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.

-
SUPPORT THIS SITE
Wanna help support the site? You have two options. The first is to use Clever Training with the link and 10% off everything coupon below:
Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back. No cost to you, easy as pie!
UK based here! Canada! Germany! France! Spain! Italy!
-
Catch me on Facebook
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
- @ismolieke Indeed it would! #, 3 hours ago
- Another night, another flight. Next stop, 3,628 miles. At least the plane has A/C, unlike our hot house. :) http://t.co/Q1TMRB9ujz #, 12 hours ago
- New In-Depth Review...Update: Here's a second indepth look at the @StagesCycling Power Meter: http://t.co/gmfD9T7ILt #, 13 hours ago
- @rspauwen None that I'm aware of. :( #, 19 hours ago
- FYI: @Garmin releases Edge 810 firmware update. Minor tweaks/fixes: http://t.co/7JN03g2FDQ #, 2013/06/18
- @muzzkat Only when the situation calls for it. :) #, 2013/06/17
- @muzzkat Ignore eating and sleeping...but there some e-mail to some Parisian you were going to write. ;) #, 2013/06/17
-
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.
Tag Archives: Marine Corps Marathon
How to learn from the Marine Corps Marathon App Fiasco Failboat
For those of you outside the DC area, you may be unaware of all the trouble that occurred over the past few days when one of the nation’s largest marathons contracted an app to be put together to allow racers … Read More Here
Marine Corps Marathon Time-lapse and Photos
There’s no bigger race in Washington DC than the Marine Corps Marathon, and – in the case of this weekend, no better weather than today’s for the race. The Girl and I headed out before sunrise to stake out our … Read More Here
Race Reminders: NYC Triathlon Early Registration, IM 70.3 Race Openings & Marine Corps Marathon App
It’s that time of year where the most popular triathlons for next year start to open…and sell out just as quickly. The first wave of these starts later this week, with many of the other big names occurring over the … Read More Here
A 10K, a marathon and wilderness in between
Let’s try and keep this weekend recap quick. On Friday night myself and two friends drove down to Charlottesville, VA to run in a 10K race there (Bad to the Bone 10K aka Charlottesville Fall Classic). (I’m in the lower … 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
Ready to rumble..or tumble and bumble…
Boy has this been a fun 12 hours. Took the redeye from Seattle last night and landed around 7:15AM into Dulles this morning. That picture is on arrival. it looks like crap outside, and I felt like crap after landing. … Read More Here


















