A woman and man from Lake Barrington are both well underway training for the renowned swimming, bicycling and running Ironman triathlon at a time when organizers of the international races are seeing increased interest from both genders wanting to participate in the grueling competitions.
Jennifer Schipper, a 48-year-old resident from Lake Barrington, and Jim Bollenbacher, a 57-year-old Lake Barrington resident, also will be first-time competitors when they meet Sept. 11 in Madison, Wisconsin, for the Ironman race. Founded in the 1970s in Hawaii, Ironman races now happen across the world, challenging participants to an endurance test by having them complete a continuous biking, running and swimming course.
Despite training 12 hours a week for the Wisconsin race, Schipper said her practice may not be enough to prepare her for the triathlon.
“Yes, this is my first Ironman and probably my last one,” Jennifer Schipper said laughing. “It’s probably because of the time commitment, and I expect the race to be exhausting.”
By late summer, Schipper, who said the toughest part about training is finding the time to do it, will look to increase her regimen to 20 and 25 hours a week. In a typical week, Schipper commits to two swimming workouts, two weight training sessions, three runs and two-to-three bike rides.
“From what I’ve heard, it’s not just the physical that’s hard, but also the mental – working through the discomfort and not stopping,” Schipper said.
Dan Berglund, public relations manager for Florida-based World Triathlon Corporation, which organizes Ironman races, said more female participants like Schipper are choosing to bike, run and swim in Ironman competitions. From 2014 to 2015, female Ironman racers internationally increased by 18 percent, he said.
Ironman continues to see more male participants than female participants. Overall, 68 percent of Ironman participants in the U.S. are male while 32 percent are female, Berglund said. The largest age group that participates are people between the ages of 40 and 44, an age when adults usually have more time to train, he said.
“More and more people are looking for challenges in keeping fit,” Berglund said. “Ironman is the most difficult, single-day endurance event in the world.”
The organization is expecting 75,000 fans to turn out in Madison to watch the triathlon.
Schipper entered her first marathon in 2006 after she began running in her late 20s. Since then, she’s completed 13 marathons in several cities, including two in Chicago, she said.
About 10 family members will be there in Madison to watch her in the Ironman triathlon. For Schipper, the competition is all about taking on “the ultimate personal challenge,” she said.
The idea of overcoming mental and physical challenges is what motivated Bollenbacher to participate in the Ironman race in Madison. The Lake Barrington resident already has done six, half Ironman races but never a full triathlon.
“And the sense of accomplishment I think I’ll feel when I cross the finish line,” said Bollenbacher, a retired business executive. “It’s an amazing experience with thousands of people cheering.”
He trains seven days a week – sometimes twice a day – often working alongside his professional triathlon coach Jennifer Harrison, of Carpentersville. Harrison is working with Bollenbacher on strength training while ensuring his diet works properly with his practice schedule and the race itself.
That means Bollenbacher has to consume his Gatorade, nutritional gels and power bars to complete the Madison race, which includes a 2.4-mile swim in Lake Monona, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run, she said.
“It takes a ton of sacrifice to train for an Ironman – the biking, swimming and running,” Harrison said.
Bollenbacher also is motivated personally to compete in the Ironman race. He did athletics in high school but fell out of shape later in life.
“I got married, had kids and became a couch potato. I literally looked at myself in the mirror and did not like what I saw,” he said. “I started running and for some reason, I stuck it out.”
Twitter @tshields19
