Jennifer Lopez's Triathlon Blog: Racing for the Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Self Magazine

September cover girl, Jennifer Lopez, told us at her photo shoot that she wanted to compete in a triathlon, no one was more thrilled than our own resident triathlete, editor-in-chief Lucy Danziger. Then we heard Lopez would race to raise money for one of her favorite causes--Childrens Hospital Los Angeles--and wanted to share her training experience with SELF readers. We couldn't contain our excitement! SELF is all about being your best inside and out, and that includes giving back. Lopez is dedicated to empowering women and children, and Childrens Hospital is a leader in pediatric and adolescent health and research, ranked among the top in the nation. She continues to inspire us!

So to kick off her blog, the superstar new mom of twins invited Danziger to spend the afternoon at her Long Island, New York, home, training and trading stories. The only way to describe the day: inspiring, of course--and a blast! Lopez is in amazing shape--all her joking and funny face making aside, we saw toned, sexy muscles and yes, flat, rock-hard abs...just six months after having babies! But best of all, she's happy and having a wonderful time.

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From left: Benny Medina, Danziger, Lopez and trainer Gunnar Peterson


"I've always loved sports. I used to be on a track team in school. And that's probably why I can think to myself now, Yeah, I can do this, which is totally crazy! The team was a big part of my life back then and taught me so many things. When I look back on my life and what I'm able to do, it's partly because of that early training. It taught me discipline, how to be committed, about striving to win, stamina, all that good stuff.

"The sports training also helped me deal with losing and rejection and all the things you go through when starting out in show business. I think that's why I was able to bounce back all the time. With track, I didn't let anything get to me. I would just think, Whatever, tomorrow's the next race, and I'm going to train harder and win next week. And I won maybe 70 or 80 medals and trophies over those years. I should dig those out!

"Now I've come full circle. I don't expect to win this race; my goal is to finish. I'll probably end up crawling across the finish line, but I'll do it!"

Don't let her self-deprecating banter fool you. As with everything Lopez does, whether it's raising twins Max and Emme; reentering the working world as an actress, recording artist and entrepreneur; or initiating philanthropic projects, she's putting 110 percent into workouts with trainer Gunnar Peterson. You'll read all about it here over the next few weeks: how she fits in workouts while staying dedicated to her babies and husband and juggling a career (sound familiar?), what she's learning and how she's overcoming challenges (anyone else ever "eat it"--her words--on a bike!?). So stay tuned. You'll be inspired, learn a lot and get motivated to reach your own fitness goals. (Need some guidance? Check out SELF's Reach Your Goal program.) As for Lopez, we know that not only will she cross the finish line with a strong stride and a smile, we wouldn't be surprised if she soon had another medal to add to her collection.


Click here to see video of Jennifer Lopez talking with SELF's editor Lucy Danziger about her goals and motivations!

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