Maximize your Garmin mapping today

Map Update Month has been a huge success, but the excitement doesn't end as the page turns on the calendar. To guarantee you're getting the most of your nüvi, zumo or StreetPilot, take a moment to check to see if you’re using our newest map data. This information provides you with the most recent map content available so you’ll be able to navigate with ease on your business trip, weekend errands or summer adventure. And now it's even easier to update maps on your Garmin device. Because we're all about efficiency and ease of use, we’ve made our updates available via download. Our newest map update includes more than 8 million miles of road coverage, newly revised and fully routable maps for the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, postal code support for Canada and nearly 6 million points of interest! So visit our map update section today for more information about our newest map data.

MOB = Mouse on Board!

Why would a customer pay good money to get a mouse on his boat? Well, for one customer in Jacksonville, FL, it made perfect sense to do so with his brand new Mainship 40 trawler. The owner wanted to be able to see his radar, sonar, GPS and live XM weather at both his upper and lower helm stations. The upper helm was an easy decision - twin GPSMap 5208 touch screen displays flush mounted into the dashboard to put full control at his fingertips. The lower helm was a bit harder - the owner wanted large monitors to be able to see the navigational screens from afar. He also wanted to be able to swivel the displays so he could see them from anywhere in the salon. To make his idea a reality, he purchased two 17" monitors and connected the 5208s to the monitors via VGA cables. Now he was able to see what was on the 5208 screen at the upper helm on the monitors at the lower helm. Slick! Then the owner purchased Garmin’s wireless RF mouse and wirelessly paired it with both displays. Now he can sit in the comfort (and air conditioning) of the main salon, use the mouse to control the 5208s above him, and see everything on the monitors below. Really slick! The wireless mouse gives full control of the 5208s - navigate, create waypoints, zoom or pan the map, just like you were touching the screen. And it’s as easy to use as your home computer.

So the next time you hear someone say "I've got a mouse on my boat!"... ask them if it's a Garmin.

Thanks to Chris Hutton at Hutton’s Custom Marine Electronics in Jacksonville, FL, for showing us his great work. And thanks to Josh, the owner, for inviting us aboard. 

Strong support rolling in for Team Garmin

Since we announced our title sponsorship of the Team Garmin elite cycling team, our inbox has been overflowing with kudos from Garmin users and cycling fans excited for the Tour de France. We shared a few e-mails the day of the announcement, and here is another sampling. Thursday, Team Garmin unveils its redesigned kits and vehicles. Then, with Edge 705s guiding the way, the Tour de France starts and the real fun begins.

A.J. Baxter writes: "Just want to THANK YOU for becoming a main sponsor for Team Slipstream cycling!! I am very happy to see an American company step up and get really involved in a great sport like cycling--I already own a Garmin 205 but assured I will continue to support Garmin for your support of Team Slipstream! Thanks again and much success in 2008!"

The Snyders say: "Hi, Just dropping a line to say thanks for supporting American bicycle racing. Our family will from now on be purchasing and using only Garmin GPS."

Stashed geocoins add to summer adventures

Word is getting out that our geo-stashers have ramped up their efforts, hitting caches across the country and leaving behind limited-edition Colorado/Wherigo geocoins for the next visitor.

From retrorambler: "It was a hot Thursday afternoon and I skipped out on work to do some caching on my way from Durango, Colorado to Santa Fe, New Mexico for a long weekend. What I didn't know was that this would become one of my favorite days out. My first cache of the day was Dallabetta Park (GC1BDAP). This is a new park in Durango that I had not visited. The cache box was a tackle box filled with travel bugs and coins. It took me five minutes to decide on taking this coin. I continued on my drive completing nine caches that took me along one of the most beautiful drives! I didn't know what I had until I tried to log it two days later and it was not activated. Upon closer examination I read the paper inserted into the cover and found that I had something special. Now I have Garmin Colorado envy. My 60CSx needs an upgrade!"

Extreme Edge

With last week’s announcement of our sponsorship of Team Garmin-Chipotle H30, our GPS-enabled Edge cycling computers have been in the limelight lately. In another realm of the cycling world, one adventurist/cyclist/record-holder has taken his Edge 305 to the extreme. Last week, Jure Robic became the first individual to win the Race Across America (RAAM) solo event for the fourth time. The event started in Oceanside, California on June 8, with cyclists covering 3,014 miles to the finish in Annapolis, Maryland. Jure’s winning time: 8 days, 23 hours, 33 minutes. Crunch those numbers a bit and that’s an average of 376 miles of riding a day.

Not sure where essential life functions like sleeping come in, but one look at Jure, who hails from Slovenia, and you might just believe he subsists on food, water, adrenaline and little else. We’re just glad a bit of Garmin technology (Edge for the bike, nuvi for the support vehicle) was along for Jure’s record-making ride. Thanks to our Garmin distributor in Slovenia for making it all happen.

Jake's Journal: Your Team Garmin Tour guide

Next week at this time, I'll be watching the elite cyclists of Team Garmin unveil the new kits and vehicle designs at the Tour de France. Better yet, rather than seeing the new look through the eyes of reporters and photographers, I'll be basking in the retooled Slipstream argyle with my own eyes. Yep, I'm hopping the ocean to be your liaison to one of the most watched, most grueling and most captivating sagas in sports.

OK, in the interest of full disclosure, I'll be passing the baton after the first week and relaying my colleagues' reports back home. But I'm the blogger on call for Team Garmin's opening festivities and the first four stages. From Brest to Plumelec, Auray to Saint-Brieuc, Saint-Malo to Nantes and wrapping up with the time trial in Cholet. So shoot me an e-mail. Send me your questions, tell me which pictures to take, suggest cyclists to interview, share play-by-play commentary, and I'll do my best to bring you the scenes and sounds from the Tour. Viva Garmin!

Running streak

It’s one thing to run four half marathons in the span of two months. It’s quite another to win every one of them. Garmin associate and All-American Mathew Chesang is keeping up his streak since his days leading the Kansas State University cross-country team from 2001-2004. Mathew’s most recent win was last Saturday in Duluth, Minnesota—the Garry Bjorklund half marathon, run in conjunction with Grandma’s Marathon. His time of 1:04:48 was a PR and while we’d like to think his new Forerunner 405 helped him achieve a PR, the reality is this guy’s just crazy fast. It’s in the Kenyan genes he shares with his brother, who currently runs for the University of Kansas. Mathew’s previous wins in 2008 were the Hospital Hill half marathon in Kansas City, the Cleveland, Ohio half and the St. Louis half. And those aren’t his only top placements. He has quite an impressive running resume and has rubbed racing flats with other young and aspiring runners, like Ryan Hall, who’ll represent the U.S. men’s marathon team in Beijing this summer. Mathew actually beat Hall in an NCAA meet several years ago. What’s next on Mathew’s race schedule? Stay tuned—the streak has just begun.

Roger's Runway: Weather at your fingertips

So you are at the hotel or at home, and you do not have your GPSMAP 396 or 496 with you to check weather. You do not have time to jump on the Internet and the Weather Channel is not talking about the weather in your area. So how do you find out the weather for your flight?  Well, how does getting aviation weather on your cell phone sound? Garmin’s Pilot My-Cast allows you to get weather, and gives you the ability to file flight plans through your DUATs account. Just like the 396/496, you have NEXRAD weather, winds aloft, lightning, and you can even pan on the map to look at weather farther away from you. Getting to file flight plans through DUATs has saved me countless hours on the phone trying to talk to flight service. The Pilot My-Cast application can be added to many cell phones and we have a list on our website to see if your phone is compatible. You will not always have your portable unit with you, but you will have your phone!

Triathlete tales: Consistency pays off

Here's what triathlete Jenna Shoemaker has to say this week: It has been a massive week of training! I made sure to upload 4 of my sessions to my Garmin Connect account (JennaShoemaker) so that you can have a look at what I have been up to. 

I have really enjoyed using my Edge 705 this past week, and I think it has made an immediate impact on my training. I always train in my hard sessions off of effort not speed, cadence or heart rate, but it is nice to have it as a reference point and a motivator. It is really exciting to look down during time trial efforts and see speeds above 40k an hour. It just reinforces what I already know: all of this hard training is paying off!  Unfortunately, I can’t really speak too much about what kind of training I have actually been doing and what the sessions mean, so hopefully you can just enjoy the charts and numbers enough without a detailed breakdown!

Team Garmin gets on-site tech support from our engineer

As Team Garmin preps to compete on cycling’s biggest stage, they’ve had a support crew of sorts here at Garmin. Many folks are working to ensure the team has course mapping, Edge 705 bike computers with the latest software and nüvi 770s to guide the team bus and support vehicles. In fact, one of our software engineers who has worked on the Edge series since its inception made a house call last week to take care of some details. David Downey traveled to Girona, Spain, home of the team’s European offices and training facilities.

Chicago Store: nüvi 2x5 series has arrived

If you have been delaying the purchase of a Garmin GPS navigation unit with hopes that more features would be introduced, or that the price of the unit would better fit into your budget - now is that time! The arrival last week of the nüvi 205s and nüvi 255s were well received by the Garmin store’s customers. Among the coolest features found on these models are the ones that were previously found only in our high-end models such as the nuvi 700 series. All 2x5 series models have the Where Am I? feature, are compatible with the optional MSN Direct content, and a QWERTY keyboard is available on the widescreen models.

Also, there is a new user interface that provides additional information and makes navigation easier. When a user enters a destination, the estimated distance and travel time pop up on the screen. When the user taps onto this pop-up window, the route is previewed. Previous nuvi models required the user to select “Go” before seeing the estimated arrival time and to go into the odometer screen before seeing the estimated distance.

Garmin Mobile = Simplicity and Accuracy

BostonPocketPC recently discovered the benefits and simplicity of Garmin Mobile. And who can blame them? The Garmin Mobile product line is great because it turns products you already own -- smartphones, laptops and PDAs -- into Garmin GPS navigators.

According to BostonPocketPC, "I was very impressed with the simplicity and accuracy of it. Plug, Play, and Go. I am a fan of simple. But don’t let that fool you because it is loaded with lots of features as well. You can’t get any easier than that. Not using any previous versions of Garmin GPS software in the past, I cannot make any comparisons of the different versions and the, what got better and what did not. However, as a first time Garmin user, I was very pleased." Check out the full review here.

Save time and miles, gain fun and freedom

With the cost of fuel and other essentials on the rise, people are looking for ways to trim their trips and avoid waste. Concerns for the environment have also led businesses and individuals to take steps to reduce the energy they produce every day. See how technology and devices like Garmin GPS can help you save resources in everyday life.

Dan’s the man

Team Garmin-Chipotle H3O rider Dan Martin took first in his first pro race, the Route du Sud. “Nobody made it easy for us today - and the sprinters’ teams pretty much just gave up halfway through,” said CEO Director Sportif Jonathan Vaughters from the finish in Castres. “However, the guys did great and held the gap nice and even. Dan was comfortable and well protected. Winning our first race out for our new sponsor, Garmin, is pretty special.” We couldn’t agree more. Congrats to Dan, now dubbed “Prince of Pyrénées”, and the rest of his teammates for pulling off the win in the sweltering heat and punishing grades of this mountainous race. Check out the podium pic and more race details on the Team Garmin site. And be sure to read the CyclingNews profile of Martin from a year ago that details how this Irish star is “recycling the family name.” His father, Neil Martin, is a former British amateur road race champ who still races and his uncle, Stephen Roche, holds the title of 1987 Tour de France winner.

LA Times calls Colorado 400t "an utterly vital piece of equipment"

Dan Neil of the Los Angeles Times likes an adventure. So much so that he planned a six-day solo hike against Joshua Tree National Park. Along for the 75-mile trek were a few important pieces of technology, with our Colorado 400t playing a vital role. Here are a few excerpts, but you'll have to read the whole story to see where Dan's journey takes him.

"To navigate 75 miles of gorgeous but punishing chaparral, I've brought along a Garmin Colorado 400t GPS unit, with which I've electronically marked the water caches I buried earlier in the week while driving across the park," Dan writes. "If I fail to find even one of these caches, I will wind up very miserable or worse."

Ask Garmin: Taking nüvi for a walk

Jim Bove points out one of the most useful and yet often overlooked features of Garmin's automotive devices - using them outside of the automobile. "I just purchased a nüvi 670," Jim wrote, "Is there a walking mode or pedestrian mode?"

Preloaded with mapping for North America and Europe, the nüvi 670 is a comprehensive travel companion - whether you're on two wheels, four wheels (or more!) or your own two feet. To change nüvi 670 from the default automotive mode, tap the wrench (tools) on the main screen, then navigation, then vehicle. While these steps may vary from model to model, the end result is the same: You choose the mode of transportation that best suits you.

Jake's Journal: Many cheers for Team Garmin

Yesterday's announcement that Slipstream's elite cyclists will now be known as Team Garmin and use the Edge 705 is being praised around the world. Two stories in today's New York Times (in Sports and Style), prominent online stories by ESPN, VeloNews and CyclingNews, and features in USA Today, The Kansas City Star and Denver Post are just a beginning. The kudos that caught my eye, though, are the unsolicited ones sent in by you - friends and fans of Garmin - within hours of the announcement. These several are just a sampling sent as testimonials or to the Garmin blog inbox:

Keith from Chicago: "I just wanted to drop a quick note of gratitude for supporting professional cycling by your sponsorship of Team Garmin-Chipotle. It is a great sport, and one that I think has an amazing future in the US. I don’t own a Garmin, and never thought I’d really need one, but I think I am going to go buy one this weekend as a thank you for the support."

Victoria wrote: "Congratulations and kudos for sponsoring the Slipstream now Garmin cycling team. Two of my favorites together! I race kayaks and never workout without my Forerunner 305. Its the best training device for efficiency and motivation. Thanks and look forward to cheering the boys on at the Tour."

Slipstream is now Team Garmin, ready for Tour de France

Moments ago we announced our title sponsorship of Slipstream Sports, an elite cycling team that will be showcasing its dedication to clean competition at the Tour de France. In tackling the daunting stages of the Tour — and redefining the face of cycling — Team Garmin will train and race with the Edge 705 GPS-enabled cycling computer and travel with nüvi 770 personal navigation devices. The entire team – from kits to cars - will be re-branded for the Tour de France with the new look revealed July 3 in Brest, and we'll be there to tell you all about it.

This isn't just a new look for Team Garmin - it's a new day for competitive cycling and all of pro sports. In 2007, Slipstream partnered with the independent Agency for Cycling Ethics (ACE), to create the most progressive anti-doping system in the professional sports world. The team of 25 riders undergoes combined voluntary testing at least 700 times throughout the cycling season.

There's going to be a lot of exciting news the next couple weeks as Team Garmin gears up for the Tour. Then it's on to the Olympics with American phenom Taylor Phinney, who just broke a world record Monday. Come along for the ride!

Triathlete tales: In Jenna's shoes

At Garmin, we're always thrilled to hear from athletes who love our products. Whether it's an avid runner who paces with a Forerunner, or a cyclist who stays on track with an Edge, we love hearing how our products make your lives easier. That's why we've asked a few Garmin supported triathletes to share their training tales with us.

Hello! I am really excited to have the opportunity to share with you some of my training and some of my adventures. I always welcome feedback and comments, so feel free to communicate with me, and make sure to stop by every week for an update from me!

Let me first start by introducing myself. My name is Jenna Shoemaker. I am 24 years old, and I am a professional triathlete racing on the World Cup Circuit with the goal of representing the USA at the London Olympics in 2012. I have the great privilege of working with Garmin and am very proud to be one of their supported athletes.

Roger's Runway: Saving gas

In watching the news from day to day, you will no doubt hear about the price of gas going up and up. And with the rising price of aviation gas, everyone is looking for ways to save fuel. Well I have an idea for you... and Mother Nature is going to help. If you have any of the Garmin systems that have XM weather on it (like the GPSMAP 496 or the G1000) and you have the Aviator package from XM Radio, then you have winds aloft. As pilots, we always want to have a tailwind because it helps get us to our destination faster and of course, saves us gas. If we get to our destination 30 minutes earlier, then we save that much gas, thus putting money back into your pockets. That extra $20 you spend every month for the better XM package just paid for itself in one flight. Now granted you might have headwinds on the way home but look for the altitude that has the least amount of winds. If you do not have the Aviator package from XM then consider trying it for a month to see the benefits first hand.

Forerunners are Runner's World favorites

We gave Runner's World a sneak peek of the Forerunner 405 in January while we were at CES in Las Vegas, putting in a hilly 10K that saw the Virtual Partner come out on top. Now that the Forerunner 405 is being snatched up in running stores, outdoor retailers and electronic shops everywhere, Sean Downey of Runner's World calls the 405 "a slickly designed successor to one of my favorite training partners (the 305)." From the easily adjustable Virtual Partner (his "favorite feature") to the high-sensitivity GPS receiver's quick acquisition time ("The most I've waited with the 405 was 30 seconds."), you can read Sean's review here and see our tutorial videos here.

Across the ocean, Runner's World UK recently named the Forerunner 50 as the Best Overall Product in their 2008 Personal Best Awards. Armed with ANT+Sport wireless technology, "Garmin's compact sports watch is easy to use and simple to download to your computer," Runner's World UK writes. "You can upgrade it to a wireless heart rate monitor and speed and distance monitor and it's still excellent value."

Which Forerunner is your favorite? Tell us which model and why in the comments below, and you could win some free Garmin swag. (For inspiration, check out this story about one of our first Forerunners.)

Ask Garmin: 800s are ready to listen!

We know you've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the nüvi 800 series. In fact, one of our most frequent Ask Garmin questions is: "The 800s sound so cool! When can I get my hands on one?" With it's speech recognition feature, and dynamic MSN Direct content, the nüvi 880 really is a summer (and fall, winter, spring) traveling must have. That's why we're happy to announce that the 800s are being shipped to stores right now! In case you haven't seen (and heard) one of these bad boys in action, here's another hands-on review from the guys at Postvocalic to help show you around. Keep checking back to the Blog later this week as we'll be posting more videos, tutorials and the brand new 800 commercial for your viewing pleasures. And if you have questions, make sure to Ask Garmin. We'll be here, and nüvi will be listening!

Garmin Garage: Breaker, Breaker! Three New Cars!

Well, Father's Day is right around the corner and we've got three new vehicles that are ready to roll out of the Garmin Garage and onto your nüvi, zumo, or StreetPilot!  Say "hello" to Big Daddy, Lil' Buddy, and Lil' Missy!

Big Daddy has been a great help around the Garmin Garage - no job is too big or small for this overachieving workhorse. He's perfect for those cross-country trips when you need a dependable navigator to lead you on your way. So put your ears on, brush up on your CB lingo and plan a pit stop by the Garmin Garage to download Big Daddy for free!

Lil' Buddy and Lil' Missy make quite the combo. When both of them aren't zipping around the Garmin Garage at warp speed, these hyperactive little rascals are usually running errands around town. Back, forth, up, down - about the only thing these guys can't do is sit still.

We hope you like our buy-none-get-three-for-free Garmin Garage additions! Stop by today and grab Big Daddy, Lil' Buddy, and Lil' Missy! We can't wait to share them with all of you!

nüvi knows the zone

Runners and cyclists are, by nature, meticulous when it comes to knowing their speed or pace stats. Now Garmin’s newer automotive products, like the affordable nüvi 205 and 255, have a feature that caters to the speed junkies on the streets. Well — it at least makes it easier to keep your speed in check. The speed limit indicator is simply a friendly little reminder on nüvi’s map page that displays the posted speed limit for the highway or interstate you’re traveling. Handy for those times when you hop on a road and there’s no speed limit sign in sight. The first time I took the nüvi 205 for a spin, I was impressed that it even knew the speeds on some local streets. It’s one of those features that you miss even more when you don’t have it. Today, I had to settle for an older Garmin model since my husband took the slim trim little nüvi on a business trip. Routing to a lunch meeting, I found myself searching the map screen not once, but twice, for that little speed indicator. Kudos to our engineers for making all the improvements — big and small — that make Garmin the global leader in satellite navigation.

Jake's Journal: Forerunner 405 fuels friends' feat

If a "runner's high" is defined as the addictive feeling that keeps us coming back, mile after mile, hill after neverending hill, then I'm turning into a pusher and enabler. I've been hooked on this drug for more than 20 years, and now I'm doing my part to pressure others into trying it. So I was thrilled when a good friend of mine asked about getting into running and training for his first half-marathon. The first steps are the hardest, and he was eager to take them.

Fast-forward a couple months, and he and I joined three of his friends - all doing a half for the first time - at the starting line of Hospital Hill. Armed with my Forerunner 405 and its customizable training screens, I was ready to be their pace doctor. My goal was their goal, and none of us would be happy unless all of us finished. I warned them about the first half I ran, in which I did 10 miles at a 7-minute pace before hitting a wall. Hard. I told them about how good it felt last fall when I did a steady pace for 13.1 miles with Peg, my fellow Garmin blogger. This day, though, was entirely different.

Roger's Runway: ICAO flight plans

Recently the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) changed some of the information that is needed to file an international flight plan. The ICAO wants international operators to provide more data regarding their navigational equipment that might be in the aircraft. Many of the questions are related to the Box 10 and Box 18 on the international flight plan. Box 10 asks about what type of equipment you have in the aircraft. According to the instructions you will put in the letter “S” for a standard Com/Nav and the letter “G” for the GNSS, which is any IFR GPS certified to TSO C-129 (Class A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, or C2).  As for Box 18... that can get a little more complicated. The GNS 430/530 systems can fly RNAV 1 SIDS and STARS, but this capability is dependent on other criteria. You will need to check with AC-90-100A to see if there are any other requirements that your aircraft will need. If you do not have a 430/530 then you will need to check the compliance table that the FAA has. If your 430/530 and aircraft meet the requirements then you can fill Box 18 with NAV/RNVD1A1. I have included many hyper links within this post so please use them to find out more data on this change to the international flight plans.   

Edge 705 helps us reach new heights

Here's another great story from a Garmin employee gladly mixing work with pleasure. Jeff works on our automotive team crossed over into fitness at this year's Yeti Tribe Gathering in Fruita, Colorado.

My brother-in-law, Mike and I headed west with a nüvi 880 for voice-recognition navigation and a GPSmap 396 connected to a GXM30 antenna to watch for weather threats and for uninterrupted XM radio.

We arrived at Camp Yeti, held this year just down the road from Kokopelli’s trail head, on Friday around noon; checked in at the registration tent and found a nice flat spot to set up camp. Once camp was set we were ready to hit the trails with our Yeti’s, equipped with the new Edge 705, of course.

Chicago Store: Run with us this summer

Summer reruns giving you the blues? Dreading the onslaught of reality TV shows this summer? No more sub-par, average Wednesdays around here. Get up off of that couch and get your fitness on with the weekly Garmin Running Club as it moves to its new prime time day and time.

Starting this Wednesday, June 11, at 6:30 pm, the Garmin Running Club will meet at its new day and time. For all our dedicated spirited runners, we would like to give you special thanks for your support on Saturday mornings. Please come out and help us make our new night just as spectacular. 

The Garmin Running Club offers trials of the popular Garmin Forerunner products and clinics with guest speakers to help you stay on track with your running goals. Your next race is just around the corner, so we hope to see you at the Garmin Chicago Store every Wednesday at 6:30 pm for a 3, 5, or 7-mile run on Chicago’s Lakefront Path. We look forward to seeing you there!   

Garmin employee takes first on the Hill

As Peg mentioned last week, many of us from team Garmin attempted (and succeeded!) to conquer the hill on Saturday's 35th annual Hospital Hill race in downtown Kansas City. While Garmin had a great representation in all race distances - the 5k, 10k and half marathon - at the end of the event, one employee definitely stood out from the crowd. With a time of 1:06:30, our very own Matthew Chesang took first place in the half marathon (that's an average time of 5 minutes and 5 seconds per mile for those counting), crossing the finish line just seconds ahead of his competition. Congratulations to Matthew and everyone else who conquered the hill - which definitely lived up to its name!

Meanwhile, back at the Garmin booth, we spent the morning showing off the new Forerunner 405 to hundreds of racers and spectators alike. They were impressed by the touch bezel for easy feature selections, the wireless data transfer and the sleek, slim form factor of this new training partner. To see the 405 in action, take a look at Jake's training videos, and hit the road running with Garmin!

Conquer the hill

Tomorrow marks the 35th anniversary of a popular road race here in Kansas City – Hospital Hill. It’s one of the few races around that offer runners a choice of 5k, 10k or half marathon distances. About 40 Garmin associates will be among the throngs of runners testing their sanity and ability on the hillacious course. Thought this part of the country was flat? There may not be a Heartbreak Hill on this course, but there are several good climbs that may surprise first-timers. Garmin is a sponsor of the pace team leaders, who will all be sporting new Forerunner 405s to help them keep their groups on pace. If you’re among the 5,000 or so runners out there tomorrow, good luck and have fun flattening those hills. I’ll be there volunteering with one of my favorite charities — Girls on the Run. Some of the group’s young participants, volunteers and coaches will be offering a cheer and a cool drink to parched runners at the last aide station on the course.

Stay on course with Map Updates from Garmin

If you want to make the most of your nüvi, zumo or StreetPilot, you’ll want to check to see if you’re using our newest map data. This information provides you with the most recent map content available so you’ll be able to navigate with ease on your next trip. And now we’ve made it even easier for you to update maps on your Garmin device because this is the first time we’ve made our updates available via download. Our newest map update includes more than 8 million miles of road coverage, newly revised and fully routable maps for the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, postal code support for Canada and nearly 6 million points of interest! So visit our map update section today for more information about our newest map data.

Jake's Journal: Marathon Mom's Focus is on Forerunner

Yet another perk of my job: Meeting fellow runners, hikers, cyclists, outdoor enthusiasts, etc., and swapping stories about our similar interests. Take Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea, for example. These top-tier journalists are also diehard athletes and doting parents. Hence the name of their blog on the Runner's World Web site - the Marathon Moms. I met them last summer in Salt Lake City, where Sarah conquered the elevation in running 18 miles with her Forerunner 305, and we've kept in touch since.

Dimity had a great post this week after getting a Forerunner 305 for herself. "I've been using it religiously on every bike and run since," she wrote, "and I'm already firmly entrenched in geeky quicksand." Though she felt she was obsessing a bit at times - "Pace is so much more meaningful and tangible than heart rate, I can't simply just run anymore" - she longs to track her average pace, which the Forerunner can deliver.

Roger's Runway: Summer seminars

This past Saturday I was able to attend a sales seminar with one of our regional sales managers. The seminar was hosted by Tomlinson Avionics in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. While the temperature was hovering close to 90 degrees with the humidity pretty much matching that, the turn out was excellent. About 15 planes and 3 helicopters brought in nearly 40 people to hear the latest in Garmin portables and panel mounted products. Following a fly-in breakfast of donuts and coffee (it does not take much to convince pilots to fly) the seminar kicked off at 10:00 a.m.  After the presentation, the regional sales manager gave a quick demonstration on several scenarios using the GNS 500 simulator that can be downloaded from the Garmin website.  Everyone in attendance had excellent questions and was excited about seeing the G600. After the seminar, everyone was treated to hot dogs and chips completing what a Saturday in the summer should be. Be sure to check the seminar calender to see where we'll be next.

25 states, 24 days, 1 free geocoin

Another tale from the trails as geocachers around the country stumble across randomly hidden geocoins:

We found this coin Wherigo/Colorado series 2008 in cleveland rocks cache in Scottsbluff, NE. We were just starting our geocaching road trip without any real plans on where we were going. We ended up going to 25 states in 24 days, 6,200 miles and picked up over 300 caches. -- Wyo3838&Snoop46

There are currently hundreds of coins - the vast majority of a limited run - stashed in caches and Colorado 400t boxes from coast to coast. If you find one, send us your story and you could be featured on the Garmin blog.

And the winner is . . . Snacktime!

We’ve tallied the votes and if you haven’t paid a visit to the Garmin Garage lately, you should stop by today and take a look at the winning icon in our Wrench ‘N’ Win Contest! The voting came down to the wire as thousands of you cast your ballot for your favorite icon. And when the dust settled, Snacktime was left as the victor. So if you love pizza, be sure to visit the Garmin Garage and download a slice of Snacktime today! We promise you’ll have it ready to go in 30 minutes or less or your next icon download is free! Just be sure to bring your appetite with you. Thanks again for all of your help! And stay tuned – summer is almost here and we’ve got a lot in store for you!

Slipstream wraps up Giro d’Italia

Garmin-sponsored Team Slipstream/Chipotle completed the final stage of the grueling Giro d’Italia with two riders placing in the top 10. Christian Vande Velde came in 5th in the individual time trial and Danny Pate was in 6th. In a blog post the day before this final stage, staff member Matt White laid out the goals the team had upon entering the Giro:
We had three goals when we came to Italy nearly one month ago:
1. To win stage 1 team time trial in Palermo
2. To prepare for the Tour de France
3. To take opportunities on certain stages and try to win them
The team met these goals and then some. Now, several of the Giro team members are headed for Switzerland for a few days of R&R before ramping up for training and racing on an even bigger stage—the Tour de France. Check the Slipstream site for more racing updates, including coverage of Olympic-bound Taylor Phinney, who rides for Slipstream’s Under 23 team. Taylor gained podium time Saturday when he placed first in the individual time trial for the Tour de Pay du Vaud in Switzerland.