One of the听 is in Hawaii, on the Big Island. It鈥檚 a 42.6-mile leg buster that gains 13,837 feet as it winds up听Manua Kea, the tallest volcano on the planet. But it鈥檚 a walk in the park compared to the abandoned route that scales听the back side听of the same volcano, which has pitches that reach 31 percent and soul-sucking stretches of 鈥済ravel鈥 made up of sand and dirt听and lava rock. Veteran pro mountain biker听听was the first person to ride the route, completing it in late February with YouTube star and amateur cyclist Tyler Pearce, a.k.a.听. This grueling first ascent might be Bishop鈥檚 last big expedition for the foreseeable future, since, like many of us, his spring race and adventure schedule has been derailed by the coronavirus pandemic.
鈥淓verything was going so well,鈥 Bishop says. 鈥淚 trained all winter, I knocked the toughest hill climb in the teeth, I was feeling good and confident and ready to tackle my next big challenge, a brutal expedition ride called the Massanutten Ring of Fire, in Virginia. And then comes the virus.鈥
Bishop has spent the last two decades dominating the mountain-bike endurance scene,听topping听the podium at some of the most renowned stage races in the world.听He鈥檚 been a member of the U.S. national mountain-bike team 16 times and听won gold at the Pan American Games in 2003. His true niche might be 100-milers, though鈥攈e听won听the National Ultra Endurance series, a collection of the best 100鈥檚 in the country, in 2014. At 44, Bishop is still sponsored by 听and continues to win: he took听first place at听11 races in 2019. Now听he鈥檚 coming to grips with the fact that he probably won鈥檛 be standing on any podiums for at least听the first half of 2020.
It鈥檚 the kind of situation that can send a competitive racer听into a tailspin. But Bishop has been incredibly upbeat on social media, providing inspiration and unique perspectives听for his fans, whether it鈥檚听 about finding beautiful new gravel roads during his workouts听or encouraging his听 to听join him on virtual group rides on Zwift. 鈥淭hese things are not easy, and it鈥檚 perfectly natural to be disappointed,鈥 Bishop says. 鈥淎thletes thrive on the pursuit of these races, and the fallout from that disappointment can be depression.鈥澨
Bishop encourages people to stay positive through these times, advising them to follow some semblance of a听training program and accomplish daily, weekly, and monthly goals to help reinforce a positive mindset. 鈥淪etting those tasks and goals and scratching them off the to-do list creates a success cycle that helps you psychologically,鈥 he says. 鈥淓ven if you don鈥檛 do the race, you can be proud of the routine and the work that you鈥檝e put in. That kind of reinforcement keeps me going during these setbacks.鈥
It鈥檚 the kind of situation that can send a competitive racer听into a tailspin. But Bishop has been incredibly upbeat.
Bishop knows from experience. He says his progress as a pro athlete has been derailed countless times by injury or outside forces, like the 2008 economic crash, when his sponsors pulled the plug on his race team as his wife was going into labor听with their first child. 鈥淚 was pacing the hospital floor on the phone trying to find sponsors,鈥 Bishop says.听鈥淢y first baby was showing up in hours, and I felt so powerless. Not feeling in control creates a lot of fear.鈥澨
Currently, Bishop is still training as best he can under our ever evolving circumstances. He鈥檚 avoiding group rides听but still pedaling on local roads and neighborhood trails solo when he has the chance,听although he鈥檚 cutting back on his usual all-day epics. 鈥淚t won鈥檛 be easy,鈥 he says. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 go on three-hour rides when your kids are home from school. I鈥檓 a dad, I have a trainer in the basement and Legos on the floor. I get it.鈥
Bishop has slowly fallen in love with that basement trainer over the last couple of years, leaning into Zwift when he can鈥檛 meet others on the trail or road. 鈥淚鈥檒l get on Zwift and get to interact with friends in Spain or Italy or right down the street,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really motivational, because you鈥檙e chasing someone down.鈥
He has also been focusing more on strength training, and says this extra time at home is a perfect opportunity听to double down on the sort of work that cyclists and runners tend to avoid. 鈥Building strength听is so important if you want to avoid injuries as you age,鈥 Bishop says. 鈥淚 like to gamify my training to keep it interesting, using traditional moves but creating fun challenges.鈥 For example, Bishop has a 35-pound rock in his backyard that he鈥檒l hold against his chest while doing squats on a balance board. If he loses balance during the squat, he has to start the count over at zero.听鈥淚t will destroy your legs,鈥 Bishop says.
Whether you adopt a strength program at home (see Bishop鈥檚 go-to plan,听below) or spend more time exploring your local trails, Bishop says this could be a good听opportunity to try something new. 鈥淐onsider it a splash of cold water that gives you the chance to refocus and do that thing that you really want to do, either shaking your听training up now at home听or later when our lives get back to normal.鈥
Jeremiah Bishop鈥檚 At-Home Strength-Training Routine
Kettlebell Step-Ups: Hold a 25-pound barbell or kettlebell (or rock) with both hands, and step up on a bench with your left leg. Then step down. Do 15 on your left leg, then switch to your right leg.
Box Jumps: Pick your height of box (benches work, too, if you don鈥檛 have a box). From a standstill, jump up on the box, concentrating on the explosive movement and a soft landing. Jump or step down. Repeat ten听times.
Exercise-Ball Stands: Start by kneeling on an oversize听exercise听ball, your hands on the front of it听for stability. Try to balance for 30 seconds. When you perfect that position, move to听kneeling on the ball and balancing听hands-free. When that becomes easy, stand on the ball, balancing in place. When that becomes easy, do body-weight squats on the ball. If you can鈥檛 balance on the yoga ball, use an upside-down Bosu ball, standing on the hard part听and working on air squats.听
Spiderman Push-Ups: Assume the push-up position. As you lower your body to the ground, bring your right knee beside your body to your right elbow, then return your foot to the starting position as you raise your body off the ground. Repeat on the left side. Work to 20 in a row.