Tips On Loading Waypoints Into A Garmin Forerunner

Tips On Loading Waypoints Into Your Fore Runner

I previously wrote a couple of guides on loading coordinates into your Garmin Forerunner.  You can find the Windows version here and the Apple version here.  If you like to go out trail running or need to plot a run in a new city, putting Waypoints back into your Garmin Forerunner can be a good way to find your way when you're out in the weeds or off in a strange neighborhood.  If I'm out running in a random city I don't know too well, like Manila, I load coordinates to let me know where bridges and rivers are - this kind of thing.  Of course trail running has its own set of requirements, so I end up loading a lot of little markers for turns and log bridges and the like.  The tips below don't require a genius to figure out, but they might save you a little time :)

• When you're setting up your waypoints in Google Earth, name them with 8 letters or less.
• You might as well write them in ALL CAPS since that's how they'll end up on your Forerunner.
• Everyone has their own way of finding their direction, but I find that a helpful way to label coordinates is spatially (since you only have 8 letters).  So if I know the trail run ahead of time, I load a lot of "LEFT 1" and the like.  When you're out on the trail there aren't always markers and there definitely aren't street signs, so this turns out to be a good way to figure out where you're headed!
• Don't name more than 100 Waypoints as your Forerunner won't hold more than 100.
• You can save multiple Waypoints by creating a folder in Google Earth, saving the folder as a KML file and uploading it.
• If you save two waypoints named the same thing, the Forerunner will truncate or change one of them and save it as a different name.

So, like I said, not the most genius set of tips, but if you're new to all of this they may save you a little trouble!