I don't like asking people for money. In fact, I generally don't like asking people for anything but that's just awkward me. For charity, I'm willing to get over that, hence my fundraising for the Ehlers-Danlos Support UK charity. It's a worthy cause for a condition that has affected my family, and plenty of others, and just seems to fly under the radar unless you know somebody who has it.
To coincide with that, I don't really like running neither. However, I'm willing to get over that too for this cause. On May 10th, I'll run the Leeds Half Marathon to raise money for the charity. This one is special to me for a number of reasons.
1. It's the first organised race I will run (if you exclude a 4k fun run when I was about 11).
2. It's in my hometown, and there's something just special about doing it at home.
3. This condition has affected a few incredibly special people in my life, so it's for them as much as anything else. (They will be responsible for any post-run massages, food, drink supplies #justsayin).
4. Let's face it, I'm no spring chick - so it may be now or never!
If I have sponsored you in the past for a worthy cause, bought you a pint, taken you to a terrible game of some sort, or if you've been on the receiving end of any pleasant gesture (if it was unpleasant, just press the X in the top right corner) from anybody in my family such as one of my mum's braisin steak & Yorkshire meals or a piece of my dad's lasagne or if you've attended a family BBQ, then I'll unashamedly ask for a donation.
I don't care however small it is. A donation will likely earn you at least one more of one of the above and my eternal appreciation. The likelihood is that I will not be pestering you for a long time for any future donations and I definitely don't want to have to commit to any more runs in future!
https://www.justgiving.com/ROB-ESTEVA
Roberto xx
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Resolving A New Year!
Another year, another set of resolutions, another increasingly rare blog post. Not only do I have to get back to scribbling some blog posts, I have a bunch of other things that I’m committed to doing in 2015. Following the usual principle, I figure if I write them down, it will shame me into doing them….
1. Sleep
I’m frequently torn when it comes to sleep. That generally sounds a little bizarre but I’m caught between enjoying being awake that much but knowing I should really get more sleep. 2015 is the year of more sleep.
2. My mum
A kick ass trip with my mum somewhere this year. Last year I took my dad to Brazil for the World Cup to watch his beloved Brazil team get whipped by Germany (sorry Dad!), I’ll somehow find a way to match that with my mum this year. Suggestions welcome!
3. Running
Ok, well we’ll start with a half – Larry Budd, you and I are on! Expect some Runkeeper movement! Consider it in the diary. I won’t make the silly promise of the Vegas marathon in November again, but it’s on the tentative list if Leeds goes well #justsayin
4. Charity
Twelve months ago, I was on the receiving end of an impromptu New Year’s Eve shave, kindly administered by my remarkably tipsy (read: hammered) cousin Kev. The generosity did not end there. The family threw some cash into a hat to go to charity. I’ve still got that money sat at home and have done nothing with it. So this year, for any longish runs I manage to get my butt in gear for, I’ll fundraise for Ehlers-Danlos – a syndrome that has affected folks in the fam.
5. Cut the Carbon
So I may have been singularly responsible for the world’s carbon footprint last year. Time to cut that down and enjoy a bit more of the UK and North!
6. Blog more
The statistics do not lie and if I look at the right side of this page, it’s steadily gone from 75 blog posts in 2010, to 30 in 2011, 24 in 2012, 7 in 2013 and finally 5 piffling blog posts in 2014. I’m a disgrace. I’m aiming for at least one per month to get back up to 12 for 2015.
7. Take my own advice
Funny how most of us are geniuses when we offer others advice. It’s generally solid advice and it’s generally what others would say to you. Yet somehow, we decide to completely ignore it instead of applying it to ourselves! No excuses Roberto, listen to your own advice!
Happy New One folks!
1. Sleep
I’m frequently torn when it comes to sleep. That generally sounds a little bizarre but I’m caught between enjoying being awake that much but knowing I should really get more sleep. 2015 is the year of more sleep.
2. My mum
A kick ass trip with my mum somewhere this year. Last year I took my dad to Brazil for the World Cup to watch his beloved Brazil team get whipped by Germany (sorry Dad!), I’ll somehow find a way to match that with my mum this year. Suggestions welcome!
3. Running
Ok, well we’ll start with a half – Larry Budd, you and I are on! Expect some Runkeeper movement! Consider it in the diary. I won’t make the silly promise of the Vegas marathon in November again, but it’s on the tentative list if Leeds goes well #justsayin
4. Charity
Twelve months ago, I was on the receiving end of an impromptu New Year’s Eve shave, kindly administered by my remarkably tipsy (read: hammered) cousin Kev. The generosity did not end there. The family threw some cash into a hat to go to charity. I’ve still got that money sat at home and have done nothing with it. So this year, for any longish runs I manage to get my butt in gear for, I’ll fundraise for Ehlers-Danlos – a syndrome that has affected folks in the fam.
5. Cut the Carbon
So I may have been singularly responsible for the world’s carbon footprint last year. Time to cut that down and enjoy a bit more of the UK and North!
6. Blog more
The statistics do not lie and if I look at the right side of this page, it’s steadily gone from 75 blog posts in 2010, to 30 in 2011, 24 in 2012, 7 in 2013 and finally 5 piffling blog posts in 2014. I’m a disgrace. I’m aiming for at least one per month to get back up to 12 for 2015.
7. Take my own advice
Funny how most of us are geniuses when we offer others advice. It’s generally solid advice and it’s generally what others would say to you. Yet somehow, we decide to completely ignore it instead of applying it to ourselves! No excuses Roberto, listen to your own advice!
Happy New One folks!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Weighing on the Mind
I find very random motivations to write blog posts. They are largely sparked by emotions, thoughts, or events. I cannot claim to have any deep reasoning behind this blog other than to avoid nibbling on my own arm. It is that time again when my favourite Mexican and I are embarking on yet another weight loss bet. It actually started back in January when we both came back from breaks in the Americas having clearly over-enjoyed the food and drink on offer. The challenge was to lose 11kg/24.2lbs by May 1st – around 1kg per week.
Armed with a fantastic Christmas gift from my girl, a Nike+ Sport Watch, I have gotten back into my running. I had never really gotten out of it even in the States, but it had certainly dropped off somewhat. I already had a GPS watch, but the Nike one is attached to a fantastic Nike website which has all kinds of information, training programmes and schedules. As many folks will have noted, it has been mentioned by one or two of you, you may have seen my Facebook updates whenever I run. I suspect that may be highly annoying to some people, and I am not one for usually updating my status feeding you the very latest updates on the Esteva/Burns household. However, this one is slightly different. When I am running, I have it in the back of my mind, just when I am about to stop, of just how bad or weak my effort will look to so many people if I stop at that point. So I keep running. Inadvertently, and perhaps annoying at times, it does the job. If it annoys you, I am sorry – you have permission to de-friend me!
So, with around three weeks left, we both need to lose another 4kg each….slightly behind schedule but doable. In contrast to the last one we did, I have still been drinking alcohol at times and been eating reasonably normally – I have just increased the amount of exercise, and cut out the garbage food. With 4kg in 3 weeks, it is time to cut the alcohol and decrease the portions now.
Hence the blog. I cannot quite describe how hungry I am right now but typing is preventing me from chewing on my fingers at the very least. If I thought my fingers weighed 4kg, I could be tempted. I suspect the next twenty days are going to be pretty miserable but I am determined to hit the mark this time when we weigh in however brutal it is going to be. It did get me randomly thinking at what point do we stop worrying about what we eat and drink if it makes us happy? Skinny and starvation of the nation is not really for me. With a head the size of mine, a puny body is never going to work. That said, I know I would not be happy if I piled the weight on neither. As with so much in life, I guess it is finding the right balance. Maybe when I’m 70 I’ll ditch it and just have a house full of crisps and bathe or shower myself daily in Boddingtons. But for now, the mission continues.
Armed with a fantastic Christmas gift from my girl, a Nike+ Sport Watch, I have gotten back into my running. I had never really gotten out of it even in the States, but it had certainly dropped off somewhat. I already had a GPS watch, but the Nike one is attached to a fantastic Nike website which has all kinds of information, training programmes and schedules. As many folks will have noted, it has been mentioned by one or two of you, you may have seen my Facebook updates whenever I run. I suspect that may be highly annoying to some people, and I am not one for usually updating my status feeding you the very latest updates on the Esteva/Burns household. However, this one is slightly different. When I am running, I have it in the back of my mind, just when I am about to stop, of just how bad or weak my effort will look to so many people if I stop at that point. So I keep running. Inadvertently, and perhaps annoying at times, it does the job. If it annoys you, I am sorry – you have permission to de-friend me!
So, with around three weeks left, we both need to lose another 4kg each….slightly behind schedule but doable. In contrast to the last one we did, I have still been drinking alcohol at times and been eating reasonably normally – I have just increased the amount of exercise, and cut out the garbage food. With 4kg in 3 weeks, it is time to cut the alcohol and decrease the portions now.
Hence the blog. I cannot quite describe how hungry I am right now but typing is preventing me from chewing on my fingers at the very least. If I thought my fingers weighed 4kg, I could be tempted. I suspect the next twenty days are going to be pretty miserable but I am determined to hit the mark this time when we weigh in however brutal it is going to be. It did get me randomly thinking at what point do we stop worrying about what we eat and drink if it makes us happy? Skinny and starvation of the nation is not really for me. With a head the size of mine, a puny body is never going to work. That said, I know I would not be happy if I piled the weight on neither. As with so much in life, I guess it is finding the right balance. Maybe when I’m 70 I’ll ditch it and just have a house full of crisps and bathe or shower myself daily in Boddingtons. But for now, the mission continues.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Mohave Mirage
It is 3.30pm and I am in the Mohave Desert. I have been walking for days, it feels like weeks, months, years. Little food, little water, I do not really know who I am any more. I don’t feel like my old self, don’t look like my old self. It is an out of body experience that is hard to describe unless you have experienced it yourself. I’m emotional but numb, physically and mentally. I can’t talk. There is nobody to talk to, and I don’t have the energy to talk even if I could. I haven’t seen anybody for miles, nothing living anyhow, I haven’t seen any sign of life or any landmarks or anything. Is there any end to this journey….wait. What can I see in the distance? There’s a building. An old dusty old building. I get closer, I see a sign. The signs says ‘We sell Boddingtons here – barrels and barrels in stock!’ The first sign of life I have seen for miles and they sell my favourite beer. I pinch myself, I am awake. I cannot believe this. If this is the way I leave this world, let the last mouthful I take be a gulp of room temperature Boddingtons. Heck, it could be even be cold, I’d take that after being out in 45c degrees heat for so long. I break into what feels like a sprint but I know deep down it is only a jog. The pub is drawing ever closer and I can see the door only metres away. I stop and pause, can this really be happening. I rub my eyes and re-open them. The pub….the pub is now miles away in the distance. It is getting further and further away.
Me and my girl run once or twice week together. We need to do more, and sometimes run separately if our schedules do not suit. We have one particularly route that we do every so often – our apartment, to Lutry and then back along the lake to Ouchy. It is approximately 9km, and it can be shortened or extended depending on whether HJ feels like Paula Radcliffe, and whether I feel like Hicham El Guerrouj. The first 3km is reasonably pleasant, a fair amount of it is a slow downhill run which breaks my sensitive body into the run slowly. I can deal with that. From around 5-8km, we run along the longest road in the world. The Mohave Desert. We run along the road until we reach a set of traffic lights eventually and we turn left at that point and down to the lake. When I run, I look for milestones and landmarks, it keeps me motivated. On this long stretch of small inclines and bumps, there are four sets of traffic lights. I am struggling at this point and I hope and pray that each and every one of them is the final one, which means the run is almost over and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Disappointment comes with each traffic light which does not signal the left turn. Then, we run round a corner and see the lights. The lights. I see them now. This time, the lights do not disappear in the distance. There is life back in these old heavy legs of mine, and I can see the lights.
Nobody said getting in shape was easy and nobody said running was pleasant. Well, maybe they did, but it wasn’t Robert Christian Esteva. Still, the end point is very enjoyable. Sitting there, having accomplished a reasonably solid run, is a great feeling. It is that final sip of Boddingtons, that is just so sweet after the trials and tribulations to get to that stage. I will be making more regular visits to the Mohave in the coming weeks – don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
Me and my girl run once or twice week together. We need to do more, and sometimes run separately if our schedules do not suit. We have one particularly route that we do every so often – our apartment, to Lutry and then back along the lake to Ouchy. It is approximately 9km, and it can be shortened or extended depending on whether HJ feels like Paula Radcliffe, and whether I feel like Hicham El Guerrouj. The first 3km is reasonably pleasant, a fair amount of it is a slow downhill run which breaks my sensitive body into the run slowly. I can deal with that. From around 5-8km, we run along the longest road in the world. The Mohave Desert. We run along the road until we reach a set of traffic lights eventually and we turn left at that point and down to the lake. When I run, I look for milestones and landmarks, it keeps me motivated. On this long stretch of small inclines and bumps, there are four sets of traffic lights. I am struggling at this point and I hope and pray that each and every one of them is the final one, which means the run is almost over and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Disappointment comes with each traffic light which does not signal the left turn. Then, we run round a corner and see the lights. The lights. I see them now. This time, the lights do not disappear in the distance. There is life back in these old heavy legs of mine, and I can see the lights.
Nobody said getting in shape was easy and nobody said running was pleasant. Well, maybe they did, but it wasn’t Robert Christian Esteva. Still, the end point is very enjoyable. Sitting there, having accomplished a reasonably solid run, is a great feeling. It is that final sip of Boddingtons, that is just so sweet after the trials and tribulations to get to that stage. I will be making more regular visits to the Mohave in the coming weeks – don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Body of Evidence
The weekend constituted a great cocktail party, a fantastic performance by Floyd Mayweather and two long runs. All combined results in my body not being in optimum condition right now, but it was all worth it, and part of an excellent weekend.
The cocktail party was great fun....just a random idea of mine. A combination of champagne jellies with vodka soaked strawberries, some random cocktails involving Jagermeister and Corona, along with some jazzed up spicy meatballs went a long way to my rough disposition this morning. It proved to be a good learning experience however and I picked up on a number of useful points. Firstly, never allow non-alcohol drinkers to make cocktails. Secondly, healthy cheesecakes do actually exist and taste pretty darn good. Thirdly, it sometimes takes several cocktails to prove it, but Norwegians can dance. Fourthly, dressing up in slick suits and foxy dresses is not so painful after all. Finally, it is always a pleasure spending quality time with good friends and last night was one of them.
My plans of waking up and watching the boxing live were hopeful to say the very least. I watched it first thing this morning and enjoyed every minute of the fight even if there was a sad tinge inside me at not being there. Floyd Mayweather produced another superb display and outclassed and outboxed Shane Mosley. I actually dreamt that Sugar Shane knocked Floyd out in the fourth round, and in reality he came close in the second. It was one of the first times I have seen Floyd seriously stunned. He recovered extremely well, and closed it out, giving Mosley next to no chance of connecting with him. Absolutely masterful, and no doubt in my mind we are watching one of the all-time greats. It will be a travesty if we do not see him and Manny get it on.....but I am not too hopeful still.
The running is now becoming fun. Even after a night of drinking cocktails, I ran in the rain and thoroughly enjoyed it. It makes a huge difference that I have a star running partner, who pushes me to go further and gives me great support. Without that, I would not be running as far as I am now. I stepped on the scales this evening and weighed in at 93.5kg. The weight loss challenge has been going for five weeks now and I have lost 5.5kg.....I have until the end of this month to lose another 4.5kg, and I’m feeling a bit more confident now. I am guessing the second half of the challenge is going to be much tougher than the first, but positive side of it is that there’s still plenty more weight to shed! The running fun continues, and will have to continue this month, despite being on the road for two whole weeks and racking up the air miles. It is going to be a challenge, but we all love a good challenge don’t we?
The cocktail party was great fun....just a random idea of mine. A combination of champagne jellies with vodka soaked strawberries, some random cocktails involving Jagermeister and Corona, along with some jazzed up spicy meatballs went a long way to my rough disposition this morning. It proved to be a good learning experience however and I picked up on a number of useful points. Firstly, never allow non-alcohol drinkers to make cocktails. Secondly, healthy cheesecakes do actually exist and taste pretty darn good. Thirdly, it sometimes takes several cocktails to prove it, but Norwegians can dance. Fourthly, dressing up in slick suits and foxy dresses is not so painful after all. Finally, it is always a pleasure spending quality time with good friends and last night was one of them.
My plans of waking up and watching the boxing live were hopeful to say the very least. I watched it first thing this morning and enjoyed every minute of the fight even if there was a sad tinge inside me at not being there. Floyd Mayweather produced another superb display and outclassed and outboxed Shane Mosley. I actually dreamt that Sugar Shane knocked Floyd out in the fourth round, and in reality he came close in the second. It was one of the first times I have seen Floyd seriously stunned. He recovered extremely well, and closed it out, giving Mosley next to no chance of connecting with him. Absolutely masterful, and no doubt in my mind we are watching one of the all-time greats. It will be a travesty if we do not see him and Manny get it on.....but I am not too hopeful still.
The running is now becoming fun. Even after a night of drinking cocktails, I ran in the rain and thoroughly enjoyed it. It makes a huge difference that I have a star running partner, who pushes me to go further and gives me great support. Without that, I would not be running as far as I am now. I stepped on the scales this evening and weighed in at 93.5kg. The weight loss challenge has been going for five weeks now and I have lost 5.5kg.....I have until the end of this month to lose another 4.5kg, and I’m feeling a bit more confident now. I am guessing the second half of the challenge is going to be much tougher than the first, but positive side of it is that there’s still plenty more weight to shed! The running fun continues, and will have to continue this month, despite being on the road for two whole weeks and racking up the air miles. It is going to be a challenge, but we all love a good challenge don’t we?
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