Adidas miCoach

The key to a successful training campaign, as has been preached by running gurus near and far, is to train smarter. adidas has created a training platform called miCoach which can help you do just that. Launched in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, miCoach aims to not only help people “begin to run” but also to help more advanced runners take their performances to the next level. miCoach simplifies the concept of heart rate-based training in order to help runners of all abilities train as if they had a personal coach.

As any running coach will attest to, there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” approach to training. Each person has individual needs, which miCoach takes into account while also simplifying heart rate training – a concept that can be difficult to understand for even the most experienced runners.

miCoach breaks down heart rate training into four specific color-coded zones: Blue (“energy zone” - easy effort); Green (“endurance zone” - medium effort); Yellow (“strength zone” - hard effort); and Red (“power zone” - maximum effort). These zones are then integrated into the miCoach devices and Web site, which serve to facilitate the individualized training programs.

The introductory miCoach device is called the Zone (Retail: $69.99), which is a heart rate monitor strap and wrist-mounted unit. The chest strap sends data to the wrist unit, which contains four differently colored LED lights that correspond to the aforementioned training zones. The user can glance at the Zone unit during a workout and determine if they are exercising at the correct intensity.

The second device, and the more robust of the two, is called the Pacer ($139.99). The Pacer consists of a heart rate monitor chest strap, the Pacer unit that can be clipped onto an armband or waist, as well as a stride sensor, which can be worn in the footbed of miCoach-compatible adidas shoes, as well as on top of the shoe for interchangeability with other footwear. The Pacer can be worn in tandem with an MP3 player, or the user can wear the unit by itself. There are currently more than 3,000 workouts available through the miCoach Web site, all of which are based on heart rate feedback that is provided in real-time by audible cues (via headphones) that tell the user to slow down or speed up based on the training zone they should be in during that specific point in the training session.

The miCoach Web site is really the cornerstone of this product. Users can select from one of six families of training plans ranging from “learn to run,” which is designed to help someone begin a running program, up to “finish faster,” which was created to help a more advanced runner set a personal best at a certain distance. Each user is asked to set up a free account on the site that will reqeust that they enter their personal physical data (height, weight, etc.) and lets them choose the training program that is right for their running ability.

Within a specific program there are levels that one can choose based on current fitness levels. For example, if someone wanted to begin to run, they might be asked if they can jog for five minutes without rest. For someone looking to “finish faster” for a half marathon, they might be asked whether they have previously completed the distance in less than two hours, while the next level may be suited to those who have finished in under 1 hour, 45 minutes. This criteria is structured to ascertain information necessary to evaluate the user’s current level of fitness as they begin their miCoach training program.

The Web site also allows for customization of each user’s routine and commitment level. Users can select the day of the week they want their training week to begin, which day to do their long run (if training for a longer distance event) and the number of days they can run during the week. Each user is asked to complete an “assessment run” before engaging in the training program, which helps establish heart rate threshold information and other data needed to accurately calibrate the heart rate component of miCoach. There is an algorithm that miCoach uses to set specific heart rate zones without completing the assessment run, but it is recommended that each user complete this task prior to engaging in a training program.

Once a workout is complete, the user is asked to sync the Pacer to their computer (Mac and PC compatible), which then uploads the data from their most current workout to their online miCoach profile. The profile displays the details of each workout including distance covered, calories burned, strides per minute and the percentage of the workout the user spent in the correct heart rate zone as instructed during the course of the workout.

Every runner, whether novice or advanced, can benefit from the instruction provided by a coach. But knowing how to train smart and accessibility to a personal coach is not something every runner possesses. adidas has introduced miCoach in attempt to break down these barriers and to provide real-time coaching backed up with the scientific data of heart rate-based training. Future updates will add more functionality to the platform, including GPS integration and pace-based training programs.

miCoach is available for purchase online at shopadidas.com, as well as through adidas’ Sport Performance Stores and retailers across the U.S. www.miCoach.com