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 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!
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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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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 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: Sharks
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Another awesome weekend down in Australia, getting in the swim/bike/run variety that makes this place so easy to love. Plus of course, some other tidbits. Here’s what I was up to! 1) A quick power meter check ride Last week … Read More Here
A Week On A Small Australian Tropical Island
After leaving Adelaide we headed north to Sydney. We were only there about 72 hours, and I haven’t exactly written a post about it yet. Partially because the weather was generally shiest. And partially because I’m backlogged on everything. Either … Read More Here
Bora Bora Part II: Sharks, Rays (the Manta kind), Paddle Boarding…and lots of rain.
(If you’re just joining me, start back at the first part of the two-part series) While Bora Bora is certainly about sun and sand, we did spend a fair bit of time doing lots of non-beach chair items. Sometimes for … Read More Here
My Totally Awesome New Shark Blimp
Remember back a week or two ago when I noted all the new products that came in to review? Well, in addition to those, there was one little item that I just ordered myself…a remote controlled shark blimp. Yes, seriously. … Read More Here
A weekend in the snow in NYC…and planes, trains and automobiles.
This weekend started with a short 45 minute flight up to New York City for the NYC Urbanathlon. This is the race series I’ve been doing as part of my partnership with Men’s Health Magazine. Of course, before we picked … Read More Here
Shark Week…coming to my local swimming pool
Well, sorta. Back last month I got a mysterious package in the mail. That in and of itself isn’t too unusual actually. I get all sorts of packages that I’m not expecting. Sometimes companies will delay and/or forget to send … Read More Here
A Brief Shark Week (Link Bait) Post of My Shark Adventures
It’s Shark Week time for those of us watching Discovery Channel. Unfortunately for me, my hotel room doesn’t have the Discovery Channel (and I haven’t been in it much anyway) – but once I return home you can bet the … Read More Here
Swimming with sharks
(It’s Tuesday, and everyone’s looking to get to the weekend, so we’ll keep today a bit entertaining) It’s no secret that I enjoy mixing sharks with my water. It doesn’t matter if it’s a tiny little shark that I sit … Read More Here
Nation’s Tri Athletes: Just ignore the 8’ Bull Sharks…
The biggest triathlon event in the DC area – and one of the biggest in the nation/world is just a few days away. The Nation’s Triathlon will kickoff this Sunday with 4,000-6,000 athletes on a redesigned course that takes you … Read More Here
Shark Week Time (Starring Me?!?)
If you’ve been around these parts long enough, you know I like sharks. Really any type of shark…but generally the bigger the better. Thus, this week on the trainer has been full of Shark Week action: So much so that … Read More Here
A day with the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme
Back a few months ago while following the Underwater Thrills blog, I saw a story about a Whale Shark research program in the Maldives. After a bit of poking around, it turned out the program is partially supported by the … Read More Here
Days 11-13 – Maldivian water games, a night and day difference
Given the Maldives are a collection of tiny islands in a vast ocean, you spend the majority of your time in or around the water. The good news is…I like the water. The bad news is that there isn’t enough … Read More Here
Isla Guadalupe Great White Shark Diving – Day 5
I woke up surprisingly late – around 9AM. Though, since we were just making the trek back to land, I wasn’t exactly missing much. Thankfully, the weather continued to hold up and made for an incredibly calm ride back – … Read More Here
Isla Guadalupe Great White Shark Diving – Day 4
Over the course of the night the boat moved a round a bit in an attempt to avoid some of the winds and swells that can make life on the boat uncomfortable. But, by time the sun rose we were … Read More Here
Isla Guadalupe Great White Shark Diving – Day 3
For some, the day started earlier than others. In an effort to get to a better shark diving spot after yesterday’s empty handed attempt, the boat pulled up anchor and started motoring north at 4:30AM. The film crew followed suit … Read More Here
Isla Guadalupe Great White Shark Diving – Day 2
Our day began with sunrise at sea, just after 6AM. We had been motoring east now for some 17 hours, making way towards Isla Guadalupe at a steady clip of about 10mph. However, while we slept, the ocean did not. … Read More Here
Isla Guadalupe Great White Shark Diving – Day 1
Our itinerary put together by Shark Diver called for us to leave San Diego around 6:30AM via charter bus. We’d then drive South about half an hour, where we’d cross the US-Mexico border before continuing onto Ensenada, Mexico – the … Read More Here
Gone…Great White Shark Diving
And now…for something completely different… With what turned out to be a very long triathlon season now in the books, I need some rest and relaxation before starting up for a very exciting next year. I went for a nice … Read More Here
Shark Week
Ever since I was a kid I can remember watching Discovery Channel’s Shark Week – which typically occurs during the last week of July (this year July 27- Aug. 2…aka NOW!). Way back when (probably 10-15 years now), the content … Read More Here
One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish
One of the major advantages of traveling in a westerly direction is that you body naturally wakes up earlier. Yesterday I was up at 6AM, right now it’s 5:30AM. After getting up at six yesterday, it was off to the … 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