Triple Sports is preparing to celebrate its sixth week in business and we already feel like we've met just about every athlete in the Valley! From cyclists to runners to triathletes and swimmers, we're getting fantastic feedback from the front lines, and for that we thank you!

Even The Arizona Republic got in on the excitement. Check out the stories here and here.

And finally, our web site, www.triplesports.net, launched this week. Designed by Tempe-based web diva Gerd Corrigan, it is a site to behold. We hope you'll spend some time there and pass along word of this new online shopping paradise to your friends.

Happy training!

Yoga can make you a better athlete. Yes, yoga. This practice developed in India thousands of years ago has a reputation for relaxing ? which it does incredibly well ? but there?s more to yoga than chanting and stretching.

The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word ?Yuj,? meaning to yoke, join or unite. And that it does, blending mental focus, breathing exercises, strength training, deep stretching, relaxation and some downright challenging poses for a complete, whole- body experience.

Yoga involves postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama) and mental techniques to focus awareness. With its gentle, focused movements, yoga builds strength, supports increased athletic capacity and can help you prevent injuries by building a more solid core.

From the Downward Facing Dog to the Plank, yoga poses are all about core strength. Practice them correctly and with regularity, and you will feel your body become more solid, more stable. You will also gain balance, something most of us cyclists and swimmers can use! Yoga?s many balance postures will help correct muscle imbalance and body mechanic problems, and they may just keep you from hitting the pavement the next time you ride over a pot hole while taking a drink from your water bottle!

Finally, there?s the relaxation aspect of yoga. This is not to be overlooked, as a more relaxed body and mind will allow you to perform better, stronger and with more focus. Yoga has been shown to reduce stress and increase mental alertness, something we can all use!

Intrigued? Learn the benefits of yoga first hand at Triple Sports. Hatha yoga classes are taught by a certified yoga instructor from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m. each Wednesday at the shop, 4032 N. Miller Road, at the SW corner of Miller + Indian School roads, in Scottsdale. Classes are $10

Meet Twila Caldwell. This ultra-outgoing, 31-year-old Scottsdale triathlete grew up as a competitive swimmer, smoking the field with a 16 minute mile and a consistently winning smile.

Twila did a triathlon or two as a kid (her first race was a ?Tri for Dad? held on Father?s Day), but it wasn?t until she was in her 20s ? and burned out from swimming ? that she got serious about her now- favorite sport.

?I did triathlon as a kind of release,? Twila said. ?I was one of those people who, because I was so focused on swimming my whole life, I didn?t know what else was out there. So when I got on a bicycle and I could feel the wind in my face and I was going 25 miles per hour, it was just so great.?

Twila?s swimming prowess has helped keep her consistently finishing among the top three finishers in her age group ? a considerable feat. So how does she do it?

One of Twila?s winning strategies is to maintain balance ? training is an important and beloved part of her life, but she makes sure to have time for friends, family and a career, too. She also has developed a habit of creating a mantra for every workout. Her current swimming mantra is ?healthier, happier, stronger, breath.? She repeats each word as she takes a stroke. The mantras change depending on the activity, but all are designed to keep her thinking positively as she works to reach her fitness goals.

Twila?s next goal? Competing in the SOMA Half Ironman this October. After that, it?s on to Ironman Arizona in April ? her first IM. Go Twila!