I’m DC RAINMAKER…
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:
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.
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Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
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5 Easy Steps To The Site
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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.
Quick Administrative Notes and Updates
Just a quick note to let folks know I had a bit of time on my most recent 13 hour flight earlier this morning (this evening? this afternoon? Honestly, I have no idea, it sorta crossed all three). I took … Read More Here
How to fix cold/dry weather erratic heart rate readings
It’s that time of year again. No, not that time of year. Nor that time of year. But rather, the time of year when your heart rate readings start to resemble a seismic monitor more than a representation of your … Read More Here
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
Week in Review–October 30th, 2010
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
Happy Halloween–Have a great weekend!
(Rainmaker & The Girl)
Ironman says ‘We screwed up’ and cancels/refunds Ironman Access
In a rather surprising change of heart, World Triathlon Corporation decided to ditch plans for its newfound Ironman Access program that I posted on earlier this morning. By mid-day they had posted a rather hastily put together “We’ve sold out!” … Read More Here
The Ironman Access Country Club Program? Maybe…maybe not…
For most that saw World Triathlon Corporations (WTC) e-mail announcement on Wednesday, or heard about it online, the initial reaction tended to be of anger – if not outright disgust. However, the more I dug into responses from folks on … 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
Using clip-on aerobars on a road bike…how I did it.
If you’re new to triathlon, or are considering jumping into the pool (no pun intended) – you probably at one pointed eyed getting a road bike and using that. You may have even advanced that line of thinking to also … Read More Here
Steaks, Ducks and Planks
Now that I’m home for a short bit, I’ve been enjoying kicking off the weekend with a bit of cooking – just like last weekend. After consulting with The Girl, I checked in and see what she wanted. Turned out … Read More Here
Week in Review–October 23rd, 2010
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
Turf Wars
Given how many fitness related devices I have floating around the house, one would think there would pretty much never be any issue when it came to sharing toys in the sandbox. After all, I have enough of the different … Read More Here
Running in the night
(Side note: Some really cool and interesting comments and ideas were posted yesterday onto the Boston Marathon analysis post that I put together – definitely a lot of great discussion about whether or not to solve the problem, and tons … Read More Here
5 Reasons why the Boston Marathon sold out in 8 hours
In the running world, there is no more legendary road race than the Boston Marathon. But, as anyone who has raced Boston will tell you – it’s not about just the race itself, but rather about the process to get … Read More Here
A look at Garmin’s new Chirp and potential use in sports
When Garmin announced their newest product – Chirp – last Friday, I’m fairly certain that a grand total of 3 people in the endurance sports world actually noticed. After all, it’s targeted at the Geocaching folks (who are all abuzz … Read More Here
Finally…a weekend at home: Pumpkins and Training
After more weeks of travel than I can realistically count, I landed into Washington National Airport late Thursday night, and finally got a complete and full weekend at home. Woohoo! And there’s no better way to kick-off a Friday night … Read More Here
Week in Review–October 16th, 2010
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
Timex Global Trainer Giveaway Results!
Thanks everyone for entering the giveaway! Apparently quite a few want a new Timex Global Trainer! That said there were just over 900 entries after accounting for ways to double-up, into the giveaway, and another bunch from Active Duty folks. … Read More Here
Separating product timeline fact from fantasy: Interbike Edition
Now that some of the hype has died down a bit from Interbike, it’s time to take a look at what exactly all these vendors have promised…and which ones might actually meet their promises. But as is always the case, … Read More Here
Climbing, Cresting and Cruising
Every time I head up to Skyline drive I’m reminded how much time can be gained or lost anytime hills are involved. And every time I crest one of the endless peaks there I think to myself: ‘I need to … Read More Here
A ‘Magical’ Weekend
When I was ‘signed up’ for this past weekend almost a year ago, I didn’t exactly expect for it to be slotted in between weeks of back to back international travel…but then again, I’m not exactly what I was supposed … Read More Here
Week in Review–October 10th, 2010
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
Two days in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
The one and only thing you need to know about flying into Tegucigalpa is that it’s gonna be an interesting landing. So interesting in fact, that pilots have to be specifically trained on the approach. As you descend below the … Read More Here
October Timex Global Trainer Giveaway
There’s no better way to kick the fall running season into high gear than giving something away. So in an effort to mix things up a little bit, this month I’m going to giveaway a brand new Timex Global Trainer … Read More Here
