adidas Launches Virtual Running Partner With Real-Time Audible Coaching

The miCoach interactive training system guides you to speed up or slow down by tracking heart rate, pace, distance and stride rate

TORONTO , Jan. 7 /CNW/ - adidas, a global leader in running, is kicking off its worldwide New Year's Resolution to help you become a better runner with the launch of the miCoach Pacer and Zone.

miCoach is an interactive training service developed to motivate, inspire and enable runners to become better and reach their training goals, whatever they may be. The miCoach offering features two separate products:

    
    -   The miCoach Pacer - a small, lightweight device that delivers real-
        time audible coaching as you exercise via headphones or combined with
        your own MP3 player. During your run, the miCoach Pacer verbally
        coaches you (i.e. speed up to green zone, slow down to blue zone,
        etc.) to ensure that you are staying within your targeted heart rate
        zone and keep you running at the right personal level.
    -   The miCoach Zone - an easy to read colour-code LED display on a
        wristband device provides accurate, real-time coaching making it easy
        for you to train at the right intensity with the help of a heart rate
        monitor.
    

The new miCoach interactive training platform completes the adidas sports performance promise of engaging and enabling all athletes to achieve their Impossible. Not only do we provide you with the most innovative footwear and apparel to perform in, we now offer personal coaching services so that you can get fitter, run faster and simply be better in 2010.

"miCoach makes it easy for anyone at any level to get personal coaching. The instant progress reports help you get the most out of your run and achieve your personal goal," says Bernd Wahler, Chief Marketing Officer of adidas Sport Performance. "The audible coaching feature of the miCoach Pacer provides a new dimension to any workout experience allowing users of any level to discover their true potential. This product is really about offering our consumers a personal way to train."

The adidas Innovation Team (aIT) began research and development for the current miCoach platform and devices more than two years ago with the objective of creating the most advanced and personal training product in the marketplace. adidas also worked with some of the world's finest athletic trainers in developing the miCoach training methodology, including Mark Verstegen, the founder and director of the Athletes' Performance Institute (API), an elite training and sport research centre based at Arizona State University .

"This is all about reaching your next level, whether you want to improve your personal best time, lose weight or want to train for your first marathon," said Christian DiBenedetto, aIT development team leader. "miCoach acts as your own personal coach who is there with you on every run. It practically does all the thinking for you and knows exactly what you want to accomplish and exactly how to help you get there."

At micoach.com you can create personalised training plans, set goals and proactively monitor and manage your progress over time. The miCoach platform includes six documented training plans, ranging from those who want to run faster and improve a personal time, to those who want to lose weight. You can also create your own personalised training plan on micoach.com to make you a better runner.

On micoach.com, you receive a training program that's tailored to your heart rate zones and will help you achieve your fitness goals more efficiently than traditional exercise regimens. miCoach listens to your heart to determine your personal training zone ranges, each represented by a distinct colour for easy-to-understand and effective training - blue, green, yellow and red. miCoach helps runners set goals and then reach them by monitoring their heart rate and telling them when to slow down or speed up to meet their personal goal.

"adidas miCoach is the ideal system for both experienced runners and those just starting out," said Jason Stanton , Partner, Running Room Canada . "It's easy to set-up, it's user-friendly and it's highly intuitive. The advanced training assessment program was able to accurately evaluate my abilities and fitness level and, within 30 seconds, had developed a personalized running program that will empower me to reach my next goal: a half marathon in the first week of February. The best part? miCoach was able to design a great and realistic program to prepare me for the race in a reduced timeframe of just five weeks."

The miCoach Pacer will be available exclusively at both Running Room stores across Canada and the adidas Sport Performance Store in Toronto , while the miCoach Zone will be exclusive to the Toronto adidas Sport Performance store only. Both units will launch at retail on March 1st 2010.

Recommended Retail Price for the complete miCoach Pacer system is $170.00 CDN while the miCoach Zone is available at a RRP of $90.00 CDN

Editor's Notes:

adidas miCoach Pacer - Real-time, audible coaching tells you to speed up or slow down based on its interaction between the adidas Heart Rate Monitor and adidas Stride Sensor.

adidas miCoach Zone - Easy to read colour-code display provides accurate, real-time coaching on your wrist. Used in conjunction with the adidas Heart Rate Monitor.

adidas miCoach Heart Rate Monitor - provides accurate feedback about your workout performance. It relays your workout information to the miCoach Pacer or miCoach Zone which then ensures you're not pushing yourself too hard or little on your run.

adidas miCoach Stride Sensor - clips directly to shoe laces or inside adidas adiStar and Supernova shoe models featuring a cavity under the sockliner of the left shoe. The Stride Sensor provides detailed data about your unique stride rate, distance and pace and relays that information back to the miCoach Pacer device.

About adidas :

adidas is a global designer, developer and marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories with the mission to be the leading sports brand in the world. Brand adidas is part of the adidas Group, a corporation that includes brands such as Reebok, TaylorMade and Rockport.

For further information: and imagery downloads visit www.press.adidas.com or contact: Jackie Tumber, adidas Canada PR, (T) [phone] ext 2345, (E) [email protected]; Joscelyn Smith, NATIONAL Public Relations, (T) [phone], (E) [email protected]