Chicago 2007 was my first marathon, and my first with a Forerunner so that, at a glance, I would know exactly how I was doing throughout the race. Tomorrow will be my first with a GTU tracking unit so that, at a glance, my friends and family will know exactly how I’m doing throughout the race. And while I haven’t trained as much as I’d planned heading into New York next month, it’s not that I’m wearing GTU out of fear that something bad will happen (though that’s a logical use as well). Rather, I want people who can’t attend the marathon to be able to enjoy the experience along with me simply by glancing down at their smartphone or laptop. So I’m drawing geofences – virtual boundaries – around key milestones and mile markers so that as I pass through, text and email alerts will be sent to my friends who requested them. For real-time updates, they can log into my my.Garmin account and check the location at any time. It’s not quite the same as hearing them cheer me on along the streets, but I know they’ll be supporting me from afar – even if it is just a glorified training run as a final preparation for New York.

And that’s the beauty – and versatility – of GTU 10. You can use it to track your young children before and after school. You can use it to track your pets in case they hop the fence and leave the yard. You can use it to track your teen driver for a little more peace of mind. You can even use it to track your boat, bike or sportscar to make sure they’re not on the move when they’re not supposed to be. So with all of those uses – and ones that we haven’t even thought of – we’re wondering: How do you GTU? Obviously it has to be legal, so you have to have ownership, guardianship or the consent of whatever or whomever you’re tracking. With that in mind, head over to Facebook or Twitter and tell us how GTU would make your life easier, safer and more secure.