Heads up! The massive Sports Tech Deals list is here! Including huge discounts on Apple, DJI, Fitbit, Garmin, Google, GoPro, Peloton, Samsung, Tacx, Wahoo, and tons more! From the Garmin Epix at $449 (insane!) and Forerunner 965 deals, to the slightly newer Garmin Epix Pro & Fenix 7 Pro at $200 off, to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 deal, and the Tacx NEO 2T for $899. There’s huge savings, and constantly updated!
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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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:With TPC (The Pro's Closet), you'll save $40 on purchases over $200 with coupon code DCRAIN40 for tech and non-tech purchases!
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.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!
Wanna create comparison chart graphs just like I do for GPS, heart rate, power meters and more? No problem, here's the platform I use - you can too!
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 GPLAMA, 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 and Equipment 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! 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.
Thank you for sharing! I think one of the craziest articles I’ve read about nutrition and training/racing was from Tinker Juarez, arguably the best endurance MTB racer of all time. He talked about how he eats burritos and drinks coke and all kinds of other things during a 24-hour race that we would think is nuts! The point is everyone is different and it’s tough to plan. Like you Ray, I try to take everybody’s thoughts into consideration and have developed my own “nutrition” plan only I count the carbs since that is what directly affects my body and Type 1 diabetes the most. If it has about 15 carbs then you are probably looking at about 100-150 calories from what I’ve noticed in my label reading. Just one fans two cents, thanks again!!!
60 + Pounds? You gotta be kidding me.
I’m going to check out that blueberry thingy. The berries are ripe here, and I have a tub full in my fridge.
Great post, I really enjoyed it! I had no idea Quizno cookies were SO high calories… looks like I’ll be going for that extra meat.
Thank you for sharing!
Yes, thanks for sharing how you do it. I want to lose some weight, a couple of stone by the time I hit 60 next February, so I’ve read your post with interest.
Cheers.
Congrats on making it “bigtime” with ST… don’t forget us small guys that have been here close to the beginning.
I use pure HFCS as the perfect chamois lubricant. It prevents friction, saddle sores, and if I’m in the middle of a bonk with no food source around… I just remove my shorts and lick my chamois!
An article about nutrition that does not mention wine?!
Awesome post! I take a very similar approach to nutrition – I don’t drive myself crazy by constantly counting calories or fat grams and basically eat whatever I like in moderation (which like you said, is KEY).
I also make an effort to pick the healthier options as long as they don’t taste horrible and let me tell you, I would never even THINK about depriving myself of dessert and late night snacks.
Bottom line, as long as you don’t constantly pig out (i.e. you do need to exercise some self-control) and get in some routine physical activity, nutrition doesn’t have to become a complex issue or problematic.
ok this was highly amusing, you’re probably the first completely honest blogger to say hey listen I eat, I run and generally it’s all just fine no matter what i eat
🙂 I have to say I’m a little more cautious about what I eat, but i definitely enjoy a cookie when I want it or pizza when I want it and I don’t worry about it
I use “mynetdiary” to track everything. It’s super easy that way. I never paid attention to sodium before using that, and now I do. I’ve learned a lot, and pretty much know exactly what the results of what I eat will be…
Great post, Ray! It’s amazing how similar my take on it is. (I’ve lost >125 lbs and want to drop another 60.) Good advice especially going into a race. I had to remind myself the last few days a few extra calories or carbs won’t make a big difference come tomorrow.
Loved this post Ray, I always like readying about nutrition, out of curiosity, roughly how many calories do you consume on average per day while training?