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 2023 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.
Tag Archives: Triathlon
Ouch! The pain train has arrived!
Ok, it’s not fair. I haven’t even begun my 16 day hard push prior to the Philly Half – and I’m already sore. Well actually, still sore. Still feeling Sunday’s 26.2 miles of fun. Although it’s not bad at all … Read More Here
Drafting – My 2008 Race Schedule
It is with great fanfare (ok, so perhaps no fanfare) that I present my 2008 schedule. Well a draft of it anyway’s. I started with a list of some 32 ‘potential events’. Many of them collected from various sources over … Read More Here
“You’ve lost too much weight, we can’t help you”
This whole triathlon sport is costing me quite a bit of cashola. $1,300 for the bike (yes, cheap, I know), $500 for Ironman registration fee, and countless other hundreds of dollars for various other ancillary costs (ok, it’s actually probably … Read More Here
Totally awesome tri sticker!
I stumbled onto this sticker a few days ago at the Army 10 Miler expo. Yes folks – it does indeed rock and is going straight onto the bike case. After some searching, it turns out you can buy it … Read More Here
Ekk! Tri shorts going invisible!
Rur-roh Scooby! My tri-shorts are going translucent…and in some scenic places too! I had picked up a pair of Pearl Izumi Tri shorts back earlier this summer. They seemed to work fairly well, fairly basic – but good. However, the … Read More Here
My wetsuit makes brown water
After removing my wetsuit in T1 during the Nation’s Tri on Saturday, I left it in the transition area for the rest of the race (dragging it along on the bike or run didn’t seem like it would improve my … 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
Woot! Awesome day!
Short version: The Nation’s Tri (Oly) rocked. I don’t have the complete results yet (not posted), but based on watch times, I’ve got: Swim: 26 minutes Bike: 1:05 Run: 40:12 Total: 2 hours 16 minutes (+/- 30 seconds), based on … Read More Here
Through the washer & dryer – gel still good!
As I was folding clothes I found an unexpected guest – my Hammer Gel bottle (complete with gel still in it). Apparently I had grabbed it out of my gym bag by accident when taking all of the clothes out … Read More Here
Cell phone in Ziploc is your friend on the bike
Perhaps this is stating the obvious. But it took me about all summer to realize it. If you toss your cell phone in Ziploc bag and then into your back jersey pocket, it not only keeps it from getting wet … Read More Here
Two Thirds of an Oly Tri Tuesday
I had to drop a coworker at the airport (Dulles), so I took the opportunity to do tonight’s ride out on the W&OD trail. By starting out near Dulles it is much quieter and far fewer intersections. I had only … Read More Here
How to swim with your Garmin Forerunner GPS
After purchasing the Garmin Forerunner, I was determined to use it as much as possible to get the most out of my money. On an average day I have two training runs/rides/swims, and I use the GPS for every outdoor … Read More Here
Aerobars Review Part II
I set out earlier last week to decide which were the best aerobars for me. The bike shop guys were fairly useless in their ability to help me choose – but I was someone expecting that since it’s a ‘personal … Read More Here
Twofer: New Aerobars & New Running Group
Tonight was a good night in training land. I had decided last spring when I first got my road bike that I would just get ‘decent’ at handling a road bike before I put on aerobars. I reasoned that if … Read More Here
Kirkland Tri Spectator Report
This morning I went to the Kirkland Sprint Triathlon to watch a few friends race. It was a good time, and seemed to be a well run event. In many ways I wish I competed in it, but it was … Read More Here
Tri Coach – should I get one?
As a follow-on to yesterday’s post, I’m trying to figure out if I should get a coach, and if so – what type of coach I should get. I think I’m at the point now where a coach would be … Read More Here
Ironman Canada 2008 – Registration Complete
It’s now official. I just finished plunking down the $490US for Ironman Canada 2008. I think I did save $2 for the “Active Advantage”, which I’m pretty sure is officially a huge waste money (the Active Advantage thing). You know … Read More Here
Triathletes vs Great White Sharks
On Friday while driving along the coast near Monterey I stumbled into preparations for the Pacific Grove Triathlon, which looks like an awesome race – and is definitely on the radar for inclusion next year. It was setup so that … 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
Is the bank open? Ready to withdraw.
I’m now ready to withdraw my training deposit from the bank. Hopefully the bank is open on Sunday’s. Hmmm… I’ve probably over trained for this event, in fact – I know I have. But I don’t think I over trained … Read More Here
Sea Change
Wow…peace and quiet. Yesterday when I arrived at the Rec Center, I noticed they had replaced the front entry carpets with nice new ones. As I went downstairs to the pool, I thought to myself – wow, it’s quiet in … Read More Here
Taper!
Ok… I dislike taper. Well, actually I can’t decide if I dislike it. The problem with taper is now I have so much time on my hands. Today for example, my schedule only called for a 65 minute ride (about … Read More Here
Ironman 2008 registration slumber party
As midnight approached I decided to go stake out my ground. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. Would the line be hundreds of people long, or just a few? Turns out, it’s roughly 30 cars, a few dozen tents, … Read More Here
T minus 365 days
In mid-July I realized that if I really wanted to do an Ironman at any point in the next 12-18 months I’d better signup for one. With IM CDA filling up in a matter of days, and other major races … Read More Here