read More Here
2009 Washington DC Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Race Report
The first order of business in any triathlon is packet pickup, which I accomplished the day before downtown at the Hyatt. It as pretty cool seeing a number of the pro’s hanging out in the lobby, preparing for their race … Read More Here
Dinner with the First Lady
I feel like I should at least mention it, albeit briefly. Tonight, when The Girl and I arrived at the restaurant (Tosca) in downtown DC for dinner, we were met with Secret Service agents and wands to check us for … Read More Here
Friday’s Random Tidbits
This week has been full of all sorts of random stuff. Given it’s been a recovery/taper week leading up to Sunday’s race here in DC, I’ve had a lowered volume of workouts. A quick recap would be: Monday: 20.02 mile … Read More Here
Rainmaker rant: Race photo companies
If you read my blog often, you know that I have little love for the majority of race-day photo companies. These being the companies that are on the course during a race and take our photos, and then offer to … Read More Here
Two rocks and a chain
Now normally after a weekend I would talk about my typical Skyline drive bike ride, for example, we’d start with the night before with mixing up drinks… …using a KitchenAid blender of course. How else am I supposed to mix … Read More Here
Wanna buy a Kenyan bike?
Last week before my flight back to the US, I swung briefly through a Kenyan mega mart of sorts on the way to the airport. My coworkers wanted to pick up some coffee (nearby regions are known for it) at … Read More Here
Beneath the trees near the track
Up until now the majority of my weekday brick workouts have been done at home. I’d be on my trainer for the bike portion, and then just simply run outside for the run piece. Quick, and efficient. However, there are … Read More Here
Acting like a camel – or the water boy
At some point last summer while preparing for one of my long rides (typically 7-9 hours) I realized that I was packing more water bottles in the car than I preferred to have rolling around. And while re-using plastic bags … Read More Here
Goin’ compact on Skyline
One of the biggest benefits of having a coach is when he or she can look back at months of data and finds a way to assist you in getting better. In my case, it was almost a year’s worth … Read More Here
Zurich and a little run
I left Nairobi at 5 minutes to midnight on Tuesday night. My path would take us across the vast arid landscape that is most of northern and East Africa. About 7 hours and 24 minutes later, we touched down in … Read More Here