Smartly shape up with the adidas miCoach

If you’re already filled with dread at the prospect of a daunting New Year fitness plan, then a good GPS running watch could aid your attempts to get back into shape.

There are a range of training aids on the market, all vying to grab the consumer’s attention with the latest technology.

One such device is the adidas miCoach SMART RUN, which bills itself as ‘an interactive training service for anyone who wants to train for his or her favourite sport, general fitness or just for fun.’ That’s certainly an all-encompassing promise, and generally it doesn’t disappoint.

Aesthetically pleasing, the SMART RUN rates high on the glossy, eye-catching chart and has clearly been designed for the modern-day consumer - big on technology, and specifically, - swiping and syncing.

The swipe element is a big draw for the miCoach as it allows runners to glide through menus and statistics with the minimum of fuss when jogging along.

A further appealing feature is a colourful LCD screen which is clear to read and changes colour as you run, a definite advantage as the gloomy winter weather continues to take hold.

But this is not purely a showy function - there has been a degree of thought behind adidas’s colour scheme.

If the display shows up blue, it means you’re going ‘slow and easy’, while if it reads green, you’re plodding along at a more comfortable, medium pace. Subsequently, yellow equals ‘fast’ and red means ‘push your limits’. All are sleek touches designed to help runners achieve their aims.

The clarity of the screen is a big plus point, as, at pace, it is of great benefit to be able to glance and quickly digest lap times and distance on the go.

Retailing at £295, the package perhaps surprisingly does not come with a Bluetooth headset included - a decision which, according to adidas, is based on personal preference to allow customers to pair the watch with the device of their choice. Therefore, the SMART RUN does require some syncing and runners who are keen on keeping a good record of their progress must set up a PC miCoach account prior to their first outing. After finishing a run, the watch automatically updates onto this account via Wi-Fi.