The Secrets to Going Further Than You Think You Can with Serena Bishop Gordon (Episode 247)

Hit Play Not Pause

Health & Fitness, Education, Self-improvement, Mental Health

4.9 • 696 Ratings

🗓️ 22 October 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

At 46, professional off-road cyclist and coach Serena Bishop Gordon has redefined what she thought was possible—physically, mentally, and emotionally. From second place at this year’s Unbound XL (360 miles in 22:19:56 hours) to multiple podiums at Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder, Serena shares how she’s learned to let go of limits, release outcomes, and lean into curiosity. We dive into the mental shift that unlocked her best performances, how underfueling can mimic perimenopause, and all the ways midlife women can get faster and go longer than they ever thought possible. She also breaks down what women can expect during Feisty’s Winter Training for Cyclists 16-week program she’s coaching starting this December.

Serena Bishop Gordon is a professional off-road cyclist, coach, and community builder with more than a decade of racing at the elite level. She’s delivered standout results at Unbound XL, Oregon Trail Gravel, Cape Epic, Breck Epic, and international UCI cyclocross. Her strengths lie in technical terrain, strategic pacing, and mental toughness—skills honed over thousands of miles and many seasons. Serena founded Special Blend Gravel, a coaching and community-building organization that uplifts women through camps, coaching, and inclusive community, guided by a “person first, athlete second” philosophy that centers joy, balance, and connection. She lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, Ben, and their dog, Piper—and believes that with strong coffee and a strong community, she can navigate just about any challenge. You can learn more about her and her coaching at www.serenabishopgordon.com

Resources:

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Learn More and Register for our 2026 Tucson Bike Camp: https://feisty.co/events/gravel-camp-x-bike-mechanic-school/

Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause

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Transcript

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0:00.0	If you've listened to this show for more than, oh, a minute, you know that I am a huge proponent of strength training,
0:06.0	especially lifting heavy for strength, power, and resilience as we go through midlife and menopause
0:11.3	when age and our hormones make all of that harder to hang on to.
0:14.9	So I am super stoked that I am getting to be part of Feisty 40 Plus's strong retreat this November 14th through the 16th in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
0:25.6	This retreat is designed specifically for women 40 and over and is 100% devoted to building a strong foundation that will support you for the rest of your life.
0:34.6	Led by Feisty favorite strength coach Cass Neiman, and me, Celine.
0:39.0	The retreat will give you all the fundamentals you need with hands-on coaching and small group
0:43.0	feedback.
0:43.9	You'll get tutorials on mobility and movement prep, learn how to do all the big lifts, and be privy
0:49.2	to a special pelvic floor session, and actually just have a really great time bonding and learning with like-minded
0:55.5	women. No egos, no competition, no body judgment, just solid strength training, real confidence
1:01.4	in a community of feisty women who lift heavy shit and lift each other up while they do it. Whether
1:06.5	you're new to strength training or you're looking to fine-tune your form, investing in a weekend like this can really fast track your progress, boost your confidence, and help you train smarter
1:16.1	for years to come. Click that link in the show notes. Come join me and get strong this fall.
1:36.3	You are listening to Hit Play Not Pause, a feisty menopause podcast for active performance-minded women.
1:41.8	I am your host, Celine Yeager. Each week, I bring you advice from athletes, scientists, researchers, and other experts to help you feel and perform you best,
1:45.1	no matter what your hormones are doing. This show is a production of Live Feisty Media.
1:53.1	Hello, strong feisty women. I hope you all are well. So once again, I would like to begin
1:58.9	by saying a big thank you to all the wonderful women who came up to me at Unpaved last weekend, or maybe two weekends ago by the time you hear this, which is a big gravel race and event in the Susquehanna River Valley here in Pennsylvania that my husband puts on each year.
2:16.6	And it is always incredible to meet you and to hear
2:20.4	how this show and this community has really changed your lives. So thank you for the love.
2:25.9	Thank you for the hugs. It really, man, it really makes this work so worthwhile.
	...

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