Jake's Journal: Two marathons in two cities in two weeks

Five weeks from today, my plan is to have tripled the number of marathons on my resume. This morning's 21-mile treadmill tedium went a long way toward making that a reality. Those of you who followed my training for last year's Chicago Marathon remember that I did the vast majority of my workouts at my gym. With Forerunner 405 pacing me, its foot pod tracking speed and distance and Garmin Connect chronicling my progress, I can avoid the morning fog, midday sun or evening rain - all while memorizing SportsCenter at 4:30 a.m. On Oct. 18 here in Kansas City, I'll be doing my second marathon, and I follow that up two weeks later with 26.2 miles of sightseeing in New York City. And I'm hoping you'll come along for the journey. Watch for blog updates, follow me on Twitter and check for photos on Flickr.

Last fall, many of you sent in predictions for my marathon time based solely on my training times and target pace. One lucky winner took home a bag full of Garmin goodies. On the day of the scorcher in Chicago, excessive heat caused officials to shut the clocks off on the course - 30 seconds after I finished in 3:49.28, a time I plan to beat this year. (Though I will concede that I won't threaten Haile Gebrselassie's world record of 2:03.59 set this weekend in Berlin.) Even though my longest training run this fall is behind me, the road ahead is sure to have many twists (and chances to win Garmin gear).

Watch Tour of Missouri, Team Garmin tonight on VS

Cycling fans can head into the offseason on a high note. Tonight, Versus is airing its Tour of Missouri coverage from 5-7 p.m. EST. You'll recall that the Tour of Missouri began with Team Garmin visiting our world headquarters in the KC metro area and ended with Team Garmin's Christian Vande Velde sporting the champion's yellow jersey.

For more footage of Team Garmin as captured by our own film crew, go to our YouTube channel for clips of Christian's Time Trial victory, the final stage, the team's training ride through the Kansas City area and various ways the Edge 705 helps them excel. And we're always adding more pictures to our Flickr page, including hundreds from the Tour of Missouri, the weekend events and the team's recent autograph session at Interbike in Las Vegas.

Jake's Geocache: And the winners are...

Well loyal blog readers – we’ve read the comments, had a lot of laughs, and finally made a decision or two about divvying up our rewards. For those of you tuned in to the Great 2008 Tupperware® Scandal, you know that Scooter offered up Jake’s casserole keeper and a geocoin while Jake was pedaling from booth to booth at Interbike. Jake, realizing he’d either have to pony up for a new pasta porter or risk life and limb when he returned home sans Tupperware® quickly replied with an offer of his own. And that’s when things started to get interesting. Fortunately, our good friends over at Groundspeak – who happen to know a thing or two about geocaching – came to Jake’s rescue with a more-than-generous offer of cache containers for a few lucky commenters. So instead of shipping out leftover lunchware to one person, we’ve got three purpose-built cache keepers that we’ll be sending out. And we’re still making good on our promise of geocoins, too. So without further adieu, here’s our list of lucky commenters:

Joshua Abel is Scooter's choice, winning a cache container and a Colorado/Wherigo geocoin. John J. Grace is Jake's pick, earning him three Oregon/Wherigo geocoins. Our honorable mention nods go to Occam (cache container and Colorado coin), J.R. (cache container and Oregon coin) and Jonathan (Oregon coin and Colorado coin). We'll be contacting the winners via email - so be on the lookout.

Thanks to each and every one of you who left a comment and helped keep us entertained during the week. And for all of you who expressed a direct interest in Jake’s Tupperware® - stay tuned. Because while the Tupperware® is still in the office . . . it’s not in Jake’s possession.

Jake's Journal: Jury still out on captive cache

Well, I'm home from Interbike, but I have yet to see my container that was hijacked earlier this week. And when I logged on today, I was blown away by the amount of feedback from people with a passion - one way or the other - for Tupperware and geocaching. In case you're just joining the story in progress, Scooter - our Garmin Garage go-fer - overcomplicated a favor I asked of him by offering up my personal Tupperware as treasure to the masses. Being a man of my word - and the keeper of the coins - I wrestled the unregistered Colorado geocoin away from that little pipsqueak ... I mean, junior colleague ... I mean, Assistant to the Assistant Chief Mechanic.

But since we still have to work together in harmony, we're striking a compromise of epic geocaching proportions as we sift through your comments. Coins, containers are all up for grabs. And more may be added to the giveaway. If anyone wants to make a final plea for prizes, do so in the comments below. We're like ice-skating judges ... we can be swayed by something other than the facts. Happy caching this weekend, and remember to keep checking the blog.

Makin' a pit stop in Olathe

Race fans, start your engines! The NASCAR Sprint Cup heads to the Kansas Speedway this weekend and we've got your behind the scenes ticket to the action. We're proud to cheer on driver Elliott Sadler and the No. 19 Garmin Dodge team at this weekend's event, as the teams compete in our very own back yard. Before gearing up for tomorrow's qualifying race, Elliott and the Best Buy Racing crew stopped by the Garmin campus this afternoon for a little race weekend preview. Hundreds of Garmin associates spent their afternoon break meeting Elliott, changing a tire (see picture below), and testing out several race-stimulated games and Best Buy electronics. Both the No. 19 Garmin and Best Buy paint-schemed cars were also on-hand to give associates a closer look. A big Garmin thanks to the Best Buy team for making the pit stop possible, and to Elliott for spending his afternoon with us.

Currently 23rd in driver points, Elliott and the No. 19 team take on the 1.5-mile racetrack of the Kansas Speedway Sunday starting at 1pm ET on ESPN2. If you can't join us track side in Kansas, tune in Sunday as we cheer on Elliott to a winning finish! 

   

Zabriskie takes bronze in World Time Trial Championships

More good news from our guys in argyle. Team Garmin rider David Zabriskie, or speedy Z as we like to say, just took bronze in the World Individual Time Trial Championships in Varese, Italy. Zabriskie finished the 43.7 km course in 52'53", which put him ahead of American Levi Leipheimer. Teammate David Millar, representing Great Britain, place 9th.

Tyler Farrar takes a stage in France; Christian and team named best in U.S.

Team Garmin cyclist Tyler Farrar won stage 4 of the Grand Prix d’Isbergues race in France, as well as best young rider and points classification. The photo here is from Tour of Missouri, when Tyler took 2nd in stage 1. Teammate Steven Cozza describes in a blog post how yesterday he helped reign in a breakaway, opening the way for Tyler: “After that, Tyler took over. He gave the final sprint everything, as always. I had a hunch he was going to win today. It felt so great to cross that finish line and hear the announcer shouting Tyler’s name. I couldn’t help but throw a fist into the air.” Farrar and Cozza will have to leave the race after today’s stage in order to catch a flight to Italy for the U23 World Time Trial Championships. But according to Cozza, if they can keep Tom Danielson in good position until the final day’s time trial, Team Garmin is in good standing.

Speaking of good standing, check out this story from CyclingNews, hailing Christian Vande Velde as the best in the U.S. in 2008. Excerpt from CyclingNews: “Christian Vande Velde has added another feather to his cap during an excellent season by topping the USA Cycling Professional Tour standings. After winning the Tour of Missouri overall title, the Garmin-Chipotle rider finished the 14-event series with 272 points. It was enough to better defending champion Levi Leipheimer, who amassed 244 points. And in a result that reflected Vande Velde's breakthrough year as a leading rider, Garmin-Chipotle won the season-long competition in the teams category, with a total of 711 points. Jonathan Vaughters' outfit beat the force of Team Columbia by 198 points.” If you're among the masses in Vegas for the Interbike show, head to the Garmin booth, #2630, to catch some time with Team Garmin cyclists Christian Vande Velde, Will Frischkorn and Ryder Hesjedal.

Where to Try and Buy a G600

With the news of the G600 spreading, there have been a lot of curious pilots calling to ask if it can be installed in their plane.  Well, with over 700 aircraft on the Approved Model List there is a good chance the answer is yes!  If you want to check out the AML list then visit your local Garmin Aviation Dealer and they will let you know.  If you are not sure where your local dealer is, you can check out the dealer locator on our website.  Just make sure to change the type to Aviation so that your list doesn't inlcude Wal-Marts and Targets.  Some of our Aviation Dealers will even have a G600 on display so you can get up close and personal with the revolutionary G600 before the purchase. To see who will have a G600 on display, click here. 

Meet Team Garmin in Vegas

Cycling insiders became giddy fans as the retailers, manufacturers and journalists at Interbike in Las Vegas got a chance to meet Team Garmin's Christian Vande Velde, Will Frischkorn and Ryder Hesjedal this week. These guys made headlines in July during their monthlong trek through France, and they turned plenty of heads this week in Vegas. Here are just a few snapshots from the Garmin booth, where they greeted fans, signed autographs and personalized people's pictures. Even the team staff got in on the fun as team founder Jonathan Vaughters drew a crowd and renowned physiologist Allen Lim discussed Garmin Connect with our crew. If you're at the show and you missed them, swing by our booth #2630 today between 1-3 p.m.

And be sure to check our Flickr page for more photos from Interbike and other Garmin events!   

Garmin Mobile XT, Making Smartphones Smarter

Do you remember what life was like before cell phones? Neither do we. And because everyone we know is addicted to their phone, we created a must-have application called Garmin Mobile XT that turns cell phones into a nüvi-like navigator. If you're having a difficult time imagining what a nüvi would look like on your phone's screen, we just launched an online demo to help you visualize this extraordinary makeover. Garmin Mobile XT is a plug-n-play application that gives you turn-by-turn voice prompted directions. Plus, it includes free access to Garmin Online's traffic, weather, fuel price and flight status info. Check out the demo today.

Edge 705: high-tech training for pros, turn-by-turn nav for commuters

With the Interbike expo kicking off in Vegas today, bike dealers, cycling fans and industry folks will be finding their way the Garmin booth to get a look at the special edition Team Garmin Edge 705. Designed with the team’s distinctive orange and blue colors, this GPS-enabled bike computer is exactly like the devices used by Team Garmin pro cyclists. It’s the only bike computer that puts GPS positioning, maps, wireless speed/cadence, heart rate, elevation and optional power on one display. And now any cyclist can have that same technology on their bike. If you’re among the masses headed to Interbike, be sure to stop by the Garmin booth, #2630, to meet Team Garmin cyclists. Christian Vande Velde, Will Frischkorn and Ryder Hesjedal will be greeting fans today and tomorrow in the Garmin booth from 1-3.

Check out this review of the Edge 705 from a long-time Garmin customer and bike commuter/blogger. A personal note from Justin: “I’ve really enjoyed the 705 and it has served me well for many, many miles. I'm commuting to work three days a week for about 75 commuting miles a week. The Edge 705 has been a great companion through good weather and bad!” Someone on your Christmas list need an incentive to spin up their commuter miles or give their training the edge? Give ‘em a chance to ride like a pro with the Team Garmin Edge 705.

Jake's Journal: Asking a favor from Vegas

When I checked in from Las Vegas this week I discovered the story so far: I left some veggies in the Garmin fridge before taking off for a week in Vegas. Not wanting to be "that guy" who leaves the nasty leftovers for an extended time, I asked Scooter from the Garmin Garage to keep an eye on them. He put the container - and an unregistered Colorado geocoin - up for grabs on the Garmin blog. Not cool, Scooter, not cool.

So yes, Scooter and his vegetable-hating cohorts are holding my lunch container hostage. And if you choose to sell your soul for one measly Colorado geocoin (OK, sure, they're scarce and you get the microwavable container as part of the ransom), you can play their little game.

Or, you can join my cause and help good win over spiteful -- as my colleagues and I spend precious time away from our families to spread the word at Interbike about the limited-edition Team Garmin Edge 705 cycling computer. (I mean, seriously, have you heard about this impressive device? It has maps, a color screen, wireless data transfer and power compatibility!) But back to the Tupperware. I'll offer 3 - count 'em THREE - Oregon geocoins to the person who saves my veggie vessel. Granted, a true geocacher would save one coin and stash the other two, but who am I to tell how to spend their riches? Whichever blog post - Scooter's or mine - ends up with the most comments pleading their case will be where we choose our winning entry from. Good luck, and remember - there's no shame in stuffing the ballot box. Game on.

Vande Velde, Frischkorn, Hesjedal to meet fans in Vegas

Fresh off his victory in the Tour of Missouri, top American cyclist Christian Vande Velde and two of his Team Garmin cyclists that raced with him in France, Stage 3 runner-up Will Frischkorn and Canadian climber Ryder Hesjedal, will be meeting fans, signing autographs and discussing the Edge 705 GPS-enabled cycling computer from 1-3 p.m. this Wednesday and Thursday at Interbike in Las Vegas. Stop by the Garmin booth (#2630) and enjoy the excitement of the argyle armada.

Scenes from Interbike Demo Days

We're used to working with Felt to outfit Team Garmin with the best gear available in professional cycling, and now we're joining forces at Interbike's Demo Days. Curious cyclists are flooding our tent to test drive a Felt bike and check out a Garmin Edge 705. It's like a state fair but with more helmets and less fried food on a stick. Stay tuned for more fun throughout the week.

   

Team Garmin Edge 705 goes public

When Team Garmin's professional cyclists took to the streets of France this summer, everyone noticed the cycling computer that was guiding their way. Inside, it was a top-of-the-line, GPS-enabled Edge 705. On the outside, these head units were sporting a makeover inspired by the team's iconic orange-and-blue argyle that is beloved around the world. And until today, the only way you could have one of these sleek and powerful devices in the new paint scheme was to be a part of Team Garmin. Not anymore.

For a limited time, the Team Garmin Edge 705 will be available to the public. It comes bundled with a heart-rate monitor, speed/cadence sensor and detailed street mapping that provides turn-by-turn directions and millions of points of interest. And through ANT+ technology, you can share data wirelessly with other nearby Edge 705s and record information from ANT+ compatible power meters. We'll be showing off the new Edge 705 all week at Interbike, so swing by or watch the Garmin blog for updates.

Jake's Geocache: Get It Before Jake Does!

For those of you who follow Jake’s Twitter tweets, you probably already know that Jake’s at Interbike where he’s wheeling and dealing all things bicycle and Edge-related. And even though Jake is many miles away from headquarters – he still checks in to basecamp every chance he gets. So it came as no surprise to one Garmin associate to find a voicemail from Jake awaiting him (or her) this morning.  The reason for the voicemail?  Jake wanted to check on a piece of Tupperware® that he had left in the fridge over the weekend. Well, we’ve found it. And after taking a good, long look at Jake’s leftover transporter, we realized that the container shouldn’t be enjoyed by Jake alone. We want to give it away! So, in the spirit of our occasional “Jake Pranks” – we decided to share his Tupperware® with you.  Minus the leftovers. (of course, if Jake has some sentimental attachment to this, the winner may end up with a similar-looking piece of plastic . . . and they'll still get coin!)

Just leave a comment below and let us know why you need Jake’s Tupperware®. It’s the perfect container for starting a new geocache – and to sweeten the deal, we’ll throw in an unregistered Colorado geocoin to get you started! The most creative response will get the container, the coin, and the envy of every other commenter.  Sound like a good deal?  We’ll look back through all of the comments and decide by the end of the week – right before Jake gets back. So let us know! Jake’s loss could be your gain! And you could start a new cache that will leave a lasting legacy to Jake’s love of leftover asparagus!

Garmin Garage: Walkin’ Scooter

While we all know that nüvis far and wide are great co-pilots when we’re heading down the highway, we occasionally overlook the fact that these nifty navigators are perfect for pedestrian pursuits as well. Almost all newer nüvis offer a pedestrian mode when you’re out of your car and traveling by foot - perfect when you’re in a new city and trying to find your way about town. And even though the Garmin Garage has more vehicle icons than your average car lot, we realized we needed a few more icons for pedestrian mode. So say hello to Walkin’ Scooter. As you can see from the Garmin Garage page, Walkin’ Scooter has a little pep to his step – and if you have a nüvi from our 2X5, 7X5 or 500 series families that support animated icons, he’ll march to the beat of his own drummer as you’re pounding the pavement. Of course, Walkin’ Scooter also works with other nüvis, zumos and StreetPilots, too . . . he'll just look like he's taking a break.  So if you find yourself walking just as much as driving, download Walkin’ Scooter today and you’ll be ready to go next time you’re in pedestrian mode. And remember – if you have an idea about an icon you’d like to see in the Garmin Garage, be sure to swing by The Parking Lot and let us know!  Your idea could end up on the front page of the Garmin Garage!

Team Garmin: Blake bounces back quickly

It's amazing to think that Blake Caldwell would be spinning his wheels a week after his frightening crash in the Tour of Missouri, but that's exactly what happened. Here are a few excerpts from his recent post on the Team Garmin blog: "So it’s been a little more than a week since my crash and there hasn’t been a day yet without significant progress in my healing. ... At first, it was difficult moving around without the help of a wheelchair. However, my hip and collarbone have made fast progress since. By mid-week, I was able to walk around by myself, even if a little awkwardly. Now the soreness in my hip and collarbone has been improving daily. I even got on the trainer for a few minutes yesterday!"

Blake shares his appreciation for everyone's support on the Team Garmin blog, which is a great spot to check for updates because many of them are written by the cyclists themselves. To revisit Blake's trip to Garmin headquarters and the whole team's trek through Missouri this month, check out our Flickr page and YouTube channel. And stay tuned for exciting news from Interbike this week in Las Vegas!

Synthetic Vision Has Arrived

Since announcing certification of Synthetic vision technology (SVT) a few months ago, we continue to hear from pilots who are eager to put it in their airplane. SVT is amazing technology that brings a wealth of information to pilots. Flying magazine summed it up well when they said having "three-dimensional images of terrain and obstacles gives pilots the information necessary to avoid, or a chance to recover from, a potentially disastrous mistake while flying in the clouds or darkness." Flying magazine's assessment is spot on. Here are a few of our most recent commercials that will give you a 30 second glimpse of SVT, and will probably leave you wanting more!

Watch weather with Garmin on CBS' Early Show

Your weekend weather forecast will come courtesy of Garmin, if you're watching The Early Show this Saturday on CBS. Brian Brawdy is a big fan of Garmin's nav gear, and he's touring the United States in a "Green RV" with the GPSMAP 5208, which can display (among other things) some amazingly detailed weather data. Brian will be using his GPSMAP 5208 and GDL 30A to tell CBS' viewers what to expect in their forecast. Click on the screen below to see a TV report on his high-tech ride.

Taming the Monster Mile: Take two

The Sprint Cup heads to The Monster Mile this weekend in Dover, and driver Elliott Sadler and the No. 19 team will try to tame the track on Sunday with a strong finish. After a top-10 qualifying effort in June, an early race incident caused severe damage to the team's car resulting in a 42nd-place finish. And after that less-than-satisfying finish at Dover, the team is ready to hit the 1-mile oval with a vengeance! "Unfortunately things happened and we were unable to compete at the level we would have liked, but that just means that we are going to try that much harder this time around," Elliott said.

With only nine races left in the season, the team will race with the No. 19 McDonald's paint scheme this weekend, before heading to the sunflower state to show off the new Garmin paint scheme at Kansas Speedway the following weekend. To date, Elliott has had two top-five and six top-ten finishes, and is currently 23rd in driver points. Tune in Sunday afternoon to ABC to catch the race action that begins at 1 pm ET. And make sure you check back here next week, as we'll be bringing you pictures, stories and more of the team's trip to our very own back yard!

Cycle for Heart: on the road again

Several months ago at the Sea Otter Classic bike show, I had a chance to meet Chris—a cyclist with a mind for adventure and a heart for good causes. Chris is currently on his second cross-country cycling journey—Cycle for Heart—to raise awareness for the American Heart Association. As he pedals his way across the U.S., guided by his Garmin GPSMAP 76CSx, Chris will stop at schools to talk to kids about healthy hearts, physical fitness and nutrition. He chose the 76CSx because he needed full mapping, altimeter and the ability to look up and navigate to addresses, restaurants and other destinations. He said the students are particularly interested in the GPS technology and ask lots of questions during his presentations.

During his 78-day journey, Chris will ride an average of 60 miles a day on his Trek bike, which is equipped with panniers to carry his mobile home (tent) and other supplies. For those of you who ride and know what stoplights do to your momentum, think about getting back up to speed when you’re hauling an extra 20 or so pounds. Chris will have some days of no riding, to allow time for his interviews and meetings with the schools as well as civic groups, legislators and the media. Keep in mind that Chris rides unassisted. And I’m not quite sure how he managed to shoot this YouTube video as he was cruising on the flats just outside of Portland, but it’s worth watching. Follow Chris’s entire journey and see if he’s headed to a town near you. We wish Chris safe travels, lots of tailwinds, few flats and many friends and memories along the way.

Garmin Mobile Wins the Gold

Garmin Mobile team members recently returned from the CTIA wireless show, and their bags were a little heavier on their return trip home than when they left. While at the show's Handango Forum, Garmin Mobile was awarded Best Industry Application in the BlackBerry OS category. The Handango award was for Garmin Mobile for BlackBerry, which we're very proud of, but we've added even more bells and whistles to Garmin Mobile compared to the version the Handango judges reviewed. In other words, be prepared to ooh and aah over the newest version of Garmin Mobile even more so than earlier versions. The newest version of Garmin Mobile is available now and it looks just like a nüvi on your phone, plus it has new features like Google Local search. Click here to give your phone a nüvi-like extreme makeover today.

Tour of Missouri: Relive Team Garmin's triumph

This has been a September to remember. It's a good thing our cameras were rolling. The first weekend of the month, Team Garmin thrilled our employees and their guests by spending an afternoon signing autographs and answering questions in a candid conversation in our auditorium. Click here for videos of the team introductions and Jonathan Vaughters and Matt Johnson discussing the Edge 705 cycling computer. The next day, nearly 200 Garmin employees and guests joined the team for a group ride and lunch at Chipotle, a fellow sponsor of the team. Click here for Flickr pics of the event.

All of this, of course, was building up to the Tour of Missouri, for which Team Garmin had the perfect plan to capture the crown. "We may lose six of the seven stages," Vaughters told the Garmin group, "but the one stage we win will make the difference." True to their word, Team Garmin stormed the time trial, taking four of the top nine spots, including a convincing victory by Christian Vande Velde. His margin stood up to four days of challenges, and - as you can see from the video below - he finished the week wearing the yellow jersey ... and a huge smile.

   

For more footage of Team Garmin, go to our YouTube channel for clips of Christian's photo shoot, his thoughts before the race began, the team's training ride through the Kansas City area and various ways the Edge 705 helps them excel. And we're always adding more pictures to our Flickr page, including hundreds from the Tour of Missouri and employee shots from the weekend events.

CNET review: nüvi 880 vs. the competition

Pegged the “Heavyweight Championship Prizefight”, CNET editors put nüvi 880 in the ring with another GPS device featuring voice-activated navigation. What’s all the talk about voice-activated navigation? Basically, it frees you up from tapping the GPS screen so you can keep both hands on the wheel. Just tell nüvi 880 to find the nearest Starbuck’s and it brings up a list of locations. Speak the line number and nüvi takes you there. CNET reviewers Wayne Cunningham, Antuan Goodwin and Bonnie Cha rank the GPS heavyweights in several other areas. See who’s still standing in five rounds.

Win a G1000 Equipped Airplane

Congratulations to the Sporty’s Sweepstakes winner!  The winner has been announced and he lives in Garmin’s backyard.  Well maybe not, but pretty close.  The winner is Jeff Hux from Sikeston, Missouri, who recently received a phone call from Sporty’s president, Mike Wolf, letting him know that there was a Cessna 172SP with his name on it. Garmin’s G1000 integrated avionics is in the cockpit of his new 172SP.  I’m sure that it was one exciting phone call.  Maybe next year Sporty’s will be dialing your number because next year’s 172SP will have Garmin’s G1000 with Synthetic Vision Technology!  Good Luck.

Ben finds Zen; Jenna hammers out hills and long rides

Garmin-sponsored triathletes Jenna Shoemaker and Ben Collins share their training and racing experiences with the Garmin Edge 705 and Forerunner 405, along with links to their data in Garmin Connect.

Ben:
This weekend is the US Elite National Championships, which will be held just outside of Portland, Oregon. I’m getting over a setback in my training, but I’m looking forward to the next six weeks where I’ll be able to build up for my final race of the season, the San Francisco Pan-American Cup. Since my overall volume has dropped from the highest it’s ever been just a month ago to an abrupt and extended rest period, I’m going to have to build up slowly. Luckily, I can keep an accurate account of my total cycling and running miles by using the Edge 705 and Forerunner 405.

Family’s fitness transformed by Forerunner

In my 9 years of working here at Garmin, I’ve had the pleasure of reading tons of Garmin “fan mail”. Everything from the story of a blind man who used one of our handheld GPS devices with a laptop and text-to-speech software to lead him and his guide dog through the city to stories from soldiers using Garmin devices as their lifeline in combat zones. Recently, we received a letter from a student at Clemson University who told how the gift of a Garmin Forerunner one Christmas led to a fitness transformation in her family. Here’s her story.

Dear Garmin. I would like to thank you for helping my family. After cross country and track my freshman year of high school, I decided I was serious about running, and I wanted to track my distance more accurately. My Internet searches for heart rate monitors and distance measuring devices brought me to Garmin. I spent many hours reading specifications of various running devices and eventually decided the Forerunner 301 was for me. I put the device on my Christmas list and found it under the tree on Christmas morning. I eagerly took it out for a test run — literally — and was delighted. When I arrived back home, I told my parents about my distance, time, average mile pace and heart rate; they were more impressed than I realized.

Chicago store brings new faces, inside looks to the blog

With the preparation for the Chicago Marathon season and the impending Holiday season, we’re all abuzz at the Garmin Store. As for the blog, we will be releasing weekly updates to keep our readers informed of all Garmin goings-on.

So over the next several months, expect to see posts with an inside look at our store events, customer experiences, and products. I would like to welcome you all to the new Garmin Store Blog team: Sophia a.k.a. Gadget Girl; Brittany a.k.a. the Driving Diva; and myself, Marc a.k.a. Garmin Guru. It will be our pleasure to welcome you into the life of a Chicago Garmin team member. We promise not to steer you wrong!

- Garmin Guru

Garmin Garage: The Parking Lot is Now Open!

Fall is beginning to settle in around the Garmin Garage and we’re starting to focus on the holidays. Lots of new vehicles and lots more to do! It seems like we’re always working on something . . . and, lately, some of the best ideas for free vehicle icons have come from fans of the Garmin Garage.  So we thought we’d open up the Parking Lot for all of you. The Parking Lot is your place to submit your own ideas for vehicle icons. Got a great idea for a new vehicle? Be sure to share it with us! Each month, we’ll sort through all of the submissions and create our favorite! So if there’s something you’ve always wanted to see on your nüvi, zumo, or Streetpilot, stop by the Parking Lot today and let us know! You can write up a description, attach an image if you want, and send it our way. And we love creativity – the more interesting your idea is, the better chance it has of being picked! Just be sure your submission is an original one – we can’t create icons for existing vehicles . . . something about ‘legal reasons’, ‘lawsuits’, and ‘jail time.’ Start sending those ideas our way and we’ll see you in the Parking Lot! And if you want to be the first to know when a new vehicle arrives in the Garmin Garage, be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed! As we like to say in the Garmin Garage . . . Stay Tuned!

Team Garmin's Christian Vande Velde wins Tour of Missouri

It's official! Team Garmin's Christian Vande Velde has won the 2008 Tour of Missouri! Despite the weather throwing the cyclists for a loop - five of them, to be exact - Team Garmin's gameplan was perfect, capping a week of hard work by every cyclist on the team. We'll have much, much more on this stellar achievement in the days ahead, but our voices are shot, our laptop is on its last leg and we have to spend a few hours simply enjoying the success of Team Garmin and Christian Vande Velde.

Check out our Flickr page for shots from today and throughout the week, and come back to the Garmin blog all of next week as we share more behind-the-scenes moments from an amazing Tour of Missouri.

Tour of Missouri: Stage 7 update

The weather continues to alternate between downpour and sunshine during Stage 7 in St. Louis - we just might come out of this with a sunburn and pneumonia. The race began without a hitch, and a two-man break held a 35-second lead on the first of five circuits. They just came through the second lap, and Team Garmin looks very strong. We've already posted pictures to our Flickr page. More to come...

[UPDATE] = With one lap left, Team Garmin is looking strong. Joining the Garmin blog team today is Daniel Holloway, who wrapped up his work yesterday for the Tour of Missouri. One of the team's up-and-coming riders, Holloway seems like a guy who just landed the perfect job. He couldn't be happier with his team, and he roomed with Christian the past two nights. He raved about the team's camaraderie and willingness to groom young riders. "It's amazing how so much of this team has gone full cycle," he explained. And that commitment to growth and teaching is evident. Young riders become leaders, leaders become directors and the team becomes a champion.

Tour of Missouri: St. Louis puts the Ike in Bike Race

  Before we head to the start of Stage 7, we wanted to give you a weather report. Heavy rain and wind, courtesy of Hurricane Ike, settled in to the St. Louis area early this morning. Looking outside, we expected to see famous news anchors and meteorologists in baseball caps and ponchos. The conditions were originally forecast to stick around until this evening, well after Team Garmin and the rest of these elite cyclists wrap up the Tour of Missouri. And even though these guys are machines and train to ride in any conditions, today won't be much fun. In fact, they've already adjusted the route, shortening each of the five circuits from 14 miles to 10.5, because of flooding in Forest Park. So here's hoping everyone stays upright and healthy - and as dry as humanly possible - as Team Garmin works to protect Christian Vande Velde's lead. Check with Jake on Twitter and VeloNews' real-time updates as we search for the silver linings to these clouds.

Tour of Missouri: Scenes from St. Charles

If pictures are worth 1,000 words, scenes from Saturday's finish line could fill novels (or at least our Flickr page). Fans young and old - many in full cycling kit - lining the streets of St. Charles anxiously waiting for their sport's top athletes to roll into view in the Tour of Missouri. The best sprinters in the world staging one last battle after spending hours conquering heat, humidity and wind. And in the end, Team Garmin's Christian Vande Velde climbing the stairs to the awards platform to once again don the race leader's yellow jersey.

But there were subtle moments as well, the most telling were the expressions on the faces of Christian's teammates. A perceptive fan could see equal parts exhaustion and exhilaration as Danny Pate, Steve Cozza, Dave Zabriskie and the rest of the argyle armada coasted across the line. A casual observer may think they had a bad day as they trailed the leaders of the pack toward the finish. But the race announcer made it clear that these men had earned a moment to exhale after using every ounce of energy to protect Christian's lead going into the final stage in St. Louis. Like offensive linemen after an NFL running back's record-setting day, they were equally responsible for putting Team Garmin in the spotlight. And Christian, moments before he would guarantee the crowd heard bountiful praise for his team during the award ceremony, had time for a smile for our camera and assured us he felt good. And tired. So enjoy the photos below and at our Flickr page and get ready for one more day of that perfect mix of exhaustion and exhilaration.

Tour of Missouri: Staying strong in Stage 6

It's hard to fathom 108 miles being considered a day of rest, but the recurring theme in conversations around the bus today was that Friday's Stage 5 was a sigh of relief after the constant attacks throughout Stage 4. It should come as no shock that every cyclist has Team Garmin and race leader Christian Vande Velde in their crosshairs. So when Friday was not nearly as combative as Thursday, the team was able to regain some energy for the final two days of racing. And yes, from the way it sounds, Sunday will be far from a ceremonial stroll around St. Louis. With plenty of time bonuses and points up for grabs, expect a fair share of competitive racing along with the typical tour-ending collegial riding.

Jake from the blog team spent the noon hour in Hermann, watching fans flock to the Team Garmin bus for quick kudos and autographs (and to admire Zabriskie's custom socks) in this small town overflowing with wineries. Then he headed east to St. Charles, where the main street and its buildings have more bricks per square inch than anywhere outside of the Indy 500 finish line. So with quaint settings like these and an abundance of cycling enthusiasts strolling the sidewalks, Jake had plenty of scenes to share on the Garmin Flickr page. And as the riders bear down on St. Charles and fight the wind and humidity, Team Garmin has been a constant at the front of the pack. Jake will keep you posted on Twitter, VeloNews will have the results as they happen and we'll check back in again when we're back online.

Jake's Journal: Tune in as Tour of Missouri nears finish

Just as most of us were wrapping up our work week, Team Garmin was just getting down to serious business. Stage 5 of the Tour of Missouri was still rolling as I was driving home from Garmin HQ, so the first thing I did when I got home was to fire up VeloNews' live coverage. This is where I'm truly impressed by new-new journalism. Guys like Neal Rogers at VeloNews and Joe Lindsey at Bicycling.com. These writers absorb, analyze and articulate the action in absolutely no time.

Just check out the closing moments of Stage 5. Literally minute-by-minute updates during the day's most heated action. I can't promise that level of comprehensive coverage, but I am going to be attending the final two stages. And considering the final stage - five 14-mile circuits in St. Louis - is viewed as largely ceremonial, tomorrow's Stage 6 from Hermann to St. Charles will be crucial as Team Garmin's Christian Vande Velde continues to protect his overall lead in the GC. So if you want to know what's happening, follow my Twitter updates, check Team Garmin's blog and use the down time to bask in the behind-the-scenes material at Garmin's Flickr page and YouTube channel. And if you're on Twitter and in St. Louis on Sunday, give me a shout.

Forerunner 405: a hands-on demo of the touch bezel

Look around at the starting line of your next race. Chances are, you're seeing more and more Garmin Forerunners ready to give runners an accurate account of their time, distance, pace and heart rate. This pic shows a few Garmin associates/Forerunner devotees who've been blazing through local races and claiming age group awards. If you're a new Forerunner 405 user, be sure to do some trial runs before you hit the starting line of your next race. One of the coolest features — the touch-sensitive bezel — can also throw runners for a loop when first getting used to it. Check out our series of short training videos where Jake demos the features and functions of the Forerunner 405. Click on the video titled Touch Bezel for a step-by-step demo of how to touch, tap and scroll your way through menu options. Now that we're nearing the fall and winter running months, you may want some options to keep the screen from changing if your long sleeve brushes it. In the video, Jake explains how to change the bezel sensitivity and how to lock the bezel so the screen doesn't change. To lock or unlock the bezel, just hold the start/stop and lap/reset buttons. Jake also shows how to set up auto scroll so Forerunner seamlessly scrolls through your training pages.

Exclusive videos: See Team Garmin in action

If you're like us, Friday's late start for Stage 5 of the Tour of Missouri has you antsy with anticipation. Once 2 p.m. Central time arrives, Team Garmin and the other 11 squads in this year's tour will begin the 108-mile journey from St. James to Jefferson City with an ETA of 6:30 p.m. So we'll help you get your cycling fix until then with exclusive videos of Team Garmin. Starting with candid conversations at the team meet-and-greet at Garmin's headquarters and continuing through the various stages of Tour of Missouri, our in-house film crew chronicles the team's trip to the Midwest. And don't forget to check our YouTube channel and Flickr page for even more behind-the-scenes fun, product demos and chats with Team Garmin's Christian Vande Velde.

   

Team Garmin holding steady at Tour of Britain

In the last week, the blog team here at Garmin headquarters has been caught up in local cycling action while Team Garmin races through our neighboring state in the Tour of Missouri. And while a least one blogger offered to grab his visa and a nüvi and catch a flight to cover the finale of the Tour of Britain, we’ll have to settle for reporting the good news stateside. Team Garmin has been proving their edge in the 8-stage Tour of Britain, which wraps up in Liverpool on Sunday. In yesterday’s 168km stage, marked by three climbs near the end, Julian Dean, New Zealand national champ, finished 5th, earning him 3rd place in points. Julian’s in top form near the end of the racing season, having finished 3rd overall in the Tour of Ireland less than 2 weeks ago. And Team Garmin’s Dan Martin is doing stellar on his home turf, as he stands in 3rd place overall. In the team GC, Team Garmin is 4th. Of course the action doesn't end there - other Garmin-sponsored teams - Team Milram and Team Lampre - recently wrapped up the Tour of Germany - providing 9 days of action-packed racing. Seems like no matter where you are or where you're looking around the cycling world, you're sure to see the Garmin name racing toward the finish line. Stay tuned for more Team Garmin updates . . .

Tour of Missouri: Vande Velde, Team Garmin stifle attacks

Along with the Tour of Missouri logo, the yellow jersey might as well include a giant bulls-eye. The strategy was clear in Thursday's stage 4 from Lebanon to Rolla: Catch Christian Vande Velde. Team Garmin's objective was just as obvious - protect their teammate and keep him in the overall lead. In the end, the argyle armada held off the aggressors and helped Christian maintain his hold on the yellow jersey.

Preliminary results show Christian finishing in the top four for the stage and preserving his lead over Michael Rogers, Svein Tuft and fellow countryman George Hincapie. No doubt these top contenders and their teammates will again square off in the front of the field Friday as the Tour of Missouri travels 108 miles from St. James to Jefferson City. They're getting a late start tomorrow and aren't expected to reach the state capitol until after 6 p.m., so check out these options for tracking the tour live. See you tomorrow as we kick off a great weekend!

A Tour of France

While we all know about Team Garmin’s ride around France in July and their current ride across Missouri, a Garmin associate recently made a hop across the pond and over the channel to have a look around the City of Lights for himself. Armed with a nüvi 770 that’s loaded with street maps for Europe and North America as well as an Oregon 300 that features a built-in worldwide basemap, he was able to find his way through all of the twists and turns that wrap through Paris and also drop off an unregistered Colorado geocoin in the
process.  When asked about his time in Paris and his experience with his Garmin gear, his reply needed no translation.

“Having the nüvi with me was a big help. I put it in pedestrian mode and getting around was easy. I didn’t want to be the obvious tourist with the poster-sized map in front of me at all times and I wanted to make sure I spent more time looking at the sites instead of fumbling with pages of directions. The nüvi was quick and easy to use and helped me get home every night – a big plus when you’re in a foreign land. And it was great to be able to drop off a geocoin while I was on my trip. I keep checking Geocaching.com – when I’m not working – to see if anyone has found the coin yet. Lots of fun.”

So even when Garmin associates aren’t working, they really are working . . . so to speak. Because when you make gear that’s as fun to use as it is to work on, you’ll find lots of associates taking work home and on the road with them. Have a vacation story of your own that you’d like to share? Leave it in the comment section below!

Hit the Road with RoadTrip!

Listen up, Apple fans! We’ve just made organizing your waypoints, viewing map data, and saving your favorite map locations even easier on your Mac. Introducing RoadTrip – our newest resource for managing your map and waypoint information. With RoadTrip, you can create, view, and edit routes and also transfer saved waypoints, routes, and tracks between your GPS device and your computer. This is especially helpful if you’re recently purchased a newer Garmin unit but still have data saved in an older device. To learn more about RoadTrip, visit our dedicated Apple section on Garmin.com. Take a look and then take RoadTrip for a spin – it’s sure to help you make the most of your Garmin GPS. 

Tour of Missouri: Blake Caldwell update

As we mentioned yesterday, a frightening accident involving Blake Caldwell dampened the excitement of Team Garmin's stellar efforts in the Tour of Missouri individual time trial. According to VeloNews, Caldwell "exited the race in an ambulance when his front tire blew out on the course’s fastest corner, off a descent. After breaking through this year with a stage win and second overall at the Tour of Utah and second in a photo finish to Tyler Hamilton at the national road championship, Caldwell’s season ended in Branson with a broken clavicle, a broken sternum, a fracture to his iliac wing (hip bone) and minor lung contusions."

The official statement on Slipstream's site assures us that Blake "is currently in stable condition at an area hospital, where he will remain for observation." As our thoughts go out to Blake and his family, our cheers head eastward, where the rest of Team Garmin just began its 105-mile trek from Lebanon to Rolla. Stay tuned for updates!

Tour of Missouri Time Trial: Christian conjures Midwest magic

Today's Tour of Missouri Time Trial was a mixed bag for Team Garmin. We'll get the bad news out of the way. Blake Caldwell, one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, took a pretty bad spill and had to receive medical attention. There's no immediate word on his condition, but we'll keep you posted as we hear anything. Blake's been down and bounced back up before, and we're all hoping he's back on his feet - and his bike - in no time.

Now for the great news. Four-time U.S. National Time Trial champion David Zabriskie set the tone early by establishing the time to beat. And even though the GC contenders were able to target DZ's specific time, only four were able to top it. And at the top of the list is a man from the Midwest, Team Garmin's Christian Vande Velde. Christian conquered the course in 39 minutes, 52 seconds, and took the overall lead in the Tour of Missouri. And two Garmin teammates joined Christian and David in the Top 10 (actually, it was 4 in the top 9). Tom Danielson was the eighth fastest on the day, and Danny Pate was close behind in ninth place. This puts Team Garmin exactly where they want to be heading into the second half of the Tour of Missouri. We'll have all of your updates - from Jake's Twitter Feed to Garmin's Flickr Page to the Team Garmin site - and we'll be wishing Blake a speedy recovery.

Caution, Terrain, Pull Up!

I’m sure that many customers are aware of the Service Bulletins referring to the Forward Looking Terrain.  If not, check with your local Garmin Aviation Dealer to see if it applies to you.  Because of these bulletins, the terrain database (08t2) is free to download until December 31, 2008, for GNS 400W/500W series products and non-SVT G1000's.  One word of caution, if you have a G1000 you may not need, or want, to download this terrain database.  The reason, if you have Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT) or a supplemental database card that has the part number 010-00330-43, you have an enhanced terrain that is not compatible with the free terrain database (08t2).  I have talked to a few customers who were enticed by the word FREE and downloaded this database. They then discovered that when they got back to their aircraft, the terrain was no longer working.  Don’t worry!  If you have SVT or the -43 data card, you already have newer terrain information that satisfies the requirements of the Service Bulletins. 

I mention SVT a lot in this post. If you're still getting up to speed on SVT and want to learn more, check out this article in Avionics News.

Tour of Missouri Time Trial update: DZ makes it look EZ

Because today's Tour of Missouri stage is an individual time trial, the leaderboard has the potential to change every few minutes. But we have some exciting news for Team Garmin fans. Racing early in the day's lineup, four-time U.S. National Time Trials champion David Zabriskie has the time to beat. Zabriskie torched the early competition and finished the 18-mile course in an impressive 41 minutes, 1 second. As results come in from Branson, Missouri, we'll keep you posted. If you want to follow along yourself, click this link and spend your lunch hour with some headphones on.

Tour of Missouri: How Edge 705 gives Team Garmin an edge

On Monday before the official start of the Tour of Missouri, we spoke to a couple Team Garmin riders about the Garmin Edge 705 bike computers they use for training and racing. Check out this video for some insight from Steve Cozza, best young rider in last year's ToM, and David Zabriskie, 4-time national time trial champion. Then hear team physiologist, Allen Lim, talk about how Edge helps the riders tailor their training.

Speaking of tailor-made, one Edge feature that suits pro cyclists and weekend warriors alike is the ability to easily customize the data screens. It's so easy, in fact, that just minutes before Monday's start, Zabriskie decided he wanted to show distance as one of the six data fields currently configured on his Edge. Knowing that elevation changes wouldn't be much of a factor in the relatively flat Missouri countryside, he was able to easily swap out elevation for distance. Just look at the smile on Speedy Z's face as he shows his custom Edge 705 to the competition at the start line. Cavendish may have won that stage, but Team Garmin has the edge. Currently in first place in the GC, Team Garmin hopes to prove their edge in today's time trial in Branson. Stay tuned here for race updates and visit our Flickr page for photos throughout the week.

Tour of Missouri Stage 2: Country roads take us home

It was a day of ups and downs for Team Garmin. From the waving flags in the town square of Clinton, to the rolling hills of western Missouri, to the waving hands of little old ladies in the middle of nowhere rooting on the passing peloton; a tough, long day of racing ended as it began. With race leader Mark Cavendish atop the podium having powered, yet again, past a field that seemed totally unable to match his finishing power.

The scene was surreal at times. A pack of foreign riders and foreign cars with scores of bikes and spokes bobbing up and down, snaking through the corn and soybean fields of Southwest Missouri being watched and rooted on by farmers standing on muddy pickup trucks and John Deere tractors. Surprisingly, many of the spectators, police escorts and fans were sporting some type of Garmin GPS unit to navigate the countryside. One couple from Kansas City on a business trip complained loudly about having been to "Timbuktu and back" trying to find the course. "We sure coulda' used one of your Garmin things," they said.

Tour of Missouri: Stage 2 start

Team Garmin was greeted with open arms (and sunny skies) at the start of Stage 2 this morning in Clinton for the Tour of Missouri. Fans, photographers and race spectators alike greeted the team as they geared up for today's 126-mile stage that finishes in Springfield. As fans scoped out the bikes,  riders were quick to tout the features of the Edge 705, sharing their favorite aspects while en route. Danny Pate told one reporter the map screen is his favorite, as it allows him to see when the next turn is coming and as a result, a change in wind direction. Before the Edge 705 this information was only available to the riders through their radios, which depended on team directors deciphering maps and describing them clearly. Stage 2 is set to wrap up around 4 pm... check back here for more pictures from the course and the finish line.

   

nüvi 255: you can't afford to leave town without it

Summer temps are going down, and so are the prices for the nüvi 255 and 255W. The first unit in the affordable nüvi 205 series with the text-to-speech feature is now fifty dollars cheaper! Think of what fifty dollars could be… Ladies, that’s the pair of shoes that you’ve been wanting. And gents, that’s enough to cover the price for those extra sports channels. Find it at the Garmin store on Chicago's Magnificent Mile or your favorite retailer.