I’m DC RAINMAKER…
I swim, bike and run. Then, I come here and write about my adventures. It’s as simple as that. Most of the time. If you’re new around these parts, here’s the long version of my story.
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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.Want to compare the features of each product, down to the nitty-gritty? No problem, the product comparison data is constantly updated with new products and new features added to old products!
Wanna create comparison chart graphs just like I do for GPS, heart rate, power meters and more? No problem, here's the platform I use - you can too!
Think my written reviews are deep? You should check out my videos. I take things to a whole new level of interactive depth!
Smart Trainers Buyers Guide: Looking at a smart trainer this winter? I cover all the units to buy (and avoid) for indoor training. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
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Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
Get all your awesome DC Rainmaker gear here!
FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
- Do you have a privacy policy posted?
- Why haven’t you yet released a review for XYZ product you mentioned months ago?
- Will you test our product before release?
- Are you willing to review or test beta products?
- Which trainer should I buy?
- Which GPS watch should I buy?
- I’m headed to Paris – what do you recommend for training or sightseeing?
- I’m headed to Washington DC – what do you recommend for training?
- I’m from out of the country and will be visiting the US, what’s the best triathlon shop in city XYZ?
- What kind of camera do you use?
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5 Easy Steps To The Site
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
Race Report
GW Parkway 10 Miler Report: Aka – the mother of all negative splits
Alternate titles: “Top 20 finish”, “How to take photos on the run”, “How not to take photos on the run”, “How to lay down a monster 100 yard sprint finish”, “PR baby”, “I should cycle 90 miles the day before … Read More Here
Oceanside 70.3 Race Report (aka: There be big hills in California)
Remember yesterday’s post about how the Oceanside area is beautiful? Well, it is – that’s still true. Except, I probably should have withheld a bit of judgement until AFTER I had to cycle over 56 miles of hills. In.the.wind. With … Read More Here
Time Capsule: My First Triathlon – Seafair Sprint Tri 2007
Last summer I did my first triathlon. This was before my blogging days. I originally wrote up this race report for a triathlon distribution group/list within my company, as is customary after a race. I realized I had never posted … Read More Here
Philly Half Marathon – Top 10 in AG – Woot!
For future athletic reference – 13.1 miles is a long way to run at a 6:20 pace. Which is why my body made the decision this morning it was going to run it at a more ‘gentlemanly’ 6:36 pace. My … Read More Here
iWon
Ok, never mind the fact that it was a tiny little 5K ‘race’. There was no special timing chips or start waves or even web page. Never mind that it only had 20-25 people in it. That’s all besides da … Read More Here
The 2008 Marine Corps Marathon Race Report
7:56AM – Sitting in the port-a-potty losing a pound or so. The race starts in 4 minutes, about a quarter of a mile away. Uhh…yeah. But, we manage to make it to our spot near the 3:30ish marker just as … Read More Here
Army 10 Miler Race Report
Dang it’s hot today. To illustrate my point – here’s a screen shot of the the weather.com page for the area: Now mind you – it was actually far more humid earlier in the day (albeit slightly cooler). I wasn’t … Read More Here
The Nation’s Triathlon Race Report
Boo-yah, that’s about all I have to say. Here’s the short version: 7th in age group (out of 90), with PR’s in every category known to mankind.7 561 RAINMAKER 25 Alexandria VA 15 26:17 3:20 16 1:05:30 1:05 11 40:12 … Read More Here
Big Kahuna 70.3 Half Iron Race Report
So here we go…my sorta long race report for the Big Kahuna 70.3 in Santa Cruz, CA.Pre-raceI got up around 5AM after about 6 hours of sleep, pretty good for the night before a race, and a bit later than … Read More Here