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.
Tag Archives: Race
Comparing M-Dot Ironman races to Non-Dot races
If you’ve been around the triathlon block a few times, you probably already know that the official ‘Ironman’ name and race series is actually a trademarked asset of the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC). As such, no other races may call … Read More Here
My 2010 Race Schedule
Ok…ok…I get it. Ya’ll been hounding me for months now on what my race schedule is for next year – and finally, I can give you some answers. As I hinted at in my last post on how 2009 went, … Read More Here
Weekend Part I – Luray Triathlon
For all three of you who may have noticed, I haven’t posted since last Thursday (almost a week ago!). That’s been due to a lack of internet, land telephone or even cell phone coverage where I’ve been staying since Friday. … Read More Here
IMRI 70.3…Med tent edition
Well…suffice to say that didn’t exactly go as planned on multiple fronts. I collapsed at the finish line and then found myself in the medical tent a short bit later with a sweet 102*F core body temperature. I’m good now, … Read More Here
Rainmaker rant: Race photo companies
If you read my blog often, you know that I have little love for the majority of race-day photo companies. These being the companies that are on the course during a race and take our photos, and then offer to … Read More Here
How to race tri’s with a Garmin Forerunner or Edge
While I have many posts on how to get the most from your Garmin Forerunner, it was pointed out to me recently that I don’t actually have any posts on how best to race with it. So this one will … Read More Here
My requests to race directors
Over the past couple of years, I’ve come up with a list of things that I like – and don’t like – about races. I’m going to keep it bulleted, just to simplify things. I’m hoping that at least one … Read More Here
New DC triathlon race announced to go with ITU World Cup Race
I’ve heard about this for months and even had some e-mails with the ITU folks about it – and as of today, it’s FINALLY announced – The US Dextro Energy Triathlon. As many of you already know, there’s an ITU … Read More Here
Racing the line – understanding how courses are measured
Last week on one of my review posts, someone asked why their Garmin GPS showed a longer distance than the actual course distance of the National Marathon. Of course, there are two possible explanations, but likely only one is the … Read More Here
Gobble Gobble
I had two different Turkey Trots lined up for Thanksgiving day. The first was a 5K held in nearby Arlington, VA. It’s in busy times like these that I forget to look at little details like…say…the elevation map. This was … Read More Here
BQ Baby…BQ!
Things went spectacular at the Philadelphia Marathon today. Finished in 2:54:39 at a pace of 6:39 – which gave me plenty of time for a Boston Qualifying (BQ) time. This is awesome in that it both qualified for the Boston … Read More Here
Finalizing the list and checking it thirty billion times
It’s not even the end of the race year yet – and I’m already putting on the finishing touches for next year. One of the sucky things (actually, really the only sucky thing) about triathlons is how early the races … Read More Here
Failboat, now arriving
Within the small circle of friends that I run with on a regular basis we often joke about committing a ‘fail’ – as epitomized on the fail blog via the Failboat. While I personally manage many fails on a daily … Read More Here
Hardware Collection – Nation’s Tri – 3rd place in AG
Details later on…off to the pool (not to swim, just to enjoy the 95* day).
Inpatient, patient or persistent? How to find event photos before the event posts them
So I’m antsy – I want to see my race photos from Saturday. But, the folks at Ironman California (well, technically ASI photography) aren’t so quick. However, being a bit of a computer dude, I figured I’d trace through how … Read More Here
Oceanside 70.3 Race Report (aka: There be big hills in California)
Remember yesterday’s post about how the Oceanside area is beautiful? Well, it is – that’s still true. Except, I probably should have withheld a bit of judgement until AFTER I had to cycle over 56 miles of hills. In.the.wind. With … Read More Here
Let the games begin!
I arrived relatively late (ok, technically really early – 1:15AM) last night into the Oceanside area – about 30 minutes north of San Diego. This where tomorrow 2,000 less than smart people will set off onto a 70.3 mile journey … Read More Here
Are you in the lost and found bin?
We’ve all eagerly awaited for our race-day photos to appear on the photographing companies web site. Sometimes we get awesome shots, most times we get unflattering shots…and then sometimes we’re missing in action. You then ask yourself: How could they … Read More Here
Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island Race Course Preview
I signed up for the Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island race back a month ago. It’s located near where all my extended family lives in Connecticut and Rhode Island, so it seemed only logical given it also fits perfectly into my … Read More Here
Monday Race Registration Reminder
Just a quick reminder about a few upcoming race registration times/dates: The Cherry Blossom 10 Miler here in DC opens tomorrow (Tuesday) at 8AM sharp! It sold out last year in two days (or so they say, I thought it … Read More Here
Upcoming local DC running races (plus one in Cali)
I got an e-mail from Pacers a few days ago with a list of a few major/minor upcoming running races in the DC area. These are the ‘official’ dates, now that the event dates are confirmed. So mark your calendars! … Read More Here
Philly Half Marathon – Top 10 in AG – Woot!
For future athletic reference – 13.1 miles is a long way to run at a 6:20 pace. Which is why my body made the decision this morning it was going to run it at a more ‘gentlemanly’ 6:36 pace. My … Read More Here
T minus 24 hours until Philly
We’re in the home stretch now. Down to just a few hours before the last meaningful race of my season (actually, that might be a lie, we’ll see). This is the one I signed up for a month ago after … Read More Here