miFirst Run with Adidas miCoach

I took the Adidas miCoach for a test run.  After receiving it last week, I immediately downloaded a training program from the miCoach website.  I chose the De-Stress program.  It was just a set of 10 easy runs within the blue zone.  The blue zone is the easiest of the four zones.  Based on the default setting, I should be running at a HR of 127-145.

miCoach is ready.  I had my Ipod Nano ready.  Now it is time to test this toy on the road.  Here’s how the first run went.

The picture below is the workout summary.  It gives the total time, calories burned, total distance, %HR Zone, Average Pace and Average Stride Rate.  The graph shows the progress across time.  It can also be shown with respect to distance.

Summary data provide by miCoach.  Click on the image for a larger view

A nice feature is the Coach Feedback shown below.  It tells me to run in the right zone.  As you can see.  I was in the blue zone for 20% of the time only.  I was not following my own training plan.  No wonder I am prone to injury.

Here’s a point by point experience with Adidas miCoach.  Just follow the numbers above.  My route is just the 800m loop near my office in Alabang.

1. I selected the De-Stress Workout 1 in the Adidas miCoach.  The audio instruction acts as the coach and tells me to “Speed up to Blue Zone”.
2. When I was in the blue zone, miCoach tells me to “Maintain Blue Zone.”
3. I did not follow that, but I was curious what will happen if I still speed up.  In a few minutes, miCoach tells me to “Slow Down to Blue Zone”.  Smart guy.
4. I did slow down to a point that I was below my heart rate zone.  miCoach tells me to speed up again.  When I exceeded, it tell me to slow down.
5. I thought I was in the zone already.  I was not.  I forgot that miCoach has to say “Maintain Blue Zone” before I keep on my pace.
6. I did a little experiment again.  What if, I keep on running at a faster pace?  Will miCoach shout this time?  Will he keep on telling me every 10 secs to slow down.  Or will he give up and just stop giving me audio instructions.  It did not shout and instructions did not come every 10 seconds.  It just maintained the same tone of voice and told me to slow down just 3 times I think.
7. I started walking here so that my HR will go down faster.
8. miCoach tells me that the workout is complete.  Even if it was just 5K, it sounds nice to hear someone congratulating you for after the run.

First run was good.  With miCoach giving an audio feedback, it was like having someone beside you during the run.  I’ll have a few more runs with miCoach and I’ll be back with the product review next week.

Watch out for Adidas miCoach to hit the stores.  Soonest is end of February.  It costs 139.99USD in the US.  It would probably cost close to 7,000Php in the Philippines.

Here’s a video showing a demo of how it sounds like while you are running with Adidas miCoach.