Getting motivated with MiCoach

If the thought of having your own personal trainer to coach you while you exercise gets you motivated, then the adidas MiCoach could be just the thing…

I’ll admit, when I go for a run, especially if I’m outside, it’s very easy to slow to a steady plod and not push myself. I do my 20-minute run, and think, well that was ok, but at the same time not really have any idea how far I’ve run or how many calories I’ve burned.

Luckily, the adidas MiCoach Pacer is an interactive training solution that measures your performance and coaches you to be better. You set up a profile online and decide what you want to train for, for example a 5k, 10k or marathon run, to lose weight, or build fitness for a particular sport such as football or tennis. The MiCoach plan will then put together a schedule of workouts that you can follow to reach your goal.

The MiCoach Pacer is made up of three main components – a heart rate monitor which you strap round your chest to record your heart beat, a stride sensor which you attach to one of your trainers, and the Pacer, a lightweight device that records all the data that the two other monitors gather. You also have an earpiece. This is so you can hear updates on how your workout is going (distance, calories etc), as well as when you need to speed up or slow down within your workout. It was quite strange to hear a voice telling you to speed up or slow down, but it did make me do it!

After each workout, you use a USB cable to load up the data from about your workout from the Pacer so you can track your progress. It shows you how your heart rate changes when you’re working out on a graph, which is absolutely fascinating, plus distance, calories, and the time it’s taken you to do it. You can also download an application to your iPhone to turn your phone into your own personal coach!

So far I’ve done three workouts using the MiCoach Pacer and it’s been fantastic. I’ve set it to train me for a 10k run so I’ve got a real challenge ahead of me. It’s really helpful to hear how far you’ve run and how many calories you’ve burned. And because it’s monitoring your heart rate too, you can use it when you’re working out on machines at the gym and it will continue to monitor how many calories you’re burning. I can also plug in my own mp3 player so can listen to my own music, and the MiCoach will interrupt the music briefly when it puts out an update or alert.

If you’re looking for a gadget that will not only monitor the exercise you do, but also motivate you, then this is definitely the one for you…

- For more information visit www.micoach.com

- The adidas MiCoach Pacer retails for £120 and is available in adidas and Sweatshop stores, online at adidas.com and through specialist retailers Lifestyle, Greaves, JJB, DW Sports and ProDirect.

Words: Hannah Fox