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.While I don't partner with many companies, there's a few that I love, and support the site. Full details!
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 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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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 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 2024 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.
Search for the Eastern Passage
Monday night when I stepped out of my door shortly after 5PM to start my long run, I simply stood there for probably a good 30 seconds…just trying to figure out which way I would run. Some days I’m feelin’ … Read More Here
A weekend at home and in the pool with the Polar RCX5
This weekend was a bit of a whirlwind – despite being one that in theory shouldn’t have been. With getting stuck working rather late downtown on Friday night, before I knew it, it was Saturday morning and time to head … Read More Here
Week in Review–May 8th, 2011
I’ve long since wondered what to do with all the random tidbits of things I collect each week – or the little thoughts that don’t quite make for a full post. But I finally came up with a solution: The … Read More Here
Friday Distractions
When it comes to getting things done, Friday is never a terribly successful day for me. Though, sometimes I find that spills into Thursday’s as well. Take for example, yesterday. As I was pondering getting on the bike for my … Read More Here
My photo shoot day at Men’s Health Magazine
(Quick side note: If you saw yesterday’s post regarding wireless downloading from the FR310XT straight to the web via an iPhone without a computer, I’ve updated it with new comments from Garmin. In short, they’re looking for feedback as to … Read More Here
An inside look at downloading FR310XT workouts to the web without a computer
You may remember quite a while back I showed off the Wahoo Fitness iPhone dongle. This handy dandy little white pod the size of a quarter plugs into the bottom of your iPhone/iPod and allows connections to ANT+ devices such … Read More Here
The Bricks: An inside look at my weekly brick workouts
This seasons mid-week brick workouts started quite a while ago, probably about two or so months now that I think about it. Technically speaking I actually have two brick workouts a week. The second one attached to my long ride, … Read More Here
A weekend on and around the Rev3 Quassy Course
This past weekend I was up in Connecticut for my cousins wedding, but of course, the training for Boise 70.3 would not halt merely because we were a few hundred miles away. Instead, we loaded up our little bikes into … Read More Here
Week in Review–April 30th, 2011
I’ve long since wondered what to do with all the random tidbits of things I collect each week – or the little thoughts that don’t quite make for a full post. But I finally came up with a solution: The … Read More Here
Tip of the day: Remembering to retire your running shoes
The other day I had a minor epiphany. I realized that somehow along the way I had forgotten to retire my current pair of running shoes. I normally try and aim for about 500 miles per pair before recycling them … Read More Here
Nike+ Sportwatch GPS In Depth Review
Here’s a uber-detailed look at Nike’s first GPS product into the marketplace. How does it stack up against the major running units? Read More Here
Guest Post: Tracking a runner in the Boston Marathon with the Garmin GTU 10
Note from Ray: Last week leading into the Boston Marathon I had a reader (John) that e-mailed me asking if I’d like to follow along his wife’s progress on the day using the new Garmin GTU 10 tracker. As he … Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 610 Giveaway Results!
Thanks all for the great entries in the FR610 giveaway. There’s literally over 1,600 great egg related and training stories in there. Everything from stories of kids forgetting to hard boil the eggs before coloring and then hiding them (and … Read More Here
An Eggtastic Training Weekend!
This weekend was a mix of hard training on one day, and relaxation on the other (though yes, still with a swim workout scheduled even on the relaxing days). Saturday morning we had planned to head down south towards Prince … Read More Here
Week in Review–April 23rd, 2011
I’ve long since wondered what to do with all the random tidbits of things I collect each week – or the little thoughts that don’t quite make for a full post. But I finally came up with a solution: The … Read More Here
Friday Tidbits (lots of them!)
All sorts of things moving and shaking around here, most of which will bubble up to the surface in the next few weeks. In the meantime, here’s a few random notables for the week thus far. What my iPhone history … Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 610 Giveaway
You know that new Garmin Forerunner 610 GPS-enabled touch screen watch that was just announced last week? Well, I’ve got one to giveaway to you – all my best buds!And the best thing is you’ve got nothing more to do … Read More Here
How to travel (a lot) and still eat (mostly) healthy
I’ve talked in the past a bit about nutrition and how I balance my desire to eat everything that looks great with attempting to be healthy in my choices. Yet how does that jive with all the travel I do … Read More Here
Rumpus in Bumpass Olympic Triathlon Race Report
When we arrived at the lake Friday evening to pickup our race packets, the weather was beautiful. You really couldn’t have asked for a nicer evening perched on the side of the water. Regrettably…the weather would not hold another dozen … Read More Here
Week in Review–April 17th, 2011
I’ve long since wondered what to do with all the random tidbits of things I collect each week – or the little thoughts that don’t quite make for a full post. But I finally came up with a solution: The … Read More Here
Tip of the day: How to avoid decapitating your bike
If you have a bike…and you have a car…it’s likely the two occasionally mate. There are many ways they can have a relationship together – be it inside the car, hanging out on the back, or one of the most … Read More Here
Other peoples workouts
The Internet’s a funny thing. It offers vast amounts of data, opinions and educational reference points. While at the same time that vastness in information can be overwhelming. It can lead you to change your mind a multitude of times … Read More Here
Pre-race time back in the pool with wetsuits
It’s that time of the training schedule again. The time where a race is right around the corner in four days. For me that means a lot of things. First is the inevitable taper in workout duration. Then there’s the … Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 610 In Depth Review
The Garmin Forerunner 610 represents the next generation running watch from Garmin. The watch builds on many areas that the FR405 and FR410 carved out – including a slim profile and advanced workout features. But it also adds a number … Read More Here
A Weekend Peaking in Transition
This weekend was the last push before the first triathlon race of the year occurring next weekend. Since next weekend’s race isn’t an ‘A’ race, the goal is focused more on a steady build to Boise 70.3, exactly 8 weeks … Read More Here