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I got a question this week from a triathlete struggling to build up mileage on his triathlon bike. This is a common challenge for triathletes. The trick here is to build mileage slowly and consistently. Here are some tips:

Remember to consult your physician before starting any fitness program.

1. Build up mileage slowly. Most triathletes are competitive by nature and they tend to push themselves to the limit. Out of frustration they might try to do a 4-hour bike ride when their longest ride before that is only a couple of hours. This is very risky and counterproductive.

If you overtrain like this you are likely to injure yourself, which can take you out of the game for weeks. Even if you manage to finish it without injury, your body will take a long time to recover from the workout and you may lose a lot of the benefit you might have gained from the long ride. Instead you want to build up slowly over time, adding maybe 25 to 50 percent to your base long ride (based on time in the saddle not mileage) every couple of weeks (see my sample plan to do this below).

2. Take time to recover and adapt. The goal is to slowly build up the length of your longest training ride while building in time to recover. Get to a plateau, ride there for a week and then try to extend it (see the sample program below).

3. A beginner can build effectively riding just 2 to 3 times per week. You don't have to build your endurance by riding 3 or 4 hours every time you get on your bike. Instead focus on one long ride each week (time not miles). Your ultimate goal should be to ride for as long as you think your complete race will take you to finish. Your other rides during the week don't need to be as long, but you might want to add some strength or technique training to these rides (like hills or cadence work).

4. Sample triathlon training plan Let's say that your goal is to finish an olympic distance triathlon in around 3 hours. "Leg time" for this race is 2.5 hrs or more. Building your bike to 2.5 to 3 hours will help build the endurance needed for this event. Let's make your goal to do a long ride of around 3 hours about a month before your race. Today you can easily do two one hour rides per week. How do you get to your goal?

By the way, you don't have to be able to do a 3 hour ride to finish your first olympic distance race, but it is a good goal. As you advance you might try to increase the number of miles you finish during your long ride (see tip 6 for more on this). Here is an example of a basic plan to get you to your goal:

Building Bike - Time goals for your one long ride per week. Other workouts for the week would be based on your personal level of fitness.

a. Week One: Ride = 1.5 Hours
b. Week two: Ride = 1 Hour
c. Week three: Ride = 2 Hours

At this point you've doubled your long ride. Do you need more time to recover? If so then start over at Week two and then do Week three again. If you recover better then move on to Week Four. Do the same thing after each week that you build mileage - if it takes more than a couple of days to recover go back to the next lowest recovery week and start from there.

d. Week Four: Ride = 1.5 Hours
e. Week Five: Ride = 2 Hours
f. Week Six: Ride = 1.5 Hours
g. Week Seven: Ride = 2.5 Hours
h. Week Eight: Ride = 2 Hours
i. Week Nine: Ride = 3 Hours

Note: All rides should be ridden fresh with no hard workouts at least the day before and the day after. The pace should be in a comfortable easy pace (you should be able to talk or have a conversation while you are riding during the majority of your ride). learn to "spin" or use your easier gears to prolong your muscle endurance.

You did it! At this point your long ride is now 3 hours and you have made a great improvement in your endurance. Next you will want to start working on other things like speed, terrain, etc.

5. Make sure that you are eating and drinking during these rides. If you are hungry or thirsty you waited to long to eat or drink. Right now you are asking your body to do things it hasn't done before, you will need the calories. Eventually you will get more efficient and may not need to eat as much.

6. Time, Mileage or Heart-rate? Eventually all three of these measures will be important. When I start training someone we focus first on time at a comfortable pace. Next we add a heart-rate monitor to the mix and shoot for time within heart-rate zones. Finally we start working on the number of miles covered, heart-rate, and time. I suggest you start the same way.

If this sounds too over-planned, simplify it. Last winter I started training for a spring Century ride and my workout plan was just to add an hour to my long ride every 3 weeks until I got to 6 hours (although remember that I was starting from a pretty strong base and I didn't train much in the other disciplines, I did hit the weight room 1 time per week, and the Yoga mat a couple times a week). The key is to do what works for you. Use this plan to adapt something for yourself or for you to present to your coach.

Triathlon Coach Janet Wilson is a USAT certified triathlon coach and ACE certified personal trainer. Janet is an accomplished and nationally-ranked amateur triathlete and she coaches triathletes of all skill levels, from a triathlon beginner to Hawaii Ironman qualifiers. To learn more about triathlon training plans, triathlon bike tips, coaching programs or just great tips on how to stay in shape visit her website at http://www.coach-janet.com

No down you have heard about yoga for years but you may not really know much about it. If you are just a beginner in the yoga world, here are some things that you need to know about before you start.

There are several different styles or kinds of yoga exercises, that range from very gentle and relaxing positions to fairly fast-paced cardio workouts. So first decide what you want to accomplish with yoga. If you have suffered an injury or are trying to manage pain, then perhaps one of the more gentle types of yoga will be best at least for now.

So how do you learn how to practice yoga? Well, there are plenty of DVDs and videos available that can help you learn more about it. However, it's usually best to learn the exercises from a quality instructor instead. There are many yoga classes available at studios and gyms all across the country. It may be a good idea to ask around and get recommendations from others about the best yoga instructors in your area. A good instructor will be very patient with you as you start out and will focus on teaching you not only the exercises themselves, but also how to maintain proper body alignment and breathing techniques throughout the positions and poses. It's a good idea to visit a few yoga classes and perhaps sit in on a session or two to learn more about each instructor, and then choose the one that you like best.

It's important that you approach yoga with the right mental attitude. It is not a competition. It is not a challenge. You are not trying to do something better than anyone else. In fact, yoga is a very personal experience. So listen to your own body as you learn the exercises and you can't go wrong.

So what equipment are you going to need for this new adventure? Well, wearing the right clothing will be important. Your clothing needs to be comfortable and not restrictive. And since you can get very warm from practicing the poses and positions, your clothing should also be breathable and keep your skin as dry as possible.

Perhaps the most common piece of equipment is a yoga mat. They can actually come in handy for a couple of reasons. First of all, the mat can help keep you from slipping as you exercise on the floor. This gets more important as the session progresses and you perspire at your body heats up. The other benefit of using a yoga mat is that it keeps you from having to sit on a hard bare floor. There are several types of mats available, so just choose the one that fits you best.

Water will be important to have handy as you will need to stay hydrated as you exercise and replace any lost fluids. Generally, it's best to practice yoga on an empty stomach, so try to avoid eating heavy meals very soon beforehand too.

Many people have found that yoga makes a very important contribution to their mental and physical well-being. Hopefully, it can do the same for you.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including fitness. You can find free yoga exercises and free yoga poses by visiting our Home Fitness website.

Well, I've figured out how to bridge halo 2. Please, only use it to kick out modders. Don't abuse it. Don't be a poopface.

Well anyways, this is how you bridge halo 2.

First, connect your router to your PC, which it should be already.

Next, connect your PC to your xbox. You need to have two ethernet ports in your computer to connect it. Remember to use a crossover cable(a system link cable) to connect the PC to the xbox.

If you want to force host, you will want to get ZoneAlarm, which is a security program. If you want to force host, you'll probably need Commview, which is a program that monitors your lan connections(it gives you their IP address). Make sure to turn all of your internet security settings to low on ZoneAlarm and everything else.

To give host to someone, get their IP address from Commview. Go into a party where they(whoever you want to have host)is the only person and get their IP address. Enter it into Zonealarm's trusted section along with xbox Live's IP address. Then turn the security settings to high and your trusted zone to medium. This will force host to the trusted IP address(the trusted IP address can be your own).

To boot someone, you must have host and go to ZoneAlarm. Get the IP address of whomever you want to boot from Commview and enter it into the Blocked section of Zonealarm.

Continue to start up your xbox then unplug your ethernet cable to get to the troubleshooter. copy down your DNS server codes.

Then, go to My computer> View network Connections> Highlight both Connections with the shift key(hold shift and click on both items).

right click and select bridge connections.

Note: make sure to enter your DNS codes when it is asked for in the troubleshooter.

This will bridge the game and will either lag players out or force host.

Remember, only bridge halo 2 to get rid of modders. If you bridge against me, I will hXc cyber punch you in the face.