Alfredo enjoys running and finds it contributes greatly to his personal and professional development. He began running as a teenager to build strength for other sports, but now finds running to be a spiritual and reenergizing activity. Running has helped Alfredo make friends through his local running club and improve his skills and marks by running with others at varying levels. Alfredo believes running provides mental and physical benefits and that most can challenge themselves through running. He has found success in overcoming injuries and taking on new challenges through trail running.

1. IE Admission - International MBA
I. Show us an activity you enjoy doing. Tell us how you think it contributes to your
personal and professional development.
One of my free-time activities that I most enjoy is running!
ALFREDO HUERTAS
Architect and runner

2. I’m a runner. I’ve been a runner for most of my life.
I began running when I was 13 years old as a way to
develop resistance for other sports that I practiced.
For me it is an invigorating and reenergizing acti-
vity that has a nearly spiritual dimension as yoga or
martial arts may have for other people.
But running used to be something that I did alone or
with few people until I moved to Geneva and joined
the Geneva runners club. This helped me a lot ma-
king friends. You can find running groups nowadays
on virtually every city. And it’s a nice way of getting to
know a place.
Also the fact of running with other people with diffe-
rent levels helped me improve my marks and cha-
llenge myself on different distances.
Geneva “Jet d’eau” seen from Quai du Mont Blanc
This is the place where Geneva runners usually gather
On the last turn before the finish line of the Lausanne half-marathon , October 2016

3. I’m a running enthusiast. I keep seeing only bene-
fits and metaphors between this sport and the daily
challenges that we face in life.
Some of the best documented benefits are: stress
reduction, improved self-confidence, better focus and
mental stamina, helps improve appearance, impro-
ving bone health and lung capacity...
Everybody can jog or at least everybody can cha-
llenge themselves no matter their health condition.
When I was in colleague I started feeling a lot of pain
whenever I went running. I went through different
doctors. No one really knew, one even advised me to
stop running. But I wasn’t ready to give up. Finally I
went to one orthopedist here in Geneva. He told me
that I had one leg shorter than the other! Not much
just 4mm but enough to disturb me while running. He
made me shoe insoles and now it is perfectly ok!
The only downside that I can imagine is that some
people argue it is not the best sport for knees but I
believe that this is only a problem if you train for very
long distances.
Geneva runners before the Lausanne half marathon, October 2016
My first half-marathon ever, Geneva 2014

4. After run picnic with running friends, Summer 2016
Running along the Quai Wilson, Geneva “Rive droite”
After a nice run there is an uplifting feeling which
is always very rewarding. It is a kind of mental state
where everything seems possible and life just looks
brighter. And if you manage to go running in the mor-
ning this “flow effect” can even follow you for the
rest of the day.
With the Geneva runners we have the habit of going
for a drink after a run. For some the social part is
even more important than running in itself...
For me it is a perfect way to finish a regular day and
in Geneva we even have the chance to go for a swim
in the crystal clear waters of the lake.
Sometimes routine days can be very satisfying!

5. Profile of the 16km Eiger trail race
Running the 16km Eiger trail race, July 2016
Defining new challenges is a way of motivation in
management and in sport. Running uphill and des-
cending in the mountains can be motivating and
rewarding!
Last summer I ran a few trail races here in Swit-
zerland. The most spectacular one was The Eiger
Race. It was a 16 kilometers circuit but the altitude
gain was of 1’600 meters that was done during the
first 8 kilometers. Afterwards it was “flat” for 4 kilome-
ters and then started the downhill part.
But this didn’t mean that the hard part was over after
the eighth kilometer. The paths in the mountain to go
down where not always real paths...so it was tough
too.
I discovered at that moment that descending also
has a technique that you can train and improve.

6. Finishing the Eiger trail race, July 2016Running with the Eiger mountain (3’970meters) in the background
Nike slogan before been “just do it” used to be “there is no finish
line”. Which is also, I guess, a metaphor about struggling and keep
moving no matter the hardships we might face, even at a personal or
professional level.
I keep seeing running metaphors everywhere...
My best marks so far:
10 km: 43’
21 km: 1h 34’
42 km: maybe in Madrid...