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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UK based here! Canada! Germany! France! Spain! Italy!
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Ray Elsewhere
Did you know I write a weekly column over on Slowtwitch?
Check out my Product/Electronics posts in Ray’s Sports Electronics Mailbag - they are packed full of gadget goodness.
FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
- 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?
- What are your least favorite countries/places?
- What are you favorite countries/places?
Follow me on Twitter
- Step by step tutorial: How to download free maps to your Garmin Edge 705/800/810: http://t.co/5I9WERf58o #, 1 hour ago
- @dkhach You can share, though no separate user profile concept. But only thing impacted is calorie counts. #, 11 hours ago
- RT @paulbarny: Kansas 5150 had NO @usatriathlon official at the race. That's like having no referee at a football game. Amateur hour! @PROT… #, 14 hours ago
- @urtonbay I generally feel like getting in the post-run nutrition within the recommended 15 minutes has greater impact. #, 17 hours ago
- RT @fatcyclist: The danger of wearing a camelbak, no shirt, and no sunscreen. http://t.co/ktEJrkdfPh #, 17 hours ago
- @jgarpotter Yeah, shipping is flat-rate at $29, so just import taxes. Someone did the math in there in the comments I believe. #, 17 hours ago
- @urtonbay Yup, tried it. Absolutely miserable. In a good way though, but still miserable. :) #, 17 hours ago
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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 GPS Recommendations.
Here’s my most recent gadget recommendations guide (2012) – covering almost every category of sports gadgets out there. Looking for the equipment I use day to day? I also just put together my complete 2012 ‘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!
Understand technology and sport in the How-To Guides.
I enjoy explaining new things to folks – especially showing people how to get the most from their gadgets. Here’s an ongoing list of “How to” guides.
Read my Top 25 most useful posts.
It turns our I’ve written a fair bit of stuff over the past few years – and after it disappears from my front page, a lot of it never really sees the light of day again without Google’ing skillz. Or a photographic memory…which I don’t have. I’ve taken a look back and found stuff that…continues to find a trickle of readers via web searches or forum links.
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.
General Training
The Girl’s 2012 swim/bike/run gear I use list
Last week I outlined every piece of gear that I regularly use in my day to day training or racing. Not the stuff that I review for products, but rather, the goods that I always turn back to once the … Read More Here
The 2012 swim/bike/run gear I use list
A few weeks ago a reader reminded me that I hadn’t updated my previous gear list in years. And while many of the core foundational items haven’t changed a ton – I figured I’d give the most comprehensive and updated … Read More Here
DIY: How I made a trainer bike computer/iPad/phone stand for $30
I’m often testing a multitude of devices on the bike at once, usually just due to the limited time I have to try and gather data across the 4-5 products I might have in the queue for the bike alone. … Read More Here
Tip of the day: Exercise gyms inside airports
As you well know, I travel a lot. And while it’s relatively straight forward to train and travel with short flights up and down the coast in the US, it becomes much more difficult to travel and train when your … Read More Here
Tip of the day: How I manage 15+ Heart Rate Straps
Until rather recently I stored all my various sports gizmos and gadgets in a simple Rubbermaid container. Well, mostly. They kinda spilled out all over the place, so it was more like the Rubbermaid container plus a 6 foot radius. … Read More Here
The build: Looking at my mileage progression
When I was writing Tuesday’s post on how to train and plan for an extended race season (where triathlons go into November), I got to thinking a little bit about how my mileage builds each week. I was pondering the … Read More Here
15 Must-Read Posts For New (And Vintage) Triathletes
It’s that time of year. I noticed it tonight when I finished up my first brick-run of the season: The fake cherry tree on the side of my house had just started blooming. It’s not a real cherry tree per … Read More Here
How I train, upload and get analysis from my Coach
I’ll admit it upfront – I’m really lucky. Or rather, I’m really lucky to have a coach who’s so incredibly detail oriented that he’s thrilled to pour through whatever I upload – be it data files, text commentary, or photos … Read More Here
Training while travelling
After my trip to Spain, some folks asked me how I manage to find places to train while I’m travelling. Given how often I travel (for work or holiday), it’s pretty important to be able to stay on top of … Read More Here
Thoughts on triathlon coaching
A get about an e-mail a day from someone asking for advice on topic XYZ or gizmo ZYX. I’m always happy to help anyone who e-mails me – so feel free to keep the questions coming! Every once in a … Read More Here
Training Logs
I’ve used a lot of training logs over the past two years. I’m kinda a training records nut-case. I want to know what I did, when I did it, and I want to be able to follow trends (which as … Read More Here
Spinning around after a long run
There are few times in my little athletic life where working out after I’ve already worked out sound appealing. I’ve just finished another 20+ miler and my legs are already unhappy with me, but what’s on the schedule? A bike … Read More Here
How to ski with your Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS
Like most Garmin users, I’ve run with my Forerunner, as well as the normal mountain or road bike journeys. But as frequent readers will know, I’ve also pushed mine a bit more. I’ve taken it on lake and ocean swims, … Read More Here


















