For much of his life, Robert Berry, 47, has remained on the move, taking on challenging activities ranging from jiujitsu and CrossFit to rigorous hiking and mountain biking. Now, he runs ultramarathons.
Six years ago, Rob lucked out when he and a friend won the lottery draw to backpack the 93-mile Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier. With only five months to prepare, Rob figured trail running might support his training.
“I had a blast during my first two-mile run,” Rob recalls, much to his surprise at the time, ramping up his weekly mileage.
During the trek, Rob couldn’t help but notice the number of trail runners he encountered. They shared inspiring stories and introduced him to the joys of running longer distances.
After returning home, Rob was in low spirits, thinking he didn’t have another big adventure waiting ahead of him. Then, a friend invited him to run a 32-mile ultramarathon together in five weeks.
“I found a generic 12-week training plan online and skipped to week seven,” he says.
“Ultra allows you to extend the adventure, as a lot of things can happen when you’re running for 12 hours,” he explains, referring to the problem-solving aspects he enjoys most, such as natural terrain, elevation changes, meandering trails, weather, and the psychological component. He especially enjoys running 100-milers, because the distance guarantees you’ll end up running well into the night. “Your whole world compresses into what you can see through your headlamp.”
Recently, Rob completed the Cocodona 250-miler in Arizona, a race featuring staggering elevation gains through the Bradshaw Mountains and Mount Elden at over 9200 feet. “I wanted to take the experience further by running over multiple days,” he says.
Since Rob works full-time as an Electronic Technician for the National Weather Service while also coaching ultrarunners through his business, Flatlander Running LLC, and CrossFit athletes at CrossFit Reveille in Arlington, his training routine typically happens at night. He starts with an after-work walk with his wife Karen and their three dogs, followed by a workout, dinner, and a long-distance training run with his headlamp.
“Trail running is more than just exercise,” he explains. “It’s been a therapeutic, transformative process for me where I’ve learned what I’m capable of mentally, physically, and emotionally.”
Memphis’ ultrarunning community has also been steadily growing every year, thanks in part to the efforts of local race director James Boler of the Mamba Trail Runners community.
“The races get bigger every year, and the ultrarunning community is very unique and supportive,” Rob adds.
As someone who coaches complete first-timers to athletes trying to land on the podium, Rob’s main advice is to slow down with training. “People tend to run too fast, too quickly,” he explains. “While your cardiovascular system adapts faster to running, your musculoskeletal system takes longer to adapt.”
Rob laughs, thinking back to when he left the United States Army 26 years ago and felt relief at the idea of never having to run again. These days, he views the sport through an entirely different lens.
“I believe that running is for everyone, and I really enjoy helping people discover it in a way that they can take into a lifetime.”
IG: rob.b.berry / Flatlander Running LLC
By Shlomit Ovadia
Photo by Tindall Stephens
