Pro Paddle Boarder Jenny Kalmbach Takes Out The CNN FitNation Team in Kona

Last week, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and the CNN FitNation Team were in Kona, HI training and preparing for their first triathlon in Malibu later this summer. The team received great advice from Pro triathlete Chris Lieto, brother of Garmin sponsored athlete Matt Lieto, and had some time to jump on paddle boards with our own Jenny Kalmbach!! Armed with Forerunner 310XT and 910XT's they headed out. Here is what Jenny had to say:

Last week I had the opportunity to paddle with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and the “Lucky Seven” from CNN Fit Nation. The Lucky Seven are a group of CNN viewers who were selected to join the Fit Nation team with the goal of racing the Nautical Malibu triathlon later this year. They were on the Big Island all week swimming, biking, running and preparing for the months ahead.

We met at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows in the morning and spent an hour paddling around the lagoon. It was such a great experience and I’m so stoked to have been able to meet such an inspiring group of people.

Chicago Store: Perfect place to shop for dads & grads

This summer season the Garmin Chicago Store welcomes you to shop with us! Whether you’re looking for the perfect graduation gift or shopping for dad, we have solutions for your gift-giving needs. Here are just a few gifting ideas... 

Let dad transform his Bluetooth-enabled nuvi automotive GPS or Android phone into a real-time diagnostics computer. All he needs is Garmin Mechanic with ecoRoute HD - which happens to be our accessory of the month now through June. Call or come in to learn how ecoRoute HD monitors a vehicle's performance. 

If your grad is traveling around the globe this summer, the transatlantic nüvi 2475LT would make a great gift! And they can even travel in style with our new all-in-one carrying case, which comes bundled with the portable friction mount (for a limited time).       

Or maybe you’re not quite sure what the perfect gift is? Just give us call or stop by - our product experts are ready and willing to answer any questions and help you select on the perfect gift. You can even buy a Garmin Store gift card which can be redeemed at the store or over the phone. Wrap up the gift card in our "Fit Kit" - a carrying case and a suggested model unit comes included so your dad or grad knows which unit you want to give.

Visit garmin.com/retail, call 312-787-3221, or stop by for more information. Keep reading all summer long for great gift ideas and promotions exclusively available from the Garmin Chicago Store.  

 

Train Like a Champion: Marathon Hydration and Nutrition

Tips from elite runner, Boston Marathon Runner-Up and Garmin Forerunner 210 user Desi Davila:

As an elite athlete I get asked about the optimal hydration nutrition plan all the time. What's the best drink or best pre race meal? The truth is there is no one best formula, it's incredibly individual. I have found my optimal nutrition plan through trial and error over the years, and I am constantly tweaking and updating as necessary. Here are some tips that helped me create my plan, and can help you out too. You'll notice the one common theme in all my advice is, practice! Since there is no cookie cutter answer, test your plan-- pre race meal, race day hydration and fueling, out before hand. You may find your winning combination on the first try, but most likely you'll have to tweak a few things along the way and that's OK. If you start practicing your nutrition plan at the start of a training segment you should be all set by race day.

How much should I drink during the race and how often? I personally shoot for 8-10oz of a PowerBar sports drink every 5k. It's more important to get fluids in early on in the race and keep your 'energy tanks' full/topped off as long as possible. I recommend finding out what will be available on race day- drink, gel, brand, and flavor, and practice with it all before hand.

 

Lucy's Logbook: New features and capabilties for G3X

The software update theme continues this week as we address some recent software upgrades to the G3X system. Last month, version 6.40 was released, which includes many new features and capabilities including support for GTS 8xx traffic systems, the option to display the G-meter on PFD, the option to display track-up orientation on the PFD HSI, added support for GNS 480 MapMX data and more. Get this update free from the Garmin website!

Garmin Pro Scott Martin Wins on the Potomac River

A big congratulations to Scott Martin, who won last weekend's FLW tournament on the Potomac River in Maryland.  Martin used his echo 550C fishfinder to help him find submerged grass beds, which he fished all week long.

Martin jumped out to an early lead on day one, with an impressive 22-pound, 10-ounce sackload of fish - nearly four-and-a-half pounds better than his closest challenger.  And even though the competition narrowed that lead, the defending Forrest L. Wood Cup champion managed to hold on for the remainder of the tournament for a wire-to-wire win.

Way to go, Scott!

Garmin’s multi-sensor controller concept for infotainment systems helps reduce driver distraction

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the increasing use of technology and smartphones behind the wheel, driver distraction has become a concern. But technology in general is not the problem. The most important question is how it is being used and integrated into the car so that it doesn’t distract drivers. Garmin’s new multi-controller concept provides a new and unique way of controlling essential functions of an in-car infotainment system, such as audio, apps, communications and navigation. It is a concept development from Garmin’s automotive OEM group, providing further research for enhanced reduction in driver distraction.

Team Garmin Continues To Make Its Mark On The World Stage

After an incredible week at the Tour of California, on its home turf, Team Garmin put two of its riders on the podium in the final overal classification contest. Dave Zabriskie, who just days earlier, won the individual time trial in conditions that saw temperatures reach over 100 degrees finished in second place and improved his chances of being selected to represent the USA in London. Zabriskie's finish, just 46 seconds behind the winner, is the the fourth second place finish of his career at this event. Coming in third place was Garmin's Tom Danielson, who like Zabriskie, hopes to use this success as a spring board heading into the summer races.

We still have our eyes glued to the updates coming from Italy, in the Giro d'Italia. Garmin veteran and pride of Canada Ryder Hesjedal currently sits in second place with only one week remaining. He has traded the leader's jersey, Maglia Rosa, a few times and is determined to earn it back before the final stage. The big mountains and climbs remain and we can't wait to watch the lanky Canadian attempt to bring victory to the Garmin Nation.

Take a look at the Garmin Connect data from Zabriskie's time trial in California. His official time had his average moving speed over 30mph for the entire ride!! With the rush-hour traffic around here, I don't think I average that speed driving in my car at night.

 

Peg’s Posts: On the move with Girls on the Run

Tomorrow morning, 985 girls in the Kansas City metro will be lining up for the Girls on the Run 5k run/walk to celebrate their completion of this empowering program. I can hardly fathom that much girl power putting one foot in front of the other, along with the support of family members, coaches, volunteers and community members. I don’t have to flip that many pages in my internal memory book to visualize my own daughter, quiet and unsure, trodding around a local park with five other girls for the very first Girls on the Run team here in KC. Six girls, six years ago. Now nearly 1,000 strong! During the 10-week program, Girls on the Run participants have been learning about topics like how to deal with bullies, healthy emotions, body image and community service while they experience the joy of moving in sync with their teammates or at their own pace.

KidsTLC, a neighbor and community partner to Garmin, has offered the Girls on the Run program to girls in residence the last three seasons. The mission of KidsTLC is to provide opportunities that transform kids and families in crisis while ensuring a safe environment. For two of my coworkers and me, coaching Girls on the Run at this site has taught us to be mindful of the challenges youth experience today while we model healthy habits. We’ve found that the teen girls at this site are especially motivated by seeing how far they’ve gone during a lesson activity—aren’t we all when we take those first running steps? The girls have had a chance to wear our Forerunner watches to track their progress during Girls on the Run sessions. No need for coaching the girls how to use these watches. They quickly figured them out and soon started asking things like “can I have the touchscreen one today?” or “how can I get it to show my heart rate?”

Stack up the Savings: Aviation Summer Rebates

Have you been dreaming about upgrading your airplane panel with the latest avionics? Do it this summer and let the savings stack up with special rebates on some of Garmin's most popular panel- and remote-mount avionics! We have mail-in rebate offers for everything from the the G500 flight display and the GTN touchscreen avionics to the GTS traffic systems and our newest audio panels featuring 3D Audio and Telligence Voice Command. All together, you could save up to $6,500!

After you've done the upgrade, send us a picture of your panel and it may just get featured on the Garmin website! To see some of the beautiful panels that have already been submitted, check out our online gallery.

Train Like a Champion: Three Things to Help Improve Your Half and Marathon Times

TIPS FROM GARMIN ATHLETE AND SILVER MEDALIST MEB KEFLEZIGHI:

Hello there, Garmin runners. I am so honored and blessed to be given the opportunity to represent the United States this summer in the Marathon and to be supported by a great company like Garmin. My training has been going great and I am on track to toe the line in August and stride for a chance at victory! I wanted to share a few insider tips with you about things runners can do to improve their marathon and half marathon times:

1. Do fartlek training:

Here’s an example of how it works. Always remember to warm up before you start and approach each session with lots of energy. Try to avoid putting a time or distance limit on the session before you start:

• Jog gently for 5 minutes (or so) then pick a landmark in the distance to aim for and a running pace. For example, this could be the next lamppost in your view, and you decide to run at 70% of your maximum speed until you reach it.

• Run toward the landmark at the pace you’ve decided and when you reach your target, start jogging again until you’re ready for the next burst of speed.

• Pick a new landmark and running pace, but make sure they’re different from the previous one. For example, you now decide to run to the end of the street at 90% of your maximum speed.

• Keep completing these varying distances and speeds with gentle jogging in between. End the session when you feel you’ve done enough and had a thorough workout.