Both systems offer Web sites with exercise information, advice and systems to track workouts as well as other interactive features, such as ways to share music lists or let friends see your workout progress.

The miCoach system may have an advantage in languages, with 11 for narration on the Pacer, including American English, Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Russian, as well as 14 languages on the miCoach Web site. It was unclear how many languages the Nike+iPod system supported, and Nike did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.

There are certainly other systems to use for anyone who wants to keep track of their workouts. One system is an iPhone app called that works by using the GPS on the iPhone 3G or 3GS to track distance, time, speed, pace, calories burned, elevation, and path traveled. There's a free version of the app and a pro version you can pay for, as well as record keeping on the Runkeeper Web site.

GPS device maker Garmin also offers an exercise device to keep track of workouts, with-built in GPS, heart rate monitors and other capabilities.

The miCoach Pacer system, incidentally, can be used with the Garmin watches, according to an Adidas representative. Executives at the Adidas news conference also said future devices will include more athletic clothing with functions sewn into the fabric for heart monitoring and other functions.