Aside from chatting with the triathlete herself about workouts, SELF has been checking in with Jennifer Lopez's trainer, Gunnar Peterson, too. He mentioned that one of the most important parts of prepping for a triathlon is making sure you've got the right gear, especially a bicycle saddle that, "won't have you wincing and swearing with every pedal stroke." So how did Jennifer ensure she would be comfortable riding the 12-mile cycling leg?
"I got on the ass-o-meter at the bike store. That's what they call it! You sit on this foam-rubber pad with numbers on it to determine what seat you need. There were three sizes: 130 millimeter, 143 mm and 155 mm. Guess which one I needed? 155. Instead of a tiny, aerodynamic seat, they bring out this bigger thing for me. Ha! But it's not about the size of your butt! It measures where your bones sit. And you know, it felt so much better than the other seats. I said to myself, Oh my God, now I can do this."
"It's not like you're on a Barcalounger or a beach cruiser bike, but you need to be comfortable," Peterson adds. "We got bikes by Specialized at Toga Bike Shop in New York and Cynergy Cycles in Santa Monica. Bike shop pros are the sherpas of the cycling world; they guide you through everything. A pro will make sure the pitch and position of your saddle and handlebars and everything else is properly fitted. That will improve how you ride and feel on a bike, giving you more power."
Jennifer has a great incentive to keep peddling—raising money and awareness for one of her favorite charities, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles—and thanks to her bike, she can feel even better about it, literally!
Keep checking back to read more about Jennifer's triathlon training progress and charity initiatives.
August 20, 2008
Hey guys, please don't forget to donate anything you can below.
Please help Jen, and the women and children she is trying to help by donating money for Jen's triathlon run. All proceeds go to the CHLA mentioned above.
Please click image blow to donate, any amount helps.
