USA Triathlon Team puts Garmin to the test

We love getting product feedback from everyone who uses our devices. The following kudos especially caught our eye, considering they come from some of the top triathletes in the world.

"This product (Forerunner 405) is fantastic and a great tool for training," said Justine Whipple (left), who won the Armed Forces National Championship in 2008. "As a reliable piece of equipment I find the display easy to read in terms of paces and it is not too bulky to do track workouts with. The many functions are not overwhelming and provide just enough information for workout feedback."

20-year stories: Garmin goes to the Gulf

In celebration of Garmin’s 20-year anniversary in 2009, we’re reaching back to the past to bring you stories from our younger years. Some stories are retold by the individuals who were here on the first day, working in rented office space among card tables and folding chairs. Space was limited, but the ideas weren’t. And here are their stories.

In 1991, when Garmin’s first prototype GPS navigators were just rolling off the production line, U.S. troops and planes were rolling out for Gulf War deployment. Major George Nemeyer, a navigator for the U.S. Air Force, determined there was one piece of equipment his plane had to have. Military issue wasn’t going to cut it. There were only a couple companies doing GPS at the time. And only one who answered the call.

FR60 is your indoor/outdoor training solution

We're setting a new standard for wireless connectivity with FR60.

The central element of the user-friendly FR60 system is an advanced fitness watch which interfaces wirelessly with other ANT+™ compatible fitness devices such as a heart rate monitor, a foot pod that monitors speed and distance or third-party fitness equipment at the gym or at home. Available in men’s and women’s versions, the FR60 comes with a wireless USB ANT™ Stick that plugs into your PC or Mac and automatically downloads workout data stored on the watch to a personal computer.

“Indoors or out, it’s easier than ever to set fitness goals and track your progress with the fashionable yet affordable FR60,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. Available in red, lilac and black, the streamlined FR60 comes packaged with a heart rate monitor, and the foot pod is available in select FR60 bundles. The FR60 can track and record up to 15 hours and 100 laps of detailed exercise data. And because the FR60 records its data from the heart rate monitor, foot pod and ANT+ compatible fitness equipment, users can exercise indoors.

Jake's Journal: Accustomed to customizing my 405

Most of the time I have a pretty short attention span. It's why I need at least two TVs with closed captioning and just the right music while running at the gym. It's why I can get persuaded to go golfing in the name of research for the Approach G5. And it's why I'm glad that my Forerunner 405 has customizable training screens. Because I want to see different data throughout my run, and because different workouts call have different needs.

For example, I just finished a track workout with my friend Josh, running 400s with a 400 recovery in between. So I didn't care about elapsed time or total distance (or maybe I just didn't want to know) once my 1 1/2 mile warmup was over and I was on the track. (Quick tangent: I also set up auto lap by position so that every quarter was automatically marked when I crossed the starting line.)  Fellow blogger Peg trained for her first marathon using Yasso 800s (a creation of our friend Bart Yasso from Runner's World), and she changed her second training screen to focus on lap time and average lap pace. But when race day rolls around, Peg and I want to know our average overall pace in addition to time, distance and our most recent mile split. And when I'm hiking, I want to add elevation, bearing and time of day. It's a good thing that there are three customizable training screens with up to three data fields on each. And that's in addition to the heart-rate page and virtual partner. Be sure to check out our YouTube channel and Forerunner learning center to see the how-to videos on customizing your 405 and many other topics. We kept them quick and simple for people with a short attention span.

Behind the scenes at Tour Down Under

We just heard from our colleague Matt in the Garmin Australasia office after he spent the week giving Team Garmin a warm welcome at the Tour Down Under. Here are a few of his observations - in words and pictures.

There were an estimated 750,000 spectators in Adelaide throughout the week. We spoke with people from all over Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the U.S. The event was televised live throughout Australia on free-to-air TV, and replayed each night on Fox Sports. On two separate days we had local Team Garmin riders on our stand signing autographs. Lots of people already using the Edge 305 came by to check out the Edge 705. As we told people all week, it has really set the standard for cycling computers on the market and no one disagreed after seeing it.

Caddy Confidential: Tee 'Em High With Approach G5

Down here at Caddy Confidential, we're going nuts. Stir crazy. We're stuck indoors, cold and grumpy, seeing colleagues finish marathons in sunny Florida and cheering on Team Garmin as they pedal back into form Down Under. We're checking the weather religiously waiting for one good day to get out and fire up the latest and greatest from Garmin, the Approach G5. Finally, a few days ago, we got a blast of hot air from somewhere, pulled our clubs out of the closet and sped off to the nearest golf course. ...Or more accurately, we first groveled to get permission to do some, eh-hem, "research."

The conversation with our boss went something like this: "Excuse me, sir, it is imperative that we head out to the golf course today to capture some very important video that will highlight some of the great features of the Approach... Well, yes sir, we will be doing a bit of golfing... No sir, not because we want to. No no. Only because we have to."

Victor's Vectors: Updating FliteCharts on GPSMAP 696

The GPSMAP 696 just keeps getting better!  The latest software release, 2.70, for the 696 allows for FliteChart updates WITHOUT having to connect the 696 to a computer. Therefore, there are now two ways to update FliteCharts – through the USB or SD Card – and you can pick whichever is best for you.  You heard right….you can now update the 696 through the SD card slot just like a panel mount G-1000.  This new process will also help those customers that were having problems with FliteChart downloads through the USB. 

 If you decide to update FliteCharts through the SD card, there are a couple of things you will need to do before taking advantage of this new feature.  First, update your 696 to the free 2.70 software version.  Second, you'll need a 2 GB SD card.  These are very common and can be found at almost any retailer that sells electronics. Third, you need an SD card programmer.  Many newer computers have SD card programmers integrated into the computer. If your computer doesn’t have a built-in SD card programmer, you can get an external programmer and they are common too. After you have the software, SD card, and programmer, go to www.fly.garmin.com for the update.  Download the database as normal, but on the download page click on the option for the “Alternate Download Process”.  This will allow you to download a file to your computer that will update the SD card.  After the update is complete, simply put the SD card into the 696 while it is on and press the update option when prompted. 

If you are not familiar with the website or the update process, call our Aviation Technical Support at 1-866-739-5687.  

2009 Tour of Missouri to finish in KC

Team Garmin fans and midwestern cycling enthusiasts, take note: The 2009 Tour of Missouri route was just announced, and things are changing up a bit. Rather than starting in St. Joseph and finishing in St. Louis, the cyclists will begin in St. Louis on Sept. 7 and wrap things up Sept. 13 with a circuit race in Kansas City. After kicking things off in St. Louis for the first time, the tour travels from St. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau for Stage 2. The next two days of road racing take the teams from Farmington to Rolla, and then from St. James to Jefferson City. The individual time trial will take place in Sedalia for Stage 5, and Stage 6 goes from Chillicothe to St. Joseph. Sunday's final stage will give Kansas City fans and Garmin employees a chance to see Team Garmin working to defend the title that Christian Vande Velde won in 2008.

Click here to read VeloNews' report on the 2009 route, and visit Garmin's YouTube channel to see Christian's 2008 victory, the dramatic time trial in Branson, the team's training ride around KC, discussion about the Edge 705 and a team Q&A at Garmin headquarters.

Cycling in Seattle, training for Brazil

Garmin-sponsored triathlete Ben Collins shares his training and racing experiences with the Garmin Edge 705 and Forerunner 405.

Cold weather has kept me indoors for over a month, but recently I decided that frigid fingers are better than a frigid mind. I’ve watched every DVD in my collection while riding my bike on a trainer, and I even managed to set up my laptop next to my bike so that I could study Spanish while riding. Nothing, however, is as much fun as the open road, so I’m back outside (every once in a while anyways). It’s my last week in Seattle before I head to Brazil for two races. My body is getting used to riding in 34 degree “freezing fog,” but in 10 days I’ll be racing in the middle of a Brazilian summer!

Fish Like A Cajun: Using Garmin to Navigate the Louisiana Bayous

Last summer, we had the enviable task of joining Americana Outdoors show host Wade Middleton on a fishing trip to Grand Isle, Louisiana.  To get to this sportsman's paradise, you head south out of New Orleans and pretty much drive until you run out of land and hit the Gulf of Mexico.  Among other species, the area is known for its world class redfish and tarpon fishing.  It's also known as a frequent target of Gulf hurricanes, having been decimated by Katrina, Rita, and most recently, Gustav, which blew through just a few weeks after we were there.

For our trip, the weather wasn't nearly that bad, but it wasn't very good, either.  30 mile-an-hour winds made for some rough offshore waters in our relatively small bay boat.  After consulting our XM WX weather on our GPSMAP 5212 touchscreen chartplotter, we decided the smartest thing to do was go inland to calmer waters and fish the area's massive expanse of bayous.

The gambit worked, and we were treated to some excellent fishing.  But we couldn't have done it without the eye-poppingly detailed BlueChart g2 marine cartography embedded in the unit and supplemented by a g2 Vision card.  While the area's frequent hurricanes have literally rearranged the area, our charts (shown above) were vital in navigating us through narrow canals and into productive ponds -- not to mention getting us back to the marina at the end of the day.

Click here to see the show.

Ask Garmin: Which GPS is best for trail, car and bike?

This week's Ask Garmin question comes from John Schmid, who isn't alone in wanting one device to do the work of many. "I'm interested in a 'hybrid Garmin.' What would your recommendation be for a GPS device that could be clamped on a bike for road touring and yet excellent for hiking with topo maps included." While many of our outdoor handhelds could do the trick - even our Edge 605 and Edge 705 cycling computers can display optional topo maps - two of our newer devices are ideal for these situations: nüvi 500 and Oregon 400t.

Packed with detailed street and topo maps, the waterproof nüvi 500 is built for versatility. With the screen and interface of an automotive unit paired with the rugged durability of an outdoor handheld, nüvi 500 can navigate you efficiently in your car, on the trails and on the water. And with an optional handlebar mount, you can enjoy the same benefits on two wheels that you do with four.

If your focus is more on off-road adventures, either on foot or by bike, Oregon 400t provides an easy-to-use interface, wireless unit-to-unit transfer and preloaded topo maps for the entire U.S. And with its glove-friendly touchscreen, the waterproof Oregon is built to stand up to the weather. By purchasing a memory card with city mapping, you get the database with millions of preloaded points of interest as well as turn-by-turn directions displayed on the 3" color screen of the Oregon, which has various mounting options for the car or handlebars. 

Thanks, John, for the great question and enjoy the outdoors with the do-it-all Garmin of your choice!

Garmin Garage: Putter

Fore! Here comes Putter rolling down the cart path at a spirited 7 mph! If you haven’t already heard, Garmin recently announced the Approach G5. This touchscreen handheld gives golfers an advantage by showing key course features such as distance to the center of the green and distance to fairways and hazards. So we figured it was time to get to work on a Garmin Garage vehicle that reflects our excitement for the Approach. And, after reviewing the submissions to the Parking Lot, it looks like a lot of golf fans had requested a cart as well. Since we’re all about efficiency, we figured we could knock out two birdies with one stone. (← please forgive the pun) So we got to work. Of course, with this project, we couldn’t confine ourselves to the Garmin Garage. We had to do a little R&D at the nearby course. As it turns out, the Approach can only improve our game. By leaps. And bounds. Which is a nice way of saying that no one in the Garmin Garage will be joining the Pro Tour any time soon. But regardless of our game, Putter is now ready for you to download. Stop by the Garmin Garage and grab Putter today before your next golf outing. It's better that we get Putter out of here sooner instead of later - before Scooter ends up crashing it into our CNC Machine.  And be sure to stop by the Garmin Garage every now and then to check out our newest free vehicle icons for your nüvi or zumo!

Tour Down Under: Hesjedal 11th in 2009 opener

Team director Matt White was "very pleased" with Team Garmin's showing this past week in the Tour Down Under, in which Ryder Hesjedal finished 11th overall after throwing a scare in some opponents in the final stage once the initial breakaway was caught.

"This resulted in another dangerous split," Whitey wrote on the team blog, "with our highest GC rider Ryder in the group along with a wounded Cam (Meyer). The break was on for young and old, causing huge stress in the bunch with Ryder virtual leader on the road. Alas, they were caught late on the last 4 km lap. Though CJ (Chris Sutton) managed to finish 11th and Ryder 19th in the massive field sprint."

Visit the Team Garmin blog for the race recap, and be sure to check out Christian Vande Velde's thoughts on arriving at training camp, Timmy Duggan's conversation with VeloNews and team chiropractor Matt Rubin's take on wedding rings and racing.

Peg’s Posts: We have a contest winner.

Two weeks ago, as I was anxiously preparing to run my first marathon, our faithful blog readers sent their predictions for my finish time. Surprisingly, I beat ‘em all, finishing in 3:47:28. Not surprisingly, the closest prediction of 3:50 came from a Garmin coworker, Steve. Perhaps Steve had some insider information, considering we’ve done trail runs (this pic's from a training run we did last winter), bike rides, 5ks, relays and, most recently, a half marathon together. Had I slipped and told Steve that I was going to try for a Boston qualifying time? Or is he just good with numbers? Considering he’s a software engineer, probably the latter. Knowing he had an inside track, Steve graciously offered his Garmin prize winnings to the next closest bidder, which happened to be a blog reader from the KC area. Al predicted, in his words, an aggressive time of 3:52. I’ll be sending Al some Garmin gear soon and a thanks for playing along. Thanks to all the others who made predictions and sent good luck wishes my way. It was just what I needed to help carry me through the miles.

Tour Down Under: Hesjedal, Meier, Lowe in striking distance

With two stages remaining in the Tour Down Under, Team Garmin is still in the hunt. After Allan Davis won another stage Friday and strengthened his hold on the top of GC, Ryder Hesjedal is poised to strike in 11th place, 30 seconds off Davis' time. Giving Team Garmin multiple threats, Christian Meier and Trent Lowe are both 39 seconds off the lead.

Director Matt White described Friday's stage and the anticipation of the final two days of racing. "Ryder (above) went on the attack on the final climb and went away in a group of six. But in the end, the finish was controlled by the sprinters’ teams. Tomorrow is crunch time though. If the wind stays strong, then the bunch will split before we hit the final laps on the infamous Willunga circuit. We have three guys within striking distance, so anything is possible!"

And while you're waiting for Saturday's stage to begin, be sure to check out Los Angeles Times reporting on Timmy Duggan’s amazing return to racing less than nine months after his high-speed crash during the 2008 Tour de Georgia.

Jenna continues her training “down under”

While Team Garmin cyclists are nearing the end of their Tour Down Under, we recently got an update from Garmin-sponsored triathlete Jenna Shoemaker, who’s been training in Australia since last October. Read on as Jenna shares her training and racing experiences with the Garmin Edge 705 and Forerunner 405.

I've become quite reliant on my Garmin Edge and Forerunner over the past few months. I finally started using my heart rate monitor with both devices, as my new coach likes to have heart rate readings readily available. The setup was so quick and easy and it works seamlessly all of the time. Unlike with my old heart rate devices, I don't have to wet the strap or even wait a few minutes for it to register. As soon as I put the strap on and turn on my Edge or Forerunner, it immediately detects and accurately reads my heart rate. Since the sensor is so strong, I also don't have to wear the monitor really tight around my chest. This has eliminated all of the old blistering I used to get wearing other models.

Jake's Journal: Good day for golf ... I mean, work

It's not often we get a 65-degree January day in Kansas. So when today's temps started climbing, our minds started racing. How can we take advantage of a balmy winter afternoon while being productive? My friends Carl the Caddy and Dan the Engineer reminded me that we had promised to produce tutorial videos about our newest handheld - Approach G5, Garmin's touchscreen GPS for golf. So we convinced our buddy Jimmy to grab a camera and join us at Sycamore Ridge near Garmin HQ to shoot videos for the blog and our YouTube channel.

The good news: As models of efficiency, we shot a handful of how-to videos that Carl will be sharing with you in his weekly Caddy Confidential blog posts and on YouTube. We covered the "measure distance" feature, touch-targeting for club selection and manual pin placement for accurate distances. The bad news: As a model of futility, I shot a handful of golfballs into the rough and ravine. Our long-drive contest was a two-sided contest with my only contribution being comic relief. Using Approach G5's touch-targeting to display distances to a location - and from that location to the green - simply told me that I was in trouble. At least Jimmy was generous in letting me try as many tee shots as we had tape. Or else he was just collecting blackmail material. I really need help. And more 60-degree days. Until then, I'll be studying our Approach tutorials and listening to Carl and Dan. When they're not laughing at my swing.

nüMaps Lifetime: Now Available

Garmin's new map update program, nüMaps Lifetime is now available for purchase! This one-time, single purchase lets you download the most up-to-date map information on streets, highways and points of interest up to four times per year, for the lifetime of your device. nüMaps is available in three different versions and costs $119.99 for North American maps, $139.99 for European maps, or a TransAtlantic mapset for $149.99. To use nüMaps Lifetime, all you need is your Garmin device, your computer and a USB cable. A new update will be available up to four times per year; sign up for our email notification, and we'll email you when the newest data is available.

Ben leads the way with an Edge

Garmin-sponsored triathlete Ben Collins shares his training and racing experiences with the Garmin Edge 705 and Forerunner 405.

Last weekend I did the Rocket Ride, a local “drop ride” that starts from the north end of Lake Washington and goes for a loop about 50 miles around to the northeast of Seattle. There’s been a great deal of flooding in Washington, thanks to some unusually cold and wet weather, so when we saw water flowing over the road in front of us it was not a huge surprise. We stopped and assessed the situation, and about five of the fifteen cyclists decided to try riding slowly through the water, which only covered about 200 meters of roadway. The rest of us watched as the water steadily made its way up their wheels. When they could no longer take full pedal strokes and the water kept getting deeper the crusade was declared a failure and the five returned to the group.

Meanwhile, I was looking at a map on my Garmin Edge 705, so as soon as the group leaders showed they had no idea how to make a detour of this road I chimed in: “If we follow this road back about two miles we can connect with the same highway we were riding towards; it’s a little more traffic, but probably no water.”

We set off in the direction we had come, and every time we came to an intersection the people in front would say, “which way does the Garmin say to go?”

Tour Down Under: Banged-up Meyer Most Aggressive in Stage 3

Team Garmin's Cameron Meyer, still nursing a dislocated shoulder from Stage 2, battled through the pain to be honored with the Most Aggressive ride of Stage 3 in the Tour Down Under. Cam earned the jersey for going off the front after he and three of his teammates - Trent Lowe, Ryder Hesjedal and Christian Meier - reeled in a star-studded breakaway. Meanwhile, Ryder continued his strong showing by moving up a notch in the GC to ninth place, 20 seconds behind the leader. Click here to read Matt White's blog recap of a dramatic day.

Also on the Team Garmin blog, Cam poses the question to himself: "What was I thinking when I went off the front?" His answer: "I said to Trent with 30 km to go that I thought I should go on the attack. There was a climb coming up and I didn’t think I would be able to make it over with the group. So I thought I should try and get a gap and get over it before the bunch. Then maybe I could help out on the other side into the finish. Also, we had been swapping off to bring the break back for the last 40 km. So if I went up the road, it would take the pressure off our team and make the other teams chase. I opened up a gap of 1′40″, so Matt White had come across to me. We now had a chance for me to take the stage, so I went for it. The team rode awesome and my main goal was to help them out."

Forerunner leads to faster times, then faster recovery

Injuries happen to everyone, from the world's best athletes to every-other-weekend warriors. And having the proper training and tools is vital for proper recovery. Garmin user Paul Tyler recently shared his story of bouncing back from an Achilles injury. At 43, Paul lives in New York and has used his Forerunner 305 or Forerunner 405 in completing 8 marathons and several multi-sport races in the last three years. After doing two Ironman 70.3 events in 2008, he plans to do Ironman Lake Placid this summer.

The running season ended on a high note in October at the Hartford Half Marathon.  With the help of the Forerunner 405 virtual partner, I time-qualified for the ING New York Marathon – with three minutes to spare! Of course, the celebration lasted only a few short days because of my next goal in mind – Ironman Lake Placid.  Two of my buddies and I secured three coveted spots for this race to be held in July 2009.

Victor's Vectors: Looking Ahead to ADS-B

With the recent presidential inauguration, I feel a lot of optimism in the air from our customers.  People are looking more to the future and thinking of the great things that are to come.  Well, Garmin is looking to the future too.  We foresee aircraft that are small and large with real time traffic, weather, and unprecedented access and ease of use for the National Airspace System.  This is no daydream.  These are the promises of Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B).  Garmin recently announced the availability of an upgrade program for the GTX 330 and GTX 33 transponders that will add the Extended Squitter capabilities.  These new transponders will interface with current 400W / 500W series units, the 480, and G1000 systems and transmit your position, velocity, and heading information to FAA ground facilities and other ADS-B equipped aircraft.  This technology is a proposed mandate for aircraft by 2020, but why look to the future when you can act today?

Tour Down Under: Dean attacks, Hesjedal climbs to 10th

Stage 2 of the Tour Down Under, one of the most difficult days in the week of racing, saw Team Garmin getting in the mix as Julian Dean went on the offensive and Ryder Hesjedal pushed into the Top 10 of the General Classification. As director sportif Jonathan Vaughters said on Twitter of Ryder's 11th-place stage finish, "Crazy Canadian likes the heat and hills." Hesjedal, the 2007 Canadian Time Trial Champion, had this blog post about his teammates and his 11th-place stage finish:

"CJ and Julz were near the front taking care of us as we fought for position heading into the final laps. I think I might have been a little too aggressive trying to stir things up for a break (not exactly conserving energy). But stirring things up is what racing is all about! Despite some ill-timed cramps at the start of the last climb, I still managed to make my way close to the front for the fast step-up finish. All in all, (minus Cam’s crash) it was a solid day for Garmin!"

VeloNews, in its thorough coverage of the Tour Down Under, described Julian's role as the aggressor: "With some 60km remaining, Garmin-Slipstream’s Kiwi Julian Dean attacked the peloton and successfully bridged to the front three 50 clicks from home. However, the move sparked off a series of further counterattacks back in the bunch." VeloNews also spent some time shooting video with Aussie Trent Lowe and doing a tech feature on the Edge 705. Click here for more coverage.

Garmin comes through for couple lost in the woods

We often talk about how Garmin employees embrace the activities in which our products are used. Most of the time, this is a pretty easy assignment - go golfing, ride your bike, run a few miles, catch some fish - but what started as recreation Monday night turned into the rescue of a lost couple in the California woods. Here's the story as told by Clark, one of our online gurus at Garmin Connect and MotionBased. This link shows the adventure as captured in Garmin Connect and reminds us why Garmin devices have "Back to start".

So random... I'm just cruisin' through the woods on a trail run testing some Garmin GPS devices, and I come upon this couple clearly out of sorts and freaking out. They thought I was part of the rescue crew looking for them. It was pitch black outside, and they were a few miles from their car with no map and no light. They had parked at the Muir Woods main lot and hiked up a good portion of Mt Tam near Pantoll. (If you click on my Garmin Connect link, I found them where you can see my path end and turn around.) I just had them follow me with my headlamp as we hiked back to my car. Talked to the park rangers afterward who were thankful that I found them. They were bumming hard on the prospect of spending the entire night searching all of Mt Tam looking for these guys.

Tour Down Under: Team Garmin in good position after first day

All seven riders of Team Garmin's Tour Down Under squad steered clear of injury in day one - though a blown tire kept sprint specialist Julian Dean from fighting for a stage win. Even with Julian's 127th-place finish, he and the rest of his teammates finished with the field and are just 11 seconds behind Andre Greipel. On the Team Garmin blog, Timmy Duggan recaps his first real race day since suffering a brain injury: "Today, I ripped a shadowy descent with 140 guys at 90 km per hour and jockeyed for position in the final mass sprint. Just the next test in the process really."

Keep checking the team blog and Jake's Twitter updates for news from Australia and all of Team Garmin's season.

Sneak Preview of 24 at Chicago Store

If you’re a fan of the FOX hit show “24: Season 7”, you know we’re already a few episodes into the new season. To coincide with the recent series launch, 50 lucky fans of the hit show were treated to a special sneak preview of the first episode before it aired at Garmin’s retail store in Chicago. These fans won the VIP tickets through our blog and by entering a drawing at the store. At the event, guests had the opportunity to meet Carlos Bernard who plays the character of Tony Almeida, enjoy refreshments and test out the Garmin devices on display. They also watched the exclusive preview and left with a gift bag from Garmin and “24”. You can catch a new episode of each Monday night on FOX and you can also view online webisodes of Jack in action at 24:Dossier. These webisodes feature lots of great Garmin gear – so be on the lookout while you’re watching. You never know when Jack will share the screen with an Oregon 400t, a Rino 530HCx or a nüvi 265WT!

Caddy Confidential: Dialing in Distance Control with Approach

If you’re like me, this time of year the golf bug starts biting pretty hard. And it stings. Watching tour pros dropping birds from the insanely picturesque island of Maui while there’s a foot of snow outside is a bitter pill to swallow – especially when you can’t wait to play a full round with an awesome new toy like the Approach.

So you read whatever game improving books are lying around, or maybe take out a few ceiling tiles tweaking your backswing. You tell yourself (or an irritated loved one) that you’re “keeping the rust off,” “working on tempo,” or most laughably, “keeping fit.” In reality, you’re a die-hard golfer.

One way I’ve learned to cope during the long, cold winter is to identify a specific aspect of my game to improve in the upcoming year; usually something that I struggled with the year before. After reading this fantastic Johnny Miller article, I decided to work on distance control with my irons. I was able to play a few holes with the Approach this past fall - we call it research - and one thing I realized is how perfect the “shot measurement” function is for improving distance control.

Team Garmin: Kiwi Guy says, "Here we go again, Garmin fans!"

On the eve of the Tour Down Under, Julian Dean checks in after finishing less than a minute off the leader in going for his third consecutive New Zealand national road race title.

It has been a quick off-season; the batteries have been recharged, the plans and goals have been put in place for 2009 and the team is ready to get going again. The boys are back on their game and ready to rip apart another season.

I landed here in Adelaide a few days ago after a disappointing National Championships where I failed to hold on to the World's best-looking cycling jersey but have found myself in a team environment where there are some young lads bursting at the seams to kick off the season. And to me that's what highlighted what Team Garmin is all about. I was feeling a little lost when things didn't work out at the Nationals but the Team Garmin environment here has quickly got me back on the right path again. We have some highly motivated lads here and I feel we can set a good example for the rest of the season. It's always important to start off well here so that we have something solid to build on for the start of the season in Europe and from looking at the boys out training this week, I think we are going to be kicking off the season with some solid performances... So look out for us in all categories this week.

Go Garmin! - Julian Dean 

Team Garmin-Slipstream unveils 2009 kit

Team Garmin-Slipstream, the top U.S. professional cycling team, today unveiled its 2009 team kits. The new team kit highlights title sponsor Garmin's leadership role, while also bringing attention to Slipstream and its focus on ethical sporting and developing the next generation of American champions. Designed and produced by Pearl Izumi's Colorado-based Advanced Development Team, the 2009 kits are highlighted by the ultra aerodynamic time trial Speed-Suit. Second skin fit and strategically located, proprietary fabrics work together to create the fastest Speed-Suit ever produced and provide an aerodynamic advantage for riders. And, the kit wouldn't be complete without strong argyle elements, including orange shoulders and an orange-dominated Giro helmet – which will be easy to spot in the pro peloton.

"We constantly uncover the best technology and work with the best sponsors to give our athletes the competitive advantage,” said Jonathan Vaughters, Director Sportiff of Team Garmin-Slipstream. "Our unique partnership with Pearl Izumi ensures that our guys are training and racing with the best kits available. And our signature argyle ensures that they stand out from the pack."

Peg’s Posts: Marathon math.

It’s been 5 days since I completed my first marathon and I’ve been thinking a lot about all the number crunching that went into it. My Forerunner 405 and Garmin Connect played a big part in planning my training and analyzing my runs. Check out my Disney Marathon activity in Garmin Connect. You can even replay the activity with the new map player feature. For me, the number crunching started well before race day. How many days a week can I train? How many days will I rest or cross-train? How far will I go for my longest run? How many weeks out will I start training? What’s my finish time goal? What pace? And somewhere along the way, you add up all the training miles you’ve put in and wonder: a) Am I crazy? b) Have I trained enough? c) Am I training too much?

Garmin goes Hollywood

Maybe there were too many snacks at the Golden Globe parties. Regardless of the reason, Access Hollywood is taking a timeout from passing along the latest celebrity buzz to focus on fitness and the outdoors. This weekend, the entertainment show will feature Garmin's Edge 705 and Colorado 400t devices for cycling and hiking, respectively. And the Forerunner 405 fitness watch was just called in for a casting call for a future show. While both the Edge 705 and Colorado 400t have color maps and wireless unit-to-unit data transfer, the Edge 705 boasts power compatibility for cyclists who want to train like the pros, and the Colorado 400t features paperless geocaching and preloaded topographic maps for the entire U.S. Check your local listings and watch for Garmin on Access Hollywood this weekend. Or if you want to watch it online, you can click here. 

In other TV cameos, Garmin played a role in the end of an era Thursday night. Without giving away too much, we'll just say that Gil Grissom used an eTrex Legend to find closure. If you've seen Garmin pop up in your favorite shows, send us an e-mail or add a comment below.  

Jake's Journal: Around the world with Team Garmin

Though it was a casual setting on Pearl Street in Boulder, it felt like cycling's version of the United Nations. There I was in Colorado, chatting with national champions Magnus Backstedt (Sweden), Julian Dean (New Zealand), David Millar (Scotland), Dan Martin (Ireland) and Ryder Hesjedal (Canada), when the international reach of Team Garmin really hit home. While it was obvious this summer when I was completely immersed in the French lifestyle, the cross-cultural realization hit while hearing so many accents laughing together in a more familiar setting. So it's been fun keeping track of the team during the off-season, and this week's Team Garmin blog posts reminded me of the distance we span.

Trent Lowe, Will Frischkorn and Bradley Wiggins - three more guys who I loved talking to at training camp - checked in recently from their home continents. Trent is getting ready for his first Tour Down Under, which he'll begin Tuesday with Julian, Ryder, Timmy Duggan, Christian Meier and fellow Aussies Chris "CJ" Sutton, Cameron Meyer and director Matt White. Trent told CyclingNews, "We'll have some options and some cards to play, and Whitey's great at giving us a task each day."

nüvi 755T: GPSMagazine's Editor's Choice

After taking the nüvi 755T through its paces, the guys at GPS Magazine are touting it, "the GPS I tell my friends to buy," and have awarded it Editor's Choice. With features like lane assist with junction view, 3-D building view, free lifetime traffic, route planning and more, the devices from the 705T series are topping the listsof gadget gurus everywhere. GPSMag also had this to say: "The 755T is easy to use, chooses smart, logical routes, is equipped with a very high performance GPS receiver, has the best map screen of any GPS available today, and is reasonably priced. The 755T is an evolutionary, incremental upgrade to what was already a class-leading GPS."

If you'd like to see and hear more about what these powerful navigators can do, check out our interactive nuvi 765T demo, and take the 765T for a test drive today!

Get Your Garmin Fix in 2009

Those of you who've followed our blog for some time may remember this post from the fall. But we've got lots of new readers joining us in the new year, so we thought we'd re-post this for everyone.

Around the Garmin blog, we’re always looking for ways to get our word out. In 2006, we tried skywriting our URL across the entire U.S. While we did enjoy limited success throughout parts of northern Montana, we didn’t get the results we were hoping for. In 2007, we thought we figured it out when we rented hundreds of Clown-a-grams® to blanket the states. Again – mixed results. But now we think we might be on to something. After a bit of coding and some switch flipping, we’re pleased to re-announce our ‘Subscribe Via Email’ option. Located in the upper left-hand corner of the blog, this new functionality will deliver a daily dose of blog posts directly to your inbox. It’s quick. It’s easy. And it’s a great way to stay-in-the-know about all things Garmin-related – whether it’s a contest, an event, a new product release, or just a chance to win some more of Jake's stuff. Not enough for you? Well, don't forget about Jake's Twitter account, too!

Of course, you can also subscribe to our RSS feed.  And if you’re not sure what an RSS feed is, we’ve included a quick video below from the good people over at Google. You can subscribe to the entire blog – or just individual feeds listed in the ‘categories’ section on the left. So however you choose to subscribe – RSS or email – you’ll get the freshest content available! Sign up today and put the Internet to work for you!

Victor's Vectors: Garmin named #1 by Professional Pilot Mag

Long time blog readers are sure to remember Roger, the mastermind behind the Roger's Runway posts. Ever since Roger decided to take a blog break and focus on helicopter training, we began an extensive recruiting process to find a new aviation guru for our weekly aviation blog column. The search didn't take long since Victor knows just about everything there is to know about Garmin aviation products. In fact, if you've ever called Garmin's aviation product support there's a chance you may have spoken with our newest blogger without even realizing it. Without further ado, here's our buddy and yours, Victor.

The surveys have been tallied, the scores have been computed, the results are in, and Garmin came out on top for the fifth year in a row!  The results of the 2009 Professional Pilot Avionics Product Support Survey are in and Garmin topped the charts in every category, increasing our total score from 8.42 in 2008 to 8.51 for 2009.  I want to offer a huge THANK YOU to our customers who voted for us and a big congratulation to Garmin’s Aviation Support team.  Without Garmin’s loyal customer base we would not be where we are today.  We’re very proud of this award, but we aren’t going to rest on our laurels. We’ve already started looking at ways to serve you better in 2009, and we’re looking forward to another great year. 

Runner "skywrites" with her Forerunner for charity

During the past 20 years, we've come up with some very creative uses for Garmin's GPS technology - tracking hunting dogs, measuring golf shots, racing bikes professionally - but Runner's World has introduced us to someone that deserves a pat on the back. If you can catch her.

Jenny Rice, a student at Kingston University in the U.K., sent an e-mail recently to Runner's World: "Hello, I produced this short movie as part of my Graphic Design course at Kingston University. I used a Garmin Forerunner 205 to map my run to spell out a message that would raise awareness of my London Marathon fundraising." Essentially, she ran for more than an hour in carefully planned patterns to spell out her charitable plea. It's like those old creative exercises in which you're not allowed to take the pen off the paper. Take a look at the video and try it for yourself by downloading your data to MotionBased.com or Garmin Connect. It won't be easy, but you'll get a good workout regardless.

Peg's Posts: Disney Marathon post-race rundown

Wow. It’s the shortest summation of my 26.2-mile first marathon experience I can muster even now, 2 days later. Wow is for the realization that I completed the race with no major injuries (except a clenched Achilles that feels like I ran the last 20 miles wearing a binder clip on it). Wow is for coming within 1 minute and 27 seconds of my qualifying time for Boston Marathon. My official chip time was 3:47.27 and my Forerunner 405 clocked me at 3:47.34. Wow is for having great weather, a beautiful course with entertainment and amazing crowd and volunteer support along the way. Wow is for having my family there, cheering me on in the final stretch. And even though I couldn’t pick them out of the crowds, I knew they were there and met up with them soon after finishing. Wow is for scoring a hole in one later that day! And I didn’t even have our new Approach G5 along for support. In fact, I don’t even think Pirate Pete’s Mini Golf is in the Approach database of preloaded courses. But mostly, wow is for how my body felt yesterday. And I don’t mean basking in the glory of having run my first marathon. 

Ben pedals through snow, winter training

Garmin-sponsored triathlete Ben Collins shares his training and racing experiences with the Garmin Edge 705 and Forerunner 405.

Last weekend Seattle dried up for a day. At least it looked that way from my house, so I decided to dress up in everything warm I had – polar fleece bike tights, two jerseys, a polar fleece cycling jacket, gloves,  wool socks beanie and massive, wind shielding sunglasses – to protect myself from the arctic weather (it was about 35 degrees).

Better yet, I decided to drag my friend Courtenay along with me. The road was not as dry as I had thought, and at points we were trying to keep our bikes upright while riding through two inch deep snow (it’s not easy). Courtenay was anything but thrilled. The first hour of the ride consisted of me trying to crack jokes to get the frown off her face, only to hear her mutter “I can’t feel my feet. Tell me again why riding trainers indoors was such a bad idea?” This made me feel like a real jerk, which I dealt with by telling dumber and dumber jokes and talking about warm things, like hot chocolate.

Team Garmin: Timmy Duggan packs for Oz

As the pro cyclists of Team Garmin-Slipstream prepare for the Tour Down Under and Tour de Langkawi, Cyclingnews talks to Christian Vande Velde about his transition from super domestique to team leader, and Boulder native Timmy Duggan (left) brings us up to speed in a Team Garmin blog post:

Packing for a month and a half in a different hemisphere seemed like a daunting way to start my season last week. But after 10 months of no racing, I was actually excited to lug out the suitcase and get ready to hit the road. I didn’t really pack until the day I left for the Tour Down Under and Tour de Langkawi. The two days before, I was crazy balancing training and recovery with tying up loose ends in preparation for leaving Colorado for the rest of the season. I refinanced our mortgage, caught up with some friends I won’t see for a while, made a bunch of food for the freezer for my wife to live off of the next six weeks, paid the bills, accidently crushed my Blackberry in the car door…and then started packing.

Thankfully all the races on this trip are in the summer heat and a far cry from the snow, cold and wind of my Colorado home! So that was a good start; I didn’t have to pack a pile of warm clothes. The other plus was that most of the 09 Garmin-Slipstream clothing was waiting for me in Oz. So I didn’t pack much in the way of riding clothes. Hopefully it’s all there or it will be a long month in a single pair of bike shorts!

Click here to read the rest of Timmy's post, and click here for Christian's interview. And keep checking back for updates from the team!

Greetings from Caddy Confidential

Hello all! Welcome to Caddy Confidential, your Garmin blog home for all things golf. I’m your host Carl the Caddy. My job – when I’m not scoping fairways and reading greens – is to keep you up to date on our new golf GPS handheld, Approach G5. If you haven’t heard already, Garmin is going golfing with a touchscreen, waterproof GPS device that comes preloaded with thousands of U.S. courses. For a quick peek at the capabilities of the Approach, check out this video that Garmin’s fitness guru Jake posted here.

We’re itching to dust off the clubs and get out to the course to show off the capabilities of the Approach. So as soon as we get a half-decent weather day (in Kansas, that’s about 45 degrees with no snow), we’re going to head out to the course to film and post a handful of videos that’ll show you all the cool stuff Approach can do, and how Approach can help you improve your game. We’re planning on updating Caddy Confidential weekly, so keep checking the Garmin blog for product info, tips for improving your game and to find out exactly how far Jake can hit his driver. Keep your head down, hope springs eternal and thanks again for touring Caddy Confidential!

nüMaps Lifetime: Stay Up-To-Date

You asked, we listened!  One of last week's sleeper announcements at CES was the introduction of nüMaps Lifetime, a one-time, single purchase that lets you download the most up-to-date map information on streets, highways and points of interest up to four times per year, for the lifetime of your device.  The program costs $119.99 for North American maps, $139.99 for European maps, or a TransAtlantic map set for $149.99.  The program will be available online beginning Wednesday, January 21 (by clicking one of the above links), or you can purchase a redeemable card from participating retailers. 

Peg’s Posts: Disney Marathon — prep and pep talks

24 hours from now, I’ll be well on my way to my first marathon experience. The pre-race prep has consisted of pretty much what I’d do for a race back home. First, we hit the packet pickup and expo to retrieve bib number, timing chip and goodie bag. At the expo, I stopped by the Garmin booth and chatted with John, our regional sales manager from Florida. He said they’d had nonstop traffic all day and were selling Garmin Forerunners left and right. Making sure my own Forerunner 405 was charged and ready for the big day was one of the next task on my list. I’ll also double check that my training pages are customized the way I like for a race. For example, I like to view my average pace versus current pace during a race. Another pre-race ritual: laying out everything I’ll need for race morning, from clothing and shoes to shades, ID bracelet, bib number and even a couple gel packs for consuming calories on the go.

GPSMAP 396/496 and XM WX Update

I’m sure it comes as no shock to blog readers, but our customer support group is always busy after Christmas because people call us with questions about the Garmin devices they received for the holidays. In addition to our normal calls, the first few days of the 2009 calendar year brought atypical calls from GPSMAP 396 and 496 customers who were temporarily unable to receive XM WX service. For those who were without XM WX service, we apologize for the inconvenience. Since we’re pilots too and we, like you, were traveling over the holidays, we understand that the lack of weather data happened at a very inopportune time. Garmin and XM have resolved the issue and everything is now back to normal. All GPSMAP 396 and 496 customers who were without weather should now have the XM WX service they’ve come to depend on. We’ve also taken as many measures as possible to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. As always, if you have any questions about your Garmin aviation product, please give us a call at 1-866-739-5687 and we’ll be happy to help.

Jake's Journal: Confessions from CES

The first day of CES proved a few things to me. People love the idea of saving gas and money. Even non-golfers can tell that the Approach G5 is a game-changer. Sometimes, valet parking is the cheapest way to go. And I have to work on my game - my short game, my long game and just about anything to do with the game of golf.

While ecoRoute and nuMaps lifetime offer savings - suggesting fuel-efficent routes and numerous map updates for one payment, respectively - I'm hoping that the Approach will save my golf game. Because I'm not so good. After all, I'm the outdoor/fitness guy and love to live that life. When I was handed a Forerunner when I started, I ran my first marathon a couple months later. Give me an Oregon or Colorado, and I'll tackle mountain trails all day long. So with the introduction of the Approach, I need to be able to swing a club without embarrassing myself. And the Approach, even with its touch-targeting and preloaded courses, can't solve that by itself. So I'm recruiting help from my friends Dan the Engineer and Carl. As part of our outdoor rec team, Dan represents the brains behind the Approach. As a friend and avid golfer, Carl is the brains behind my golf resurgence. And Carl's going to chime in on the Garmin blog, posting tips and behind-the-scenes wisdom in his Caddy Confidential. Here are a few pictures from a recent outing with Dan, Carl and the Approach, and we're also going to bring you videos in which we'll discuss specific features... and my mulligans.

zumo 660 for two-wheeled adventures

Today is the opening day of CES and it'll be a busy one for us as we begin showing off all our new products to the thousands that come to Vegas to find the latest and greatest in consumer electronics. The zumo 660 is one of our exciting new products. What makes the zumo 660 special from earlier zumo motocycle models? The list feels endless, but the external size is one of the first things motorcyclists will notice. The zumo 660 has a sleeker form factor that is similar to a nuvi. It also has advanced routing capabilities like lane assist with junction that guides riders to the correct lane. In major cities, like Vegas, navigation is enhanced by showing surrounding buildings in a 3D transparent view. And of course we haven't left out the features that made the original zumo so popular -- glove friendly controls, waterproofing, a compass page, Bluetooth, turn-by-turn voice prompted directions, route sharing and more. I could keep describing the zumo 660 in this blog post, but words really don't do it justice. If you're in Vegas, stop by our CES booth (South Hall 4, #35832) and check it out. If you're not at the show, you can find more zumo info here and you'll be able to purchase it from our dealers in the first quarter of 2009, just in time for a Spring ride.

Peg’s Posts: Magical Marathon

While some of my partners in blogging are in Vegas talking up our newest product offerings at the international Consumer Electronics Show, I’m about to depart for sunny Orlando to take a big step (make that many, many steps) in my running career. This Sunday, at 6:30 a.m., I’ll be anxiously poised to hit the start button on my Forerunner 405 and then run 26.2 miles through the Disney-themed parks. Last January, I vowed that 2009 would be the prime time to run my first marathon. And if this mom-of-three was gonna do one, it had to be Disney. How else would I get out the door for up to 4 hours on a Saturday morning unless there was incentive for the rest of the family? Read on to find out who and what has helped me through several high-mileage weeks … and find out how you can win for predicting Peg’s pace.

Garmin goes golfing with Approach G5

We just took the guesswork out of golf. Introduced this week at CES, the Approach G5 is Garmin’s first touchscreen handheld designed exclusively for the golf course, adding to our popular outdoor recreation and fitness line. The waterproof Approach, with its touchscreen 3" color display, keeps it simple by asking you to either Play or Preview any of the thousands of preloaded courses.

In any situation, a player can get exact yardages with the touch-targeting feature and select the right club with confidence. Worried about that fairway bunker? A single tap on the map will show you how much club you need to carry it – or how little if you decide to play it safe. Perfected your 90-yard wedge shot? By dragging your finger on the map, you can find the precise distance needed to lay up for your perfect shot into the green. Is the pin placed in the back today? By simply touching the corner of the screen, you can zoom in on the green to reposition the flag to correspond with that day’s pin placement. Whether you’re tracking your improvement or playing for bragging rights, the Approach makes it easy to measure the distance of your last shot. Also, you can easily keep the scores for your entire foursome using the intuitive touchscreen digital scorecard.

 

nüvi 885T offers speech recognition, lane assist, other premium features

Announced in conjunction with the 2009 CES, the nüvi 885T packs everyone's favorite features - speech recognition and lane assist with junction view - into one powerful, portable navigator.  With the push-to-talk wireless remote, drivers speak words or phrases that correspond with the buttons on the touchscreen display, and nüvi is there to listen every step of the way. New to this series, the 885T also offers lane assist with junction view - giving drivers a clear picture of the road ahead. With lane assist, drivers will no longer have to speculate which turn lane to be in - nuvi will highlight the proper lane for navigation. In addition to these ultra safe and convenient features, the 885T also boasts MSN Direct features allowing drivers to check a flight status, view Doppler weather maps and current weather conditions, avoid traffic back-ups, check fuel prices, look up movie listings, and check local events, news and stocks.

Saving gas and money with ecoRoute

At a time when everyone is trying to make their paychecks and their gas tanks go the extra mile, we’re excited to bring you ecoRoute, a free software update that helps ease growing pressures on personal budgets and the environment.

“Many of the biggest challenges currently facing people around the world involve the economy and the environment,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales, in preparation for the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. “As the global leader in satellite navigation, we embrace the opportunity to be the leader in fuel-efficient, eco-friendly navigation.”

Chicago Store: Garmin gear for your resolution

Another successful year has ended and Garmin is excited to welcome 2009! With a new year comes New Year's resolutions and we want to help you stick to yours...past the month of Feburary. Winter's full of sitting inside and eating big, hearty meals with the family. Pounds are easy to pack on in the cold months, but it's time to get moving again. If you're a runner, the Garmin Forerunner 405 can be your own personal trainer. And the best part?  You won't have to worry about someone yelling at you or pushing you beyond limits that you're not ready to set for yourself. With interval and advanced training features, you can customize your own workouts to get desirable results at your own pace. Perfect for the winter months, the Forerunner 405 can be used on a treadmill or on an indoor track with the foot pod accessory that will enable the user to obtain data without the use of satellite reception. Check out the "indoor workout" training video to see how it works. Be sure to check out the Garmin Chicago store for an up-close-and-personal look the Forerunner and other fitness devices.

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