A New Year with new goals.

This year I am starting off with a whimper not a bang.

Monday was my first ski outing has turned into my first recovery from a back spasm heading into the new year. I spent a lot of time picking myself up after falling on my first outing. It was hard work. I felt very uncoordinated. My abs were sore that evening and I knew that I was going to have to be careful to not have my back act up. Sure enough the back was a problem on Tuesday. I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Ridge B. at LSM chiropractic right away (thanks for the continued support).

I am still recovering and will be doing so over the next few days and weeks.

This injury has placed the focus on my need for added core strength and conditioning. I have had minor back problems with something coming about this time of the year each year. The pattern is for me to try something new after the season is over. Then I am sore. Then I have a back spasm. Years ago it was from kick boxing. Then it was from running. Now it is skiing. The underlying issue is my core strength. It isn't prominent when doing activities that I am conditioned to do, but when I do something new the problem exposes itself.

So, my first resolution (not usually a person who makes an annual resolution but rather someone that tries to live well all year round) will be to address my core fitness.

Happy New Years! Happy strong back?

APG sponsors Lake Mills Triathlon

The Lake Mills Triathlon is the first of 3 events in the Wisconsin Triathlon Series.

This year Amy's Playgroup (APG) of which I am a member is one of the sponsors of the event!

My contribution is to offer a single Coached Outdoor Group Sessions (COGS) ride at my cost. So, that is just $5!

Contact me at caseylamers@charter.net to secure a spot.

Coached Outdoor Group Sessions (COGS)

Make this spring and summer your best training season ever with:
Coached Outdoor Group Sessions.

Coaches Casey Lamers and Gordy Paulson are teaming up to bring a series of outdoor training rides. If you are a cyclist or a triathlete and you want to take your riding to the next level these rides are for you. Three rides per week will guide the novice and the experienced athlete alike. These rides are specifically designed to compliment one another by addressing different aspects of cycling, so you could attend them all without risk of overtraining or frequent repeated sessions.

Training will include aerobic endurance, VO2 Max, Anaerobic Capacity, Skill & Technique, and many things in between. If you are unfamiliar with these different types of training stress, don't worry. Gordy and I are both USA Cycling coaches with years of experience both racing and coaching to guide your training. We will help you to use Power, Heart Rate and Perceived Exertion to guide your efforts.

Unlike the normal group training ride, where a range of different abilities cannot train together, these rides will deliver an appropriate training stress based on your ability level. Individuals with different ability levels will each be asked to complete work at their level. If you are already a strong rider, you will be challenged to improve. If you are a beginner, you don't have to worry about hanging on at the back of the group or getting dropped. This is accomplished by doing repeats of work and recovery. During the work phase each individual goes at their own pace, and during the recovery we regroup, discuss the previous effort, and review for the next effort.

Rides will leave from Verona, WI at the intersection of the Military Ridge trail and Main St.
Wednesday and Friday evenings for about 1.5 hours and Sunday mornings for about 2 hours.
Road or time trial bikes are strongly encouraged.

Rides will begin in mid April and go through the end of September.

Rides will be treated as a non-competitive event through USA Cycling and will be insured. As such an annual or 1 day license will be required by all riders.
Annual licenses can be purchased for $60. Day licenses are $5. (If you are planning on doing more than 12 rides get the annual license!)

Vouchers will be sold for the rides ahead of time and then a ride sign up will be used to reserve your spot. A limit of 20 riders per coach will be maintained. Most rides will be led by a single coach. Casey will led an average of 2 rides per week and Gordy one ride per week. In the case of popularity both coaches may be available to handle more riders. There will be at least 60 rides between mid April and the end of Septmeber.

Cost of vouchers are as follows:

Single ride with day license: $25
Single ride for licensed rider: $20

10 rides with day licenses: $150
10 rides licensed rider: $100

Pay via PayPal (links on the left), cash or personal check.

Multiple 10 voucher passes can be purchased. Purchase of multiple vouchers will reserve your spot on more rides.

Unused vouchers will not be reimbursed, however vouchers will not be oversold.
Vouchers are non-transferrable.
Sign-up for the rides will require a voucher.

Contact Casey at: caseylamers@charter.net to purchase vouchers or if you have any questions.


Coach Casey Lamers
Casey Lamers is a USAC Road Cat 3 and a Level 2 (Expert Level) Road cycling coach. He is also a competitive runner and triathlete. Casey has finished 4th and 5th for the season in the Cat 3s in the Wisconsin Cycling Association series. He excels at sprints and medium length hard efforts but is more of an "all-arounder". He has also placed near the top of his age group (33 years old) and near the top overall in WiTri Series events and runs like the Berbee Derby. Casey has been a cycling instructor for 5 years, and a USAC coach for the last year. He is currently coaching both cyclist and triathletes in an indoor group series and through personal coaching. Casey is a father, husband and engineer and knows how to integrate effective training into an already tight schedule. He strives to make optimum use of the available training hours.

Coach Gordy Paulson
Gordy Paulson is a USAC Road Cat 1 and a Level 1 (Elite Level) Road cycling coach. He has claimed eight Master’s National Championships, and won 12 Wisconsin State Championships, numerous local victories and recently, 7 top ten finishes in international Masters competition. He excels in time trials and has set numerous course records in Wisconsin and Minnesota. In many cases these records have fallen, often to athletes he coaches. As father of three, he's learned to balance family and work with the demands required to successfully race bikes. As a ‘Fifty-Something’ racer he understands that focused, effective training can be the key ingredient that leads to success at the highest levels.

The Holiday Challenge

Thanksgiving and Christmas season is upon us. These next few weeks can be a source of a few extra pounds or a lot of stress if you are trying to count every last calorie. Let's try to compromise this year. Being fit and healthy needs to include your mental health too. Stressing out about gaining weight is just as bad as stressing out about losing weight.

So how do we meet in the middle?

I think the word is accountability. If you were to write down everything you ate in the day are there things you would not want to write down? If you would feel embarrassed about something, that is a good clue as to whether or not it is a good idea to be eating that item. Think about that when you are serving yourself at the holiday party. Do you need mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce? If the answer is yes to all, then how much do you really need? It is OK to eat any and all of those holiday foods we love. However, consume in moderation. How big is a portion? A portion of meat is about the size of a deck of cards. How many decks did you put on your plate? How many calories are in your drink? Soda and beer are around 150 calories per 12oz. serving. How many drinks are you having? All of this is especially important as the number of events start to add up. Holiday work parties, family parties, parties with your friends all add up. Don't make it so you are adding up big numbers. Make it so you are adding up moderate numbers.

So, eat drink and be merry, but do so in moderation realizing that you are accountable for your actions.

Preparing for Winter

First off, No we are not hibernating animals!

Here in Wisconsin we have a challenge ahead. With daytime highs in the 30s this week and certain to drop well below that in the months to come we have some indoor work ahead. So, are you getting back into things or just transitioning out of things?

For those of you who have been away from the bike for a while riding again begins with an initial preparation period. Muscles, ligaments, and tendons loose there ability to do maximal work in just a few weeks. Furthermore, they take a few weeks to get back up to speed. You should start with a few weeks of lower intensity, endurance paced pedaling. Some low intensity pedal speed drills are also appropriate. This period of anatomical adaptation is important. It should precede the higher force work in order to avoid injury. Most of us are capable of doing more, but we shouldn't.

For others, we have been on the bike right up until now. It was in the 70s just last weekend! From a physiologic standpoint we can do more work, but maybe we shouldn't. Taking a little bit of time to recharge is a good idea. Work on writing down your goals for 2009, or even just this winter. Refocus. Keep the drive strong by not diluting it by spreading yourself too thin. Take a couple weeks and then it is probably time to start the base work for 2009.

My Athletes

I offer my athletes personalized cycling training to help them participate, complete and compete in cycling and triathlon. Whether the desire is to ride well with your friends on the weekend or to be competitive in your age group or overall, I help my athletes reach their goals.

I provide access to technical information, a scientific approach, proven training techniques, accountability, an objective opinion, motivation and experience. I use these tools to excite, inspire and build confidence in my athletes which allows them to reach their goals.

I realize that each athlete must balance training and competing with the rest of their life. I provide the highest quality of training within the individual athlete's constraints. The process of determining the highest quality training is ongoing and requires constant analysis and communication.

My Style

Much of the rest of my life as an engineer and husband and father helps define who I am as a coach.

I am scientific, detailed and analytical in my approach. Each athlete is an individual training experiment. By measuring the athletes ability and desires I start to formulate the best course of action. Consistent observation and assessment of how the individual is responding to the training then revising and adapting the training regime accordingly is my primary focus. I prescribe training based on duration and intensity as measured by perceived exertion, heart rate and power metrics depending on the athlete. I also integrate appropriate recovery, as adaptation to training stress only occurs during recovery. I aim to provide the application of optimum stress coupled with optimum recovery to yield optimum improvement on a highly individualized basis.

I believe that educating the athlete is a primary duty of a coach. I want the athlete to understand the training. I enjoy explaining the logic behind the training. I want to provide insight regarding the science behind the training.

As a family man and professional I realize that cycling and sport must fit within the whole picture of the athlete's life. As a coach I aim to structure the athlete's training in order to fit within that whole picture. Balance is key. I aim to provide the highest quality of training given the quantity of time the athlete has available.