#16 - Good Luck, Jennifer (september 13)
It’s finally here! SELF has spent the last several weeks tracking (and being totally inspired by) Jennifer Lopez as she trains for her first triathlon to raise money for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, and she’s already in Malibu for tomorrow’s race.

“Am I ready? I don’t know what ready is! I’m certainly willing. I feel like I’m going to be OK stamina wise. I was doing some pretty long workouts. It’s the elements I can’t control that will be the challenging, scary parts of the race. I know there might be things out there that I’m not ready for. But I know I can do it. I have the head and heart for this for sure.

“There is one thing in each part of the race that I hope for. With swimming, it’s that I survive the water. With biking, it’s that I don’t fall and have to get back up and keep going with a bloody leg or something. And with the run, which is the easiest for me, I hope I don’t get a cramp. If everything could just go perfect in that way….

“I’ve really enjoyed the training. I’ve never done anything as physically taxing as this in my life. It feels good. I’ve always loved working out and loved sports. But sometimes, working out sort of felt like work. Even though there would be a goal at the end in a sense that I had an appearance or something, this has been more like rehearsing for a concert. I have to prove something at the end. I like that.

“I don’t really have any rituals I do before a concert or anything like this. I just say a prayer and ask God to carry me through. And that usually works really well for me.”