GPSMAP 496 and a 65 mph crash landing

Many people don't realize that when we're developing products we put them through extreme test conditions. We drop 'em, dunk 'em, freeze 'em, and heat 'em, and that's just a few of the tests engineering puts products through. We're proud that our devices are rugged and can stand up to the challenges our customers give them -- even accidental challenges. Do you have a Garmin story to share? Send it to stories@garmin.com.

Today I did a really stupid thing, but Garmin bailed me out. As I was getting in the car to go to work, I set my GPSMAP 496 down on the roof to get my keys out. Somehow, I got in the car but forgot the GPS. Three miles later, I was cruising down the highway, and decided to switch lanes. As I straightened back out, I heard a rumble-thump sound, saw a tumbling blur in my left side mirror, and got instantly nauseous as I realized what had happened.

Ben takes to the trails

Garmin-sponsored triathlete Ben Collins shares his training and racing experiences with Garmin fitness devices.

I decided this year not to take a break from running during the off-season. I spent so much time this year getting back on my feet and managed to make significant gains during the fall – so I felt like a change of venue would be better than a true off-season vacation from the sport. While I did say goodbye to the pool and to my bicycle for a few weeks, I used the extra time to make my way to a state park near my house where I could exchange my normal run for technical dirt trails through thick evergreen forests. I intended to back off on my volume of running, but winding my way in and out of valleys and around thick groves of cedar and Douglas fir trees made the time go by so quickly that I kept running overtime.

At first I was running with my Garmin Forerunner 405, but then switched to Garmin’s non-GPS fitness watch, the FR60. It comes with a Garmin foot pod for pace and distance measurements. After a few runs and calibrating to make sure my resulting data was as accurate as possible, I found that my data was very similar, whether measured with GPS or foot pod. What I found surprising was that a bigger source of error was my own perception of distance and speed while running through these trails. I found that I was about a minute – or more – slower per mile while twisting and turning my way through the woods than on a straight path at the same heart rate.

Peg’s Posts: Leaving for Las Vegas?

If you’re headed to that mecca in the middle of the desert for Sunday’s marathon, be sure to stop by the Garmin booth at the expo. You can get your hands on our newest fitness devices and pick out one for your wish list. Or maybe you’ve decided to head that little “give a, give a, give a Garmin” tune and find one that’s just right for someone special on your list. We highlighted a few in this week’s Wish List Wednesday and you can visit our online gift guide for even more ideas. My training companion of late is the pretty little pink FR60. It’s right-sized for small female wrist, super simple to use and I love the fact that I can just hit start and hit the ground running. Since it’s non-GPS, I don’t even have to wait a few seconds to acquire satellites. I'll bet there's someone on your list who’d love to have a stocking stuffed with the FR60, Forerunner 310XT or even an Edge 500 bike computer.

Holiday shopping at your convenience

Give-a-Garmin this holiday season without ever leaving the comfort of your home - just call the Garmin Chicago store to talk to the GPS experts, find the perfect holiday gift, and our associates can take your order over the phone and ship it anywhere in the U.S. within days!

Should you find yourself crunched for time, you can always e-mail your inquiry to chiphoneorder@garmin.com; just remember to place your order with adequate delivery time. Garmin Chicago guarantees delivery before Dec. 25 based on the following dates and charges:

Ground delivery costs $10.50 and should be ordered by Friday, Dec. 11
3-day delivery costs $20.50 and should be ordered by Saturday, Dec. 12
2-day delivery costs $30.50 and should be ordered by Wednesday, Dec. 16
Overnight costs are determined as needed and should be ordered by Thursday, Dec. 17
 
If you plan to visit Michigan Avenue during the holiday shopping season, stop by the store to see the competitive pricing on many featured items including the Forerunner 405 and nüvi 1300 series. In the meantime, watch the Garmin Blog for Wish List Wednesdays, a weekly blog post featuring holiday gift ideas for the traveler, pilot, boater, hiker, athlete or driver in your life. Or visit out holiday gift guide for even more great gift ideas for everyone on your list this season.    

Garmin Connect adds outdoor handhelds to online community

Today brought great news to hikers, campers, hunters, geocachers and anyone else who loves outdoor activities. Garmin Connect is proud to welcome the Garmin outdoor product line to the site. With today's updates, Garmin Connect now supports uploads from Garmin outdoor devices, including Garmin mass storage devices such as zūmo and nüvi. This is exciting news, as it means we offer support for all of Garmin's fitness and outdoor devices. Now more than ever, Garmin Connect is your easy to use, go-to site for all of your activity logging and training needs.

For those of you with a Garmin outdoor handheld device you can expect many new features, and improvements on your favorite features:

Easy uploads for new generation Garmin devices
Manual uploads for .gpx files
Activity log in table view
Activity log in the new Calendar view
Detailed analysis of activities
Relive activities in the improved Player
View activities on maps including our new embedded Google Earth view
Export to Google Earth
Share activities on Facebook and Twitter
Export activity files in .gpx and .tcx format to use on third-party applications
Explore other routes from Garmin customers - 15 million plus activities and counting
Over 38,000 new activities uploaded everyday
Send any track found at Garmin Connect in Explore to your Garmin Outdoor device for navigation

We are confident that Garmin outdoor customers will enjoy Garmin Connect, and that the site will continue to meet your fitness and adventure needs.

Wish List Wednesday: Best gifts for fitness fanatics

There are only three weeks left until Christmas and if you haven't begun your shopping yet, it's time to start. Don't panic. We're here to help. Every Wednesday between now and December 25, we'll give you a few ideas for those you love who need a sense of direction -- pilots, boaters, runners, cyclists, golfers, hikers, drivers, geocachers, cell phone users, and hunters, just to name a few. This week we're focusing on those who love to work up a good sweat.

First up is a fitness watch that has a nice slimming effect. The sleek little FR60 tracks time, heart rate, calories and distance (on models with foot pod). It comes in men’s and women’s models and fun new colors. FR60 is perfect for those fitnessy folks who do a little of everything — running, walking, cross-training and more. Some models come with a highly accurate foot pod for tracking distance indoors or out. Once the workout’s done, FR60 keeps working. It wirelessly transfers workout data to Garmin Connect, our online site where users can store, analyze and share their data. Garmin Connect is free, fun and easy, and it sure helps you stay on top of those New Year’s resolutions.

Victor's Vectors: G1000 Available on Piper Mirage and Matrix

Piper Aircraft is now offering their customers more glass than ever before. The Piper Mirage and Matrix are the newest planes to be certified with the G1000. The Mirage and Matrix will come with the most advanced G1000 technologies that includes features like the GFC 700 autopilot, Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT), SafeTaxi for over 950 airports and FliteCharts, just to name a few. The two features we think pilots will appreciate the most are the GFC 700 and SVT because they bring an entirely new level of integration and situational awareness to the cockpit. Watch to learn more about the advantages of SVT.

Team Garmin: New sponsor, new video - and new Nigel Dick film coming soon

Fans of the argyle armada are getting some early gifts as Team Garmin's offseason has had plenty of excitement. The team recently announced a big addition to our powerful lineup of sponsors as Transitions Optical will be helping the cyclists of Team Garmin-Transitions focus on the road ahead for the best results in the worst of conditions.

And the cyclists themselves are still making headlines even during some precious down time. CylingNews.com discussed the rise of Ryder Hesjedal, whose stage win (left) sparked Garmin's Vuelta hat trick of mountaintop, sprint and time trial victories. "I like the responsibility and I like being able to race at all the big events, whether it’s for myself or for others." Another Garmin teammate always willing to work for others is Steven Cozza, who took the CyclingNews camera crew on his favorite ride, The Marshall Wall/Mt. Tam loop, where he was joined by junior riders from Team Swift. "You sometimes forget what it is to have fun. When you ride with the juniors, you're always having fun... It brings you back to why you got into the sport in the first place."

No matter what gets you into the sport, the ultimate goal is riding in France in July. All nine of Garmin's cyclists survived all 21 stages this summer, and award-winning filmmaker Nigel Dick was there from start to finish. Nigel, whose credits include videos for Guns 'n' Roses and Oasis among others, had his camera rolling from the moment we landed in Monaco and his "Day by Day" documentary from the tour will be released next year. Here's a preview, and his short films are full of quick chats and action shots - including a candid conversation with the always eloquent David Millar after his solo attack on the road to Barcelona.   

Play Give-a-Garmin for a Chance to Win-a-Garmin

Have you taken advantage of the great Cyber Monday deals yet? If not, you'd better get busy because the clock is ticking. And while you're surfing for the best deals, stop by our site and we'll help you sharpen your Cyber Monday keyboard skills. If you're really good at our Give-a-Garmin game, you'll also have a chance to win 10 new Garmin GPS devices. To play, click on the jump below for the rest of the post and then use the arrow keys to move Santa as he runs, rides and drives, and help him deliver as many gifts as possible before time runs out.

'Tis the Season!

If you're out and about in search of Black Friday deals far and wide, there's one place you'll definitely one to stop to help get great gift ideas for friends, family, and even yourself! Our just-launched Holiday Guide is your one-stop shop for everyone on your list this season. In addition to great products for running, hiking, biking and more, you'll also find our latest holiday commercials! With an interesting cast of characters, the commercials and the Holiday Guide offer a great place for some holiday cheer.  So plan your visit today and be sure to stop back often - because you never know what surprises will show up throughout the holiday season! Happy holidays everyone!