Adidas MiCoach Pacer Bundle

I''ve had my miCoach for 2 days (and two runs), and here''s my impression so far:

Accuracy

I have not yet calibrated my miCoach, so these are the "out of the box" values. I ran on a treadmill and the miCoach was true to the treamill''s distance calculation within two hundredths of a mile. I''m not sure which I''m inclined to believe, but in truth two hundredths of a mile is fine for my running. I plan on calibrating it at a track sometime soon.

For some reason gym equipment never registers my heart rate, so I don''t have a good way of comparing the miCoach heart rate monitor to anything else. But checking my pulse the old school way (two fingers on my neck) after my run came out to about what the miCoach said.

Sync / Online Interface

The syncing process is pretty smooth, you plug the pacer into your computer and the miCoach application sends your data to their servers. The graphs are nice looking. I like showing my pace alongside the heart rate data, it''s interesting to see how small changes in the speed of my running affect my heart rate. Running at 5.5 mph is fine, but pushing it up to 6 mph over a few minutes sends my heart into the red.

There''s not much in the way of social interaction, but since no one else I know has one of these that''s not a big drawback for me.

Coaching / Music

If you like, the pacer will coach you through various predefined workouts or your own custom plans based on either running speed or heart rate. I still prefer my workout-specific running mixes to the random British dude talking over a generic playlist, but it''s a well implemented feature.

The miCoach daisy chains itself between your MP3 player and headphones. It uses a standard 3.5mm jack so it will work with pretty much any audio source. My gym has TVs and headphone jacks on each treadmill (yes, I go to a fancy gym) and it has been pretty exciting to listen to the audio from the TV instead of just reading the closed captions, while still getting audio cues from the pacer for when to slow down and speed up.

Value

The miCoach is not cheap. I got mine from RoadRunner Sports for $125 shipped. As a running tracker, it''s probably only worth it if you''re serious about running. Otherwise the $30 Nike+ is much more affordable (assuming you have a compatible iPod; I didn''t).

However, comparing the miCoach to the Nike+ is a bit unfair. Nike+ is a pedometer, whereas miCoach is a heart rate monitor with online tracking and a pedometer. This is significant because the miCoach is useful for pretty much any type of exercise, not just running. Since it measures your heart rate and not just your footfalls it''s still useful for rowing, cycling, etc. You won''t get the same type of distance/pace data, obviously.

Bought this product on the advice of a glowing third-party review. The coaching is very helpful, the syncing is easy to do. Micoach website has been recently updated and sharing is available right now with more updates supposedly on the way. It''s fast and easy to set up for a run, it records day/time of runs, distance, heart rate, pace, strides, and has lots of different workout options available to upload. You can make your own if you don''t like any of them too. Great product, battery life is never an issue because I always find myself wanting to look at my workout data. Excellent product. Despite the higher price, I would buy it again.

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After only 3 uses, the Workout Selection button on this device broke. When I hit the button it no longer responds. Interestingly, a number of other people in the forum report the same problem, so apparently there is a manufacturing problem here. Without the ability to select workouts, this device is rendered essentially useless.

I am ordering a new one in hopes that this won''t be a recurring problem, or that perhaps there was just a bad ''batch'' and I won''t have the same quality issues the second time around. I am skeptical though, given that others have had the same experience.

If it weren''t for this, I would absolutely love the product. The 3 coaching workouts I did fit in before the product broke were great and the online management/tracking capabilities are phenomenal and very motivating. It is a shame that shoddy craftsmanship of a tiny button might be a downfall. I suppose this is the risk of early adoption. Hopefully Adidas will address this issue and improve the quality of the device itself because this is a very innovative, helpful device for runners if the kinks can be resolved.

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A micoach is a must have item, and there are plenty of reviews that state why. The only complaint I have, and it is pretty serious as far as I''m concerned, is that I am CONVINCED that this product was not field tested for durability. If you drop this item, it''s history, unless you''re handy with superglue. The points at which all corners of the pacer are screwed in, shatter very easily under shock, meaning that it instantly split when you drop it. I dearly love this thing, and I opted to not send it back because I was in the middle of progressing through a workout routine. As I''ve stated previously, I ended up having to superglue the cover peices together in order to salvage it. If Adidas had spent the extra money to field test it, so that this doesn''t happen, then this would have been one of the greatest workout products ever created thus far. I still recommend getting it, but handle with care.

PS. This happened within less than a month of usage....pity

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I have bad knees, so I can''t run outdoors. I run on a treadmill, but find them quite boring. This thing has accomplished two things for me. 1) It has given me a meaningful training program tailored to my body, my goals, and my current level of fitness. 2) it has made my workouts more fun. Time goes by so quick, because you are focusing on the coaching feedback and aiming for your goals, that your workout is over before you know.

I use this product several times a week, and I find it easy to use, comfortable during workouts, and the feedback and workout statistic tracking available via the web are awesome. It''s a great tool to keep you on track. I highly recommend it.

Oh, and I use it with a Macbook pro and have had no problems synchronizing.

EDIT:

It''s been 4 months since I started using my pacer. In that time, I''ve lost 45 lbs doing the soccer interval programs (and appropriate dietary changes) and my game-fitness is the best its been in over a decade. Not a single issue with this product, and I love going back and analyzing my workouts and tracking my training and achievements. This product is an awesome tool for people looking for something to help get and keep themselves in shape.

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