The 21-stage Giro d’Italia kicked off Saturday and Garmin-sponsored Team Slipstream/Chipotle is making a fine showing in their first Grand tour. Slipstream won the time trial on Saturday and Christian Vande Velde, featured in Garmin’s latest Edge 705 ad, was presented the pink leader’s jersey. This first race stage was sponsored by Garmin’s U.K. office and we were proud to back the team on the podium. Stage 2 was a tough one with a brutal uphill finish. Christian, one of the team’s top climbers, gave it his all, finishing 10” behind Franco Pellizotti, who took over the pink jersey. David Zabriskie got tangled in a crash, resulting in a compression fracture to a vertebra, but he has suffered no neurological damage. Stages 3 and 4 were also marred with crashes, and the peloton is looking tired, yet Christian has managed to maintain his second place overall standing. Our thoughts are with David Z. as he returns home for recovery and we wish the rest of team safety and great racing in the upcoming stages. Check out Slipstream’s latest Garmin featured ride, in Girona, Spain.
76. David Millar +2′14″ 85. Ryder Hesjedal +2′54″ 178. Danny Pate +24′58″ 180. Julian Dean +25′44″ 184. Magnus Backstedt +27′08″ 188. Chris Sutton +31′33″ 190. Pat McCarty +31″51″
Garmin associate puts Forerunner 405 to the test at Disney
Working here at Garmin is a great experience and has proven to be a lot of fun. Here's a picture of me (in front, far left) and some of my associates following a charity run last summer. I have the opportunity to work with some really great athletes who’ve put some challenges before me and inspired me to step out of my comfort zone. That comfort zone was pretty much playing softball and cycling. Last summer I was encouraged to do a triathlon. Fell in love with the sport except for the running portion. We have a lot of really good runners here who encouraged me to pick up the sport. Now, I’m not great at it, but for not starting until in my late forties, I do okay.
Since I work in technical support for our outdoor/fitness team, I get to try out all the fun GPS units so I can become familiar with them to help our customers. Last January, my niece called and said, “I need to lose some weight and get in shape, there’s a 15K at Disney and was wondering if you’d do it with me?” I told her I’d think about it for a few days and talk it over with my husband. I’d never done a 15K, but I’d run a 10K, so I knew what it felt like. I decided I’d do it. It sounded like fun and I probably needed another challenge.
With all the great reviews on the Forerunner 405, some of you are wondering where to go to get your hands on it. The 405 is now available at specialty outdoor retailers and running stores, as well as the Garmin store on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. And like the typical type A runner, this watch doesn’t stay in one place for long. At its street debut at the Boston Marathon expo three weeks ago, hundreds of units were sold. We’ll also be doing demos and selling 405s at a couple of upcoming race expos, so watch for us next weekend, May 16-17 at the Bay to Breakers Expo in San Francisco and then May 30-31 at the San Diego Marathon Expo.
Next week is Kansas City's "Car-Free Challenge" and commuters across the metro will explore alternative ways to get to work and back home. Always up for a challenge, I joined Garmin's team as we try to defend our title. Last year, Garmin employees logged more than 2,700 miles on foot, bike, bus or carpool. And whether a person's motivation is driven by competition, the environment or their personal budget, the key is to do your part to help.
Here's the catch. I live 22 miles from work. On foot, that's my longest run before a marathon. And I'd have to leave home at 4 a.m. And then I'm stuck at work with sore legs and no way home. By bike, it's still a long haul (for me), but doable. The catch there is steering clear of roads too busy for my amateur status. That's where the Edge 705's mapping will come in handy. The other alternative - and one that I'll likely use at least part of the week - is to bike the 4 miles to catch the shuttle to Garmin. But regardless of how long or often I plan to ride next week, I had one major obstacle: cobwebs.
With its release at the Boston Marathon and arrival at running stores, the Forerunner 405 has raced to the top of wish lists everywhere. And today only (May 7), you can win a free Forerunner 405 from Women's Health magazine. Click here for details and to enter the Women's Health contest.
And with Mother's Day coming up this weekend, Shape magazine says the Forerunner 405 is the perfect gift for active moms. "Speedy moms who still sign up for marathons, races or triathlons, one after the next, can better track their mileage, times and trails with the Garmin Forerunner 405," explains Shape's gift guide. "Near buildings or under trees, no matter where she strides, this gadget will track your mom's distance, elevation, calories burned, pace, and more." Click here for Shape's complete Mothers Day Gift Guide.
If you were unable to visit the Garmin booth during last week’s Boston Marathon and become one of the lucky folks to be the first to own the Forerunner 405, visit (or call) the Garmin store in Chicago! We have both the black and sage green color options of the 405 with the heart rate monitors in-stock and available for purchase. Unfortunately, if you want the versions without the heart rate monitors, you will have to wait a few more weeks before they are available. The store is offering group training sessions on the Forerunner 405 every Saturday morning at 11am after the weekly Garmin Running Club.
The Garmin Running Club meets at the store every Saturday morning at 8 am and leads groups of runners on either a 3, 5, or 7-mile run along Chicago’s lake front running path. Runners can trial Garmin Forerunner products on a first-come, first-serve basis, as well as enjoy light refreshments after the runs. All runners of all levels are welcome to participate. See you there!
Forerunner 405: Get up to speed with hands-on demos
Must-have sport watch meets must-see TV in these brief training clips featuring our own blog editor and running expert, Jake. He’ll show you the hottest features of the new Forerunner 405 and teach you how to use the innovative touch bezel. We’ll be posting a whole series of these videos at this site. Catch a few now, come back for more clips later, including a segment where Jake goes head to head with Forerunner’s digital Virtual Partner. For all our customers who’ve been patiently waiting to get their hands on our newest GPS-enabled sport watch, we’re happy to say the 405 is now in stores, including our Chicago Store on the Magnificent Mile, and it's going like hot cakes.
Slipstream’s Trent Lowe is Best Young Rider at Tour de Georgia
“Tenacious Trent” Lowe of Garmin-sponsored Team Slipstream/Chipotle won the honors of Best Young Rider at the 2008 Tour de Georgia. High honors for an under-25 rider and even more potent since he held the title previously—at the ripe young age of 20. Trent also got podium time yesterday, finishing the Tour second in the overall classification. Teammate Christian Vande Velde finished seventh. Belarusian rider Kanstantin Sivtsov of Team High Road finished first with a slim margin of just 4 seconds. Next up on the Slipstream touring calendar: Giro d’Italia, a 21-stage race beginning May 10, followed by the Tour de France, starting July 5.
Check out the team’s latest Garmin featured ride, recorded using the Edge 705. This 40-miler packs 5,065 ft of total elevation gain. Download the course to your Edge and see how you measure up to the pros!
Peg’s Posts: Customer stories from Sea Otter Classic
In a post earlier this week, I told you how much I love talking to customers at events like Sea Otter Classic and hearing their tales of adventure, training and competition. Meet a big-time Garmin fan who has guidance by Garmin everywhere and every way he travels. Jerry from San Ramon has owned an Edge 305 and immediately upgraded to the 605 with maps when it hit stores just a few weeks ago. He uses his new 605 with our topo cartography for extra detail to guide his 2-wheeled adventures. He also owns a GPSMAP 60Cx handheld, a nüvi 680 for his vehicle and a Garmin GPSMAP 430S, which is a combo chartplotter and sounder for water-bound excursions. Follow the jump for more customer stories and photos.
This week's travels bring me to Emmaus, PA, the home of such fitness magazines as Runner's World, Bicycling, Men's Health, Women's Health, Best Life and Prevention. With a population of only 11,300 and several hundred healthy-lifestyle journalists employed here, Emmaus would appear to be up for the title of fittest city per capita (based on my unscientific research). Especially this weekend, when more than 4,000 runners crowd the area for the annual Lehigh Valley Half-Marathon and 5K.
One of the topics sure to be discussed this weekend is the Forerunner 405, which will be the star of Garmin's booth after making its debut at the Boston Marathon. The 405 has received rave reviews for its sleek design, touch-sensitive bezel and wireless data transfer. Check out this review from DVICE, which starts by saying "The Garmin Forerunner line of GPS-enabled watches just took a giant leap in techno-goodness. If you’re a runner or walker, you're going to like the way this new Forerunner 405 ($300) measures and records your speed, distance, elevation and even heart rate." Click here for the whole review.
After sweeping the team time trial ride yesterday at the Tour de Georgia, Garmin-sponsored Team Slipstream/Chipotle is leading in nearly all of the results categories. Best young rider jersey was passed from Tyler Farrar to teammate Trent Lowe. Tyler continued to move up in the points classification, earning sprint jersey honors, and the Slipstream team leads all others in the overall team classification with 12” over second-place Astana and 18” over team High Road. Team director Jonathan Vaughters dedicated Friday’s race to teammate Timmy Duggan, who was injured in a crash in Wednesday’s race. Since Timmy, an excellent time trialist, couldn’t race, his teammates pulled off a big win in his honor. Our thoughts are with Timmy for his continued recovery and with the rest of the team as they head into 3 more days of racing, finishing with a circuit race in Atlanta on Sunday.
The cycling excitement rides on this week as the Garmin-sponsored Slipstream/Chipotle team competes in the 7-stage Tour de Georgia. Riders just finished the 115.7-mile stage 2 route that included one KOM in North Augusta and two sprint lines. For the first time, a circuit finish in downtown Augusta took the cyclists into South Carolina before returning to Georgia. The big news coming out of this stage was Tyler Farrar's fourth place finish! Tyler also took second in Best Young Rider.
Tune in tomorrow to watch the ride live, keep up with the results from each stage and check out the latest news from the boys in argyle. Good luck tomorrow, guys!
Peg’s Posts: Seen at Sea Otter—racing, Gary Fisher and wild life
Yesterday we wrapped up our fourth day at the Sea Otter Classic cycling show. There was plenty of action around the Laguna Seca Raceway on the final days. I managed to slip away from our booth to get some photos of the men’s short-track cross country race, dual slalom qualifying and the elite women’s road race. Our booth had a steady stream of customers eager for a hands-on trial of the new Edge 605 and 705 bike computers with built-in mapping. The well-traveled Garmin Jeep, decked out with a variety of Garmin units, was a popular destination for show-goers. We also got the thumbs up for our booth banners displaying Garmin’s sponsorship of Slipstream. Best of luck to the team in their performance at Tour of Georgia and congrats to Tyler Farrar, who stands 4th overall after stage 1. Follow the jump for pics from the lighter side of Sea Otter Classic.
One of the greatest parts of my job is attending events like Sea Otter and talking to our customers. Hearing their stories about how they’re using our devices to give their training an edge, pace themselves for their next race or bike their way across the U.S. for a cause. Here’s a look at just a few of the customers I talked to at the show. Cathy visited our booth on the first day of the show. She just came by to tell us how much she loves her Forerunner 305, which she uses for running and cycling. Her husband said she essentially won’t run without it, and when the time came to purchase a GPS for their car, Cathy said she’d settle for nothing less than a Garmin. She also heaped praise on Garmin’s tech support for our online analysis site, MotionBased.
Here’s Matt, from Sacramento, who’ll be racing in today’s single-speed cross country race. He came by to get the course downloaded to his Edge 305. Check out the course maps Garmin created for all of the Sea Otter events, which gives athletes the chance to preview the route and see detailed course metrics online, then download to their Edge or Forerunner for course points and real-time pacing during the event. Next is Lisa, from Redlands who, along with her Edge 305, won the short-track event on Friday. Way to go Linda! Saving the best for last, you’ve gotta hear about Chris from Ventura, California.
Yes, you asked for it, and we're delivering it. On the running world's biggest stage no less. In anticipation of the Boston Marathon, the granddaddy of distance running, we started selling the highly anticipated Forerunner 405 fitness watch at the Boston Marathon Expo. The response has been overwhelming. Before the Boston Marathon even begins, we're going to deplete the stockpile we brought to Beantown. And why not? The Forerunner 405 has all of the GPS-enabled features of its predecessors and adds wireless download, a touch-sensitive bezel, unit-to-unit data transfer and the HotFix feature that quickly locks on satellite signals. But don't sweat it - we're bringing the Forerunner 405 to a running shop or outdoor retailer near you. And keep watching our blog for feature-specific tutorials focused on the Forerunner 405 and other products.
All muscles are not created equal. That's the only way that I can explain my showing this morning at Bicycling Magazine's group ride. Well, that and the disclaimer that I'm a recreational runner who enjoys trying new things. Like cross-country skiing. And geocaching. And road biking on the hills of coastal California with some of the industry's best cyclists. Fortunately, I forfeited any inhibitions - and pride - long ago.
Even with the sweet ride I borrowed - a SuperSix from Cannondale (thanks for the loaner, Bill) - my legs weren't what I would have expected. Ask any triathlete or duathlete, and they'll tell you that you use completely different parts of your legs for cycling and running. And that's the logic I'm sticking to after dragging my deadweight up a neverending hill along the 17-mile Drive. And that's another thing, notice the capital "D" on Drive? Somehow our tour of 17-mile Drive resulted in a 30-mile ride. It's equations like that that push kids away from math. All in all, though, it was a wonderful outing. Peg and I had a blast hanging out with - and keeping up with - the group. The Edge 705 charted our progress perfectly, and my Forerunner 405 was the perfect training partner. And a huge thanks goes out to Steve (pictured above) from Bicycling for sticking with a longtime runner and helping him find his way on wheels. Now where was Steve when I tried skiing?
Peg’s Posts: Spinning our wheels with Bicycling Magazine
It’s day two of the Sea Otter Classic bike show and it promises to be a jam-packed day of racing. Jake and I started our day with a 30-mile road bike ride with Bicycling Magazine and their media guests. Our route took us through some beautiful scapes along the Monterey Peninsula and Pacific Grove. It was a great chance to test our new Edge 705 units with color mapping, elevation, speed, distance, heart rate—the works. Also a chance to try out some top-of-the-line bikes. I was lucky enough to get a loaner Ruby S-Works bike from Specialized. Talk about one smooth ride. Thanks to Allie from Specialized for setting me up! Specialized has put a ton of research and effort into designing women’s frames bikes, and it shows. Now it’s time for Jake and I to refuel and then meet up with our colleagues at the Garmin tent. I’ll be here for two more days of cycling action, so watch for more pics and stories to come.
Maybe it's because I spent last weekend driving through snow flurries. Or it might be that I knew I was dodging midwestern hailstorms. Or it could be that I was just giddy in anticipation of my first Sea Otter Classic. Whatever the reason, I was feeling adventurous and generous on a sunny day in California. So Peg and I went geocaching with our colleague Brandi and a Colorado 400t, and we left behind a few surprises: a limited-edition Garmin geocoin and another coin given to me by Brad the Engineer. Happy hunting, and be sure to send us a note if you find the cache and the stash. Also - if you can't view the video below, it can be found here.
It's Day 1 at Sea Otter Classic, and Peg, Jake and the team are off to a great start. The Garmin Jeep, decked out with hands-on devices on display, made the voyage from Kansas to California to be the centerpiece of our tent. Then there's the larger-than-life banner celebrating our sponsorship of Slipstream's elite cycling team. And the Edge 705s that we're selling are quickly filling up people's wish lists. With the number of people stopping by the booth, it's easy to forget that this is just the beginning, typically the slowest day of the Sea Otter spectacle. Think Lollapalooza meets state fair with a little Olympics thrown in - all on two wheels. Look for updates from Jake and Peg, and let us know if there's anything you want us to check out. And if you're coming to Sea Otter and planning to do some rides, stop by and have the guys from Garmin Connect/MotionBased download the courses for free.
Cyclists of every genre will convene this week at Sea Otter Classic in California, many of them with Edges strapped to their bars. And as the Edge 705 and Edge 605 make their way onto store shelves and bicycles around the world, positive reviews have been pouring in. The latest comes from bikeradar.com, which starts off by saying straight out, "The Garmin Edge 705 has been probably the most eagerly anticipated new widget of the last six months among bike-riding gadget fans."
Other highlights: "Key features for bike riders include the ability to plan, upload and follow a route; record a route and download it to a computer; and to set a destination and get directions as you ride."
"There's a lot to absorb to get beyond the basics of the Edge 705 ... but Garmin has done a great job of keeping things clear and easy to find." And finally, "The workout function lets you, for example, set a time and distance for a ride, or specific portions of it, and see how you are doing against your target, which should appeal to time trialists."
Anticipating the release of the Forerunner 405 at the Boston Marathon, an e-mailer asks "What's the difference between the Garmin Forerunner 305 and 405?" Aside from the specs on our "click-and-compare" table, the two biggest differences with the 405 are the innovative touch bezel and the wireless data transfer. The touch-sensitive bezel controls the bulk of the functions while making the 405 look more like an everyday watch. The wireless transfer is easy to use when sharing data unit-to-unit, and any new data automatically downloads when you're within range of your PC's ANT receiver.
Available in a multi-sport bundle that maximizes its potential for duathletes and triathletes, the Forerunner 305's power, versatility and reliability have made it a must-have training tool. So it's hard to go wrong. Runner's World UK discusses some of the differences in their thorough 405 review, and Robin Adams, a New York sports anchor and fitness nut, just blogged about using a Forerunner in marathon training and said "Garmin is the way to go!"
As the days get longer and warmer, outdoor enthusiasts are hitting the trails and planning summer adventures. And whether you're hiking, climbing, running, cycling, boating or geocaching, there's a Garmin device perfect for your excursion. The recently released Colorado series has been dominating the discussion lately, but don't forget about the GPSMAP family. Before the Colorado 400t came on the scene, the GPSMAP 60CSx set the standard for excellence in outdoor handhelds.
"As soon as you hold the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx you are aware of the fact that it is a high quality product," writes Dennis Hissink in his review for PMA, an international group of photography experts. "The waterproof and shockproof housing not only feels solid but also has a perfect hand-fit." And if anyone can offer credible praise for the display on the 60CSx, it would be these well-trained eyes: "The large 1.5 inch x 2.2 inch TFT monitor stands out and is a 256 colour high resolution reflective colour monitor."
Next week, Jake and I will be at the Sea Otter Classic cycling extravaganza in beautiful Monterey, California. This show packs 10,000 athletes and 50,000 fans onto the Laguna Seca Raceway venue for four days of nonstop 2-wheeled action. If you’re among the throng of cyclists and fans, stop by the Garmin booth to say hi and check out the new Edge 605 and 705. The 705 is the first bike computer to give cyclists GPS positioning, maps, altitude and wireless speed, cadence, heart rate and optional power—all on one display. We’ll also let you get your hands on the new Forerunner 405 with the sleek touch bezel that lets you select features with just a tap or a scroll. As we’re wrapping up in Monterey, another team from Garmin will be hitting the streets of Beantown for the 405’s debut at the Boston Marathon. Tune in next week for more from Monterey.
I grew up surrounded by teachers - both parents, my sister, aunts, uncles, friends' parents, even my grandma, who turns 90 on Saturday. I grew up not knowing that anyone worked during the summer. (I'm still not a big fan of the idea.) So I'm excited to get the chance to spread the word about the many features and functions of the highly anticipated Forerunner 405. The first tutorial video, shown below, will get you started on your first run. More quick clips will follow and focus on key features of the Forerunner 405, which will make its debut at the Boston Marathon. We'll also be covering other Garmin products, so send us an e-mail and tell us which lessons you'd like to see come to life.
Ask Garmin: Who’s right? Forerunner or the race course?
A Forerunner customer who recently ran the Shamrock Shuffle 8k in Chicago asked us why the distance shown on her Forerunner varied from the official race distance of 5 miles … or 4.9709695379 if you want to be ultra precise. If the distance shown on your Forerunner is slightly more than the official race distance, it just means you weren’t cutting corners—quite literally. According to the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) course measurement guidelines (pg. 20), a road race course is defined by the shortest possible route a runner could take without being disqualified. For most races, a certified measurer rides the course on a bike, staying near the curb and taking every available tangent. This ensures that all runners will run at least the declared race distance. After the race, if Forerunner shows that you ran a little farther, this just accounts for extra steps you took to run around others participants, hit a water stop or stay to the middle or outside lane.
Midsole that is. Don’t wait for signs of tread wear before you spring for a new pair of running shoes. Replace your shoes every 350 – 550 miles, depending on your body weight and running surface. Take it from someone who’s been sidelined by stress fractures — you could spend far more on X-rays, orthotics and Ibuprofen than you would for a couple years’ worth of shoes if you don’t take care of your feet. Follow the jump to find out how Forerunner lets you skip the math by logging the miles for you.
Random things I learned on Mount Washington in New Hampshire: With its GPS-enabled two-way radio, the Garmin Rino 530HCx is a must-have at ski resorts. The grooves on a Nordic trail are the perfect training wheels for a cross-country beginner. A seven-year-old mastered the functionality of the Colorado 400t in mere minutes. Teamwork is the best approach to snow-caching, and even a well-planned cache gets a 5 on the difficulty scale after 6 inches of fresh snow. More than a century ago, while working on "a railway to heaven," workers would descend Mount Washington - racing down more than 3 miles in less than 3 minutes - on a piece of wood dubbed the "Devil's Shingle." I guess they wanted to cover all of their options.
Mary Jo Tarallo, the Director of Education for SnowSports Industries America, attended every one of our GPS sessions and won an eTrex Vista HCx in our raffle. Mary Jo is a huge fan of geocaching and encourages kids to pursue outdoor activities. She was intrigued by the Colorado 400t and the potential of Wherigo in education and recreation, as exemplified by the winners of our Wherigo Builder Contest.
I've posted pictures below, and I'll be adding more to our Flickr account. And blogs such as nj.com are discussing the alpine demos and the snow-caching.
The big news of Team Slipstream’s invitation to the Tour de France came last week and Garmin couldn’t be more proud to sponsor the team, whose riders will train with our new Edge 705. Check out their Garmin featured rides, which you can upload to your Edge and ride the team's favorite routes for yourself. Pick up the May issue of Bicycling magazine and you’ll find plenty of Slipstream’s distinctive argyle. Second spread—Garmin’s ad featuring Christian Vande Velde, one of the team’s top climbers and 3rd rider overall at the Tour of California. Flip a few pages and there’s another two-page spread showcasing Team Slipstream’s podium celebration after claiming first in the overall team classification at Tour of California. Later in the issue is another Slipstream ad by their bike sponsor, Felt. Their beautiful bikes feature a custom argyle paint job—very classy. Along with our congrats to the team for earning a bid to the Tour, we also want to give kudos to Tyler Phinney who rides for Slipstream's Under 23 team as well as their track team. Tyler, a 17-year-old high school senior, just secured a spot to compete in the Olympics this summer in Beijing. Tyler has some great training and genes to back up his early cycling successes. His father, Davis Phinney, was the 1984 Olympic bronze medalist while his mother, Connie Carpenter-Phinney, took gold in the 1984 Olympics road cycling competition. <
The 21-stage Giro d’Italia kicked off Saturday and Garmin-sponsored Team Slipstream/Chipotle is making a fine showing in their first Grand tour. Slipstream won the time trial on Saturday and Christian Vande Velde, featured in Garmin’s latest Edge 705 ad, was presented the pink leader’s jersey. This first race stage was sponsored by Garmin’s U.K. office and we were proud to back the team on the podium. Stage 2 was a tough one with a brutal uphill finish. Christian, one of the team’s top climbers, gave it his all, finishing 10” behind Franco Pellizotti, who took over the pink jersey. David Zabriskie got tangled in a crash, resulting in a compression fracture to a vertebra, but he has suffered no neurological damage. Stages 3 and 4 were also marred with crashes, and the peloton is looking tired, yet Christian has managed to maintain his second place overall standing. Our thoughts are with David Z. as he returns home for recovery and we wish the rest of team safety and great racing in the upcoming stages. Check out Slipstream’s latest Garmin featured ride, in Girona, Spain.
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Midsole that is. Don’t wait for signs of tread wear before you spring for a new pair of running shoes. Replace your shoes every 350 – 550 miles, depending on your body weight and running surface. Take it from someone who’s been sidelined by stress fractures — you could spend far more on X-rays, orthotics and Ibuprofen than you would for a couple years’ worth of shoes if you don’t take care of your feet. Follow the jump to find out how 
