As Jake and I both near the “heavy load” weeks of marathon training, we occasionally trade stories of training trials and tribulations. Once in awhile there’s a triumph, but sometimes the good stories are as simple as “I made it 12 miles before my knee totally locked up” or “I logged a 50-mile week and only had to ice my foot twice a day!” While I can’t figure out how to make our fitness devices solve some of our woes, I at least use the comments section in Garmin Connect to note how I’m feeling during or after a particular workout. And since history bears repeating, going back and reviewing such notes helps me avoid some pitfalls like overtraining injuries.

My nemesis of late has been the weather. Late last summer, when I was training for a fall marathon and doing 4 a.m. “beat the heat” runs, I had a realization that sent chills up my spine: if I do qualify for Boston, training is going to be … let’s just say somewhere between mind-numbing and insane. And that was before I knew we were in for one of the snowiest, coldest, stinkiest winters on record. I will say such challenges have made me resourceful and maybe even a little more efficient. When my midweek run calls for 12 miles on a Tuesday, I shift into high-gear once I leave work. By the time I’ve picked up kids, delivered them home and changed clothes, I’m way past “warm up” stage and I’m motivated to get out the door and on with the workout.

Earlier this week, Jake told me he needed to log 18 miles on the treadmill. I thought to myself “I’d rather lick the mud from my trail shoes than do 18 on the treadmill.” But I didn’t tell Jake, because I thought he might hold me to one or the other. I didn’t doubt Jake had the fortitude to pull this off — he’s been known to hammer out 21 miles on that lonely race to nowhere. And this time he had a MacGyver-esque solution plan that called for 1 laptop, a couple of speakers, a trashcan and an inspiring movie. His get-up even provided entertainment for folks working out nearby in our TV-free fitness room. Got a boredom-buster or other fix that’s helped you survive setbacks or other insanities of training? We want to hear your comments.  

The same folks who crowned Garmin’s Oregon touchscreen handheld as the “All-Around Champ” in last year’s comprehensive GPS testing have more kudos for Oregon’s smaller sibling.

In Backpacker’s annual Gear Guide and Editor’s Choice Awards, Dakota 20 is listed among the best of the best in their A-Z outdoor essentials, as determined by their expert gear editors and everyman reader testers. Here’s what they had to say:

“When our Colorado tester lost his trail in deep snow, he tapped the color touchscreen and had instant (and dead-on) compass, altitude, and UTM vitals to cross-reference with his paper map. But the truly remarkable thing? This budget-minded, palm-size GPS is $100 cheaper than similar models. You can record routes and drop-and-drag GPS files onto the unit from your PC or Mac.”

To help get even more out of your Dakota, visit the interactive minisite, be sure to watch our tutorial videos and check out Garmin Connect’s online community of 20 million activities, Garmin Custom Maps’ free ability to transform paper maps into files on your device, and BirdsEye Satellite Imagery for your handheld.

The answer is a resounding YES — Garmin Connect loves Mac and PC users equally. This is true whether your device supports wireless uploads (such as Forerunner 310XT, Forerunner 405 or FR60) or uses a USB connection (Edge series, outdoor handhelds and Forerunner 205/305 models). For wireless devices, you’ll need the Mac version of Garmin ANT Agent. For USB devices, download the Mac version of Garmin Communicator Plug-in. Happy data logging to all of our Mac users out there!

It’s day one of the Miami International Boat Show, and the Garmin booth is packed! Captains, fishermen and pleasure boaters alike are all wowed by the GPSMAP 700 series, and can’t believe their ears when they hear the price. These 7-inch units are Garmin’s first touchscreen controlled standalone plotters, and nicely fill the gap between our other 5-inch and 8-inch displays. Priced affordably ($1399-$1699), these non-network devices are loaded with high-end features like radar capability, built-in sonar and NMEA 2000 connectivity that any boater on any budget can appreciate!

The new ultra-fast GPSMAP 6000/7000 series are also catching the attention of show goers. With Garmin  G Motion technology, these large-format MFDs represent a breakthrough in speed, smoothness and clarity, delivering virtually seamless graphical updating in all dimensions – something mariners are dying to see for themselves in person. If you can’t join us in Miami, make sure you check out the minisite for more details on these incredible machines.

We’re also showing off Garmin’s wide range of communication products, including the new Garmin AIS 300 receiver at the booth, as well as our first transponder, the AIS 600. If you’re at the show, stop by the Garmin booth (#1689) for the full tour!

In last week’s post, we told you about the importance of keeping your device software and upload applications up-to-date. Now that you’ve updated your device software and the ANT Agent (PC/MAC) and/or the Garmin Communicator Plugin (PC/MAC), let’s cover everything you need to know about Uploads. There are probably a few things we’ll point out here that will make things a little easier for you with future uploads.

Whether you have a USB device (e.g. Edge 705, Forerunner 305) or an ANT wireless enabled device (e.g. Forerunner 405, FR60) you’ll find the Upload page quite handy. When you first click on the Upload link and land on the Upload page you will notice that it does tend to cater more to the USB devices. While it is easy for USB device owners to simply plug in their device and click Upload new activities, there are other options for both USB device uploads and ANT Agent uploads in case you’re working with more than one device, or if something goes wrong with an upload.

If you are one of those fitness fanatics who likes to have more than one device while you’re out playing, you can easily switch between devices by clicking the Change link at the upper right hand corner of the Detected device box. This is also a handy tool for those of you who work with a USB device and an ANT-enabled device. One way you can upload from an ANT-enabled device is to choose the device from the Change list, then click Upload new activities. Any new activities will be uploaded as usual.

Another way to switch between devices or upload from an ANT-enabled device while using the Upload feature is to select Upload from a list. This is a great way to use the Garmin Communicator Plugin if the ANT Agent hasn’t uploaded your activities for whatever reason. Simply select your device from the list, then press Upload activities to retrieve your workouts. As with the Change list, this is also a great way to select uploads from multiple devices.

Finally, you can click Manual Upload to upload a file saved on your computer. This allows users with GPX devices to upload files from devices such as the eTrex. This is also one more way to upload for those of you with ANT-enabled devices. Simply follow the appropriate path to locate an activity file, select the file, then Upload. If you’re not sure where to find a file for wireless devices, here are the path options:

PC users – C:Documents and SettingsOwner or Current UserApplication DataGARMINDevices, click the numbered folder, then click History folder.
Vista users – C:usersusernameApplication DataLocal LowRoamingGARMINDevices, click the numbered folder, then click History folder.
MAC users – ~LibraryApplication SupportGarminDevices<device number>History. Files will be available for 30 days.

Sometimes updates to devices and improvements to the site may slip past even
the most diligent of Garmin Connect users. Today we want to highlight the
importance of keeping your ANT Agent and/or Garmin Communicator Plugin software
updated with the latest and greatest, as well as encourage you to keep your
device up-to-date with the latest firmware.

With each release of upload software there are important updates that may
correct bugs or add features that you will find useful and beneficial. As a
rule, updating your device firmware as well as the upload software will make for
smoother, faster uploads. Aside from general fixes and adding new features like
transferring your user profile to your device and adding the ability to send
Courses to your device, below are some of the most important updates and
solutions made to the ANT Agent and the GC Plugin:

ANT Agent

• Resolved communication problems during uploads when the device has old
  firmware installed.

• Improved communication of general upload errors.

• Improvements updating device firmware.

• Added ability to automatically find and download software updates.

• Added improved user interface for fitness activity transfers to Garmin
  Connect.

• Added multiple languages.

Garmin Connect Plugin

• Open JavaScript API, and available for use with other sites.

• Correctly report an error when a file download fails because of a lack of
  space on the device.

• Added a property to allow web sites to retrieve fitness data in compressed
  format. (That means uploads are faster!)

Need another reason to keep your device firmware, ANT Agent, or Garmin
Communicator Plugin up to date? By maintaining the latest software on your
device and your computer, you actually help yourself along with the entire
Garmin Connect community by ensuring faster uploads that don’t tax the rest of
the system. When you run the latest software you can be assured that the system
is running as it is meant to run for the latest release.

Updated ANT Agent:

ANT Agent Updates and Downloads – PC

ANT Agent Updates and Downloads – MAC

Updated Garmin Communicator Plugin:

Garmin Communicator Plugin – PC

Garmin Communicator Plugin – MAC

Device firmware updates can be found at Garmin.com under Product Parent (IE Into Sports, On the Trail) -> Group -> Device -> Software