Melissa Bishop finished just off the podium in Rio — 0.13 of a second to be precise — as Kenya’s Margaret Wambui passed her on the final straightaway for the bronze medal in the women’s 800 metres.
It’s a big reason why the 29-year-old Canadian runner is still pushing herself to her limits each day in practice.
After Rio heartbreak, Melissa Bishop never wants 4th place again3:41
“I really want to be on the podium in [Tokyo] 2020 and that’s motivating enough for me,” said Bishop, who was in Toronto last week promoting next year’s North American, Central America and Caribbean track and field championships, otherwise known as Toronto 2018: Track & Field in the 6ix.
Melissa Bishop: ‘Winning at home is an experience unlike anything else’1:54
Bishop is getting back into the thick of training after taking some time off for her wedding. Her longtime coach, Dennis Fairall, who Bishop describes as her “rock,” has also been at work trying to see if there’s any way he can give his pupil an edge.
Fairall has taken courses on endurance and altitude training, implementing new elements in their training plan.
“He’s always trying to learn something new and how to change our training so he definitely has applied it. Nine times out of 10 he won’t tell me how he’s done it but you can tell when the workout changes just a little bit,” Bishop said.
“That’s the beauty of Dennis — he always wants to learn. He’s not stuck doing the same thing all the time. He’s open to new ideas.”
Melissa Bishop on coach Dennis Fairall “He’s a mastermind”2:30
Both coach and runner have built trust in one another through their common desire to be better, which is one of the many reasons why Bishop works so well with Fairall.
“I trust him with my [training] program and he trusts that I will do everything that [he] asks me to do,” Bishop said.
Having fun again
Their work didn’t translate into hardware at this summer’s world championships, where Bishop finished fifth, but the Eganville, Ont., native is racing faster than ever, lowering her own Canadian record set at the last Olympics to one minute 57.01 seconds at a Diamond League event in Monaco last July.
Melissa Bishop sets Canadian record in women’s 800 metres5:31
With some minor changes, Bishop believes it’s just a matter of time before she breaks 1:56. She’s encouraged by the fact that she has run smart races but still hasn’t put together the perfect race. She knows every aspect of her running, from her start to her finishing kick, still has room for small improvements.
Bishop also feels a better attitude has helped her produce her best-ever times.
“It was nothing to do with the tactics of the race, the venue, or where we were. I was just having fun [and] relaxed — same thing in Rio [where] I was happy [and] smiling,” Bishop said.
“I was excited to be where I wanted to be and it took the pressure off what we needed to do.”
In the heat of competition, Bishop finds it difficult at times to enjoy herself. It’s one thing to say it, but another to actually put yourself into that mindset.
Bishop performs best when she has a calm state of mind. (Kin Cheung/Associated Press)
“It’s hard because a lot of the time, we base our success off medals and it can’t always be that. I’ve done a lot of work with my sports [psychologist], but we’re human. You gotta find what you love about it and it’s hard to get there,” Bishop said.
Over the last few years, Bishop and her sports psychologist have worked on a more simplified approach — taking things back down to earth and embracing the present.
Or, as Bishop puts it: “Get out of your cloud nine, put your feet on the ground and realize where you are and what you’re doing.”
