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
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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: Food
Friday Night Lights
Less than 36 hours from now I’ll be finishing up the Philadelphia Olympic Triathlon. One of the fun things about this race is it’s considerably shorter than all my races thus far this year, and also shorter than my upcoming … Read More Here
Yogi!
In many ways, my weekends are somewhat predictable. Run, Swim, Laze Around, Sleep, Bike, Run. Repeat. But, I try and mix things up as much as possible to keep the routine from becoming stagnant. Saturday: I met up with the … Read More Here
Shenandoah Squirrel Showdown
Alternate titles: “My new girl is bi”*, “Sorry Mr. Squirrel”, “Rainmaker: 1, Squirrel: 0”….So my Sunday ride started more or less like any other. I got up at the asscrack of dawn (literally, before dawn) and jetted out to Skyline … Read More Here
Battle of the Brownie: Chocolate Fudge Brownie vs Brownie Batter
After a long winters nap, I bring back the Ben and Jerry’s review series. Last we left off, Chocolate Brownie Fudge had edged out the same flavor but of the “Lighten Up” variety. Now, it’s time to move out of … Read More Here
Blue Angels, Blue Suits*, Blue Ridge Mountains
This weekend was both busy and relaxing at the same time. Just depended on which day you were looking at. As we left off on Friday, I had finished up the Bike to Work with the bagel, and then biked … Read More Here
Whistler Weekend Wrapup
I’m generally not content with staying in any one place very long. So after five days back in DC following Wildflower, it was time to jet back to the west coast for some international skiing action. Oh, and the fact … Read More Here
Never shop on an empty stomach
Note, my list only has 5 ‘true’ items on it. It has three others that are inked in on every piece of paper (it was a free shopping list magnetic notepad at some grocery store years back). My total items … Read More Here
Trust the Fork
I think my weekends are getting busier. And not just from training – but life in general. I’m not sure at what point combustion will occur, but I’ll let ya know if it happens. Friday: The Washington National’s moved from … Read More Here
Pain, Noodles, Less Pain, Bike Bunnies
I semi-intended on writing a blog post up Friday afternoon about one thing. And then I planned to do it Friday night. And then Saturday I had a different one planned, and then I realized I spent every waking second … Read More Here
Are you in the lost and found bin?
We’ve all eagerly awaited for our race-day photos to appear on the photographing companies web site. Sometimes we get awesome shots, most times we get unflattering shots…and then sometimes we’re missing in action. You then ask yourself: How could they … Read More Here
Milking the chocolate cow
There is no greater food than chocolate. I’ll do just about anything for chocolate. Perhaps the only thing that’s greater than chocolate itself, is some other item covered in chocolate. Like chocolate donuts, chocolate covered raisins, or chocolate lava cakes. … Read More Here
Sausage Fest!
It was time. It was time for a collection of the male species to gather and fest. This could only be done properly in the company of over 25 sausages. We’re talkin’ about tasty, juicy, thick and plump ones. Ya … Read More Here
Quite simply: Dinner
So after only one workout today – 3,000 yards (split in two due to a minor incident at the pool, I ended up lounging on the pool deck for an hour) – I had more energy than I knew what … Read More Here
The Greatest Store on Earth
No not Ikea. Not your local LBS. Not REI. It’s Costco. Cause where else can you buy a massive gazebo, a pair of jeans and a full uncut beef tenderloin all in the same place? My day was basically a … Read More Here
The people who say KNEE!
Those who follow my blog regularly may know that I managed to dink up my knee back in November. In short, after the Marine Corps Marathon I got into an overuse injury when I continued to train harder and harder … Read More Here
Tri State Ride (aka: A Cold 55 Miles)
Today’s weather was looking much more promising than last week’s Saturday ride. The weather had peaked a bit above freezing a few times over the course of the week, melting off any snow on the pavement. And there hadn’t been … Read More Here
Supersize Me
A few weeks ago my brother, dad and I were at Target in the toy aisle having all sorts of fun with the various kids toys when I stumbled upon a rather interesting toy set (side note: We were shopping … Read More Here
Recipe: Pepperoni Bread
What is Pepperoni Bread you ask? Ahh..it is the greatest creation of all time. Simple, yet great. Bread, cheese, pepperoni – all rolled up into one easy to consume appetizer (perhaps too easy). In my family this stuff makes the … Read More Here
A Slushie in Philly
I haven’t been to an NFL game in probably 10-15 years – at least. The last one that I would have gone to would have been the Seahawks when they still played in the Kingdome. Not to say I don’t … Read More Here
Gobble Gobble…and more Gobble Gobble
I’m stuffed. No seriously, I’ve been eating nonstop for days now. Combining my annual two week ‘rest period’ with Thanksgiving was officially a bad-bad idea. The good news though is that since I left home (DC) Tuesday night, I haven’t … Read More Here
Forced Vacation
“You need to take your vacation” So I was told today I need to find a way to take 120 hours of vacation time before the end of the calendar year. Further, that doesn’t include 48 hours of holidays that … Read More Here
Pushing through a 95MPH Headwind
I’m sitting here at 36,000 feet and cruising across over endless farmland with a solid 100+MPH headwind, working our way towards Seattle for a quick 48 hour set of meetings. I’ve traded a very wet (and warm) Washington DC, for … Read More Here
Taste Testing: Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Brownie Fudge vs Low Fat Version
Yes folks – you know you wanted it! A complete comparison between the two variants of the same Ben & Jerry’s flavor: Chocolate Brownie Fudge. One is the ‘normal’ version, the other the ‘low fat’ version (speaking of which, did … Read More Here