Running RichRunning Rich
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Rob and Stephanie Rich talk with coach Blu Robinson about depression, a suicide attempt, divorce and ultra running, sharing how movement and community helped them keep going. They describe learning to run their own races while still supporting each other and the wider Addict II Athlete team.
55:10•12 Jul 2021
Running Rich: Depression, Ultras and a Leap of Faith
Episode Overview
- Running and physical activity can provide structure, relief and space to think during periods of depression, but they don’t replace the need to face underlying problems.
- A severe mental health crisis, including suicidal actions and hospitalisation, does not have to be the end of the story; it can be a starting point for rebuilding.
- Leaving an unhealthy relationship can be both painful and necessary, especially when staying would keep everyone trapped in ongoing misery.
- Partners can support each other by running their own race, literally and figuratively, while still standing side by side in life and respecting each other’s pace.
- Showing up for teammates so that no one finishes alone can be a simple but powerful way to offer support to people who are struggling.
“Practice what you preach.”
What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? For many on Team Addict II Athlete, the answer might be summed up in two words: Rob Rich. Hosted by coach and therapist Blu Robinson, this conversation follows Rob and his wife Stephanie as they talk through running, depression, near-death despair, divorce, and the importance of showing up for others. It’s a mix of trail tales, emotional honesty, and a few laughs about skydiving from a creaky old plane.
Rob shares how he first came to the team to support his niece Carly, then somehow “accidentally” signed up for a half marathon as his first race and jumped straight into ultra distances. He admits that running started as something he did just for himself, then turned into a lifeline during deep depression: long workdays, gym sessions, and trails became the routine that kept him afloat.
He doesn’t sugar-coat the darkest part: jumping out of his delivery truck into traffic during a crippling anxiety attack, a 10–day stay in a psychiatric unit, and the painful decision to end his marriage when life at home left him drowning. As he says, the only way forward was to “take that leap of faith” and keep moving.
Stephanie joins in with her own story, going from hating running to signing up for the Squaw Peak 50 as her first real race. Together they explain how they “run our own race at our own pace” while still doing life side by side, supporting each other’s goals and accepting each other fully.
You’ll hear about Rob’s quiet habit of running back on race courses so no teammate finishes alone, his reminder to Blu to “practice what you preach” that pushed Blu out of a plane, and the way community, movement and honest conversations can keep people going when life feels like a tidal wave. Who could you be helping simply by showing up and keeping pace a little longer?
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