Jen Schoenberg. (Courtesy photo)
For many competitors, earning a slot in the Ironman world championships in Kona, Hawaii, might be about testing their limits, the thrill of defying the odds, overcoming their fears, or besting others in extreme competition. But local Ironman Jen Schoenberg has a different reason: personal tragedy.
In April 2007, Schoenberg got the phone call no one wants or expects. Her sister, Debbie Studer, had taken her own life. Studer was a social worker who served soldiers with traumatic brain injuries as they returned home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Schoenberg believes the stressful work environment was too much for her sister, though she acknowledges that she will “never know what caused it. [Debbie’s death] was so sudden. Almost like a car accident. We weren’t prepared in any way.”
Having endured such a devastating loss, Schoenberg searched for meaning. A lifelong athlete, she was just returning to competitive racing after having taken several years off to have children. It was at her sister’s celebration of life, while swimming with her family, that Schoenberg realized her athleticism held the key. “I just knew that some day I would bring suicide awareness to the highest platform in my sport [to] honor my sister. That would be racing the Hawaii Ironman.”
Most difficult one-day sporting event
Known as the world’s most difficult one-day sporting event, the Ironman World Championship at Kona, Hawaii, offers elite athletes the chance to test their limits. An Ironman race includes three legs: a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run, completed in that order and without a break. The course at Kona is known for its extreme heat and wind. Schoenberg describes the course as “desolate” and “lonely.”
“There are [very few] spectators. There’s lava on one side and ocean on the other. It’s winds, it’s heat, it’s grueling.” And yet, the desire to compete at Kona connected Schoenberg to who her sister was. “She [planted] that seed. She was the competitive one. She sparked my competitiveness. Debbie definitely was a big fan of mine. A lot of this is to her, and all that she did in her life. It all comes back full circle to her.”
To navigate the new terrain of her loss, Schoenberg got to work. “My training was my way of grieving,” she says. In October 2007, Schoenberg ran the Portland marathon. Next came the Boston marathon, then half-Ironman races, and finally racing the full 140.6-mile Ironman distance. In all, her training preparation took seven years, a “quest” that culminated this October, when she completed her second world championship-level Ironman at Kona in 11 hours, 9 minutes.
A spiritual journey
Though enormously challenging, those seven years of training have felt deeply meaningful to Schoenberg as she remembers those she’s lost. “It is a daily reminder. I’ve never gone on a bike ride or a run without a happy memory. Come race day, it is more of a spiritual, good feeling. Everybody has so many different emotions when they cross the finish line anyway. I always look up. I always feel like they’re there with me, like it was a great journey.”
Her love of training makes Schoenberg somewhat unusual among world-class athletes. “I’m not a competitor. I don’t do it to beat the person next to me.” She laughs as she describes having to sign up for races in order to give herself an excuse to train. “I love to train! I love swimming, biking, and running. You can’t just do that if you don’t have a race to prepare for. Then you’d be a wicked whacko.” She smiles sheepishly. “So instead I spend all this money to fly all over the world, just so I can swim, bike, and run on a daily basis.”
Schoenberg’s passion for her chosen sports shows. She is a gold-level all-world athlete, which puts her in the top 1 percent of Ironman competitors in the world. Schoenberg is currently ranked 21st in the women’s 40-44 age group. She has qualified for a slot at Kona for the last three years and attended twice, in 2012 and 2014. In all, she’s competed in five Ironman competitions. Her favorite leg is the swim, both because it is short and because that’s where she’s least worried about getting hurt. But, she says, “I’m so consistent in all three legs. I’m right in the middle, performance wise.”
That consistent performance gave Schoenberg the winning edge at Ironman Lake Placid this summer. Realizing two miles before the finish that she was going to come in first was Schoenberg’s favorite moment of the year. Though she has many such proud moments to choose from, Schoenberg is down to earth about her accomplishments. “It’s just what I do. It’s hard for me to pat [myself] on the back. It’s what I enjoy.”
A great place to train
Living in Harvard has contributed to how Schoenberg prepares for each race. Her coach lives nearby in Acton, and she swims regularly with a group at Swymfit and Walden Pond. This summer she enjoyed participating in the Bare Hill Sprint Triathlon, where she came in first for her age group.
When asked what’s special about training for competitions in Harvard, Schoenberg mentions how much the rural setting and local hills contribute to her workouts. “It’s so easy to go out for a run and a bike, and not be involved in city traffic. That’s a big thing for me.” As an athlete who exercises outside regularly, Schoenberg says road courtesy is especially important to her. “I don’t listen to music, mainly for safety. I’m out there to train. Motorists do not see the obstacles cyclists have when biking. A pothole, broken glass, poison ivy. Some motorists feel nobody but cars should be on the road. There should be room for everybody. When I’m biking and I see someone giving me room, I always wave.”
Reflecting on next steps
Since the world championships in October, Schoenberg has been reflecting on next steps. “It is hard for me to stay focused on anything else when I’m doing Ironman. It is all-consuming.” She is looking forward to a short break, as she focuses on starting a career as a coach for triathletes, cyclists, and runners. “I’ll get to use my brain again,” she laughs.
But, she continues, “I’m not done with racing. Maybe in 2015 I’ll focus more on the shorter race, the half-Ironman distance. I haven’t set up my 2015 race plan yet. But 2016, I’m hoping to go do Ironman Nice with my family.” And in the meantime, Schoenberg smiles, “I’ll take anybody on for Ping Pong.”
