About

Desk to 10k is part of an ongoing effort of mine to reduce the number of hours I spend working in front of a screen...

Yes I know it's ironic that I'm documenting it on a screen. I'll get to that.

Having had a desk job for a number of years up to now, I can confirm that it doesn't take long for the sedentary lifestyle to take a toll on your health. As I was self employed, I didn't stick to the usual 9-5 and could spend an eye-watering number of hours cooped up in front of the computer. It's the perfect recipe for forward head posture, rounded shoulders, tight pecs, kyphosis, sore knees and hips, and various other aches and pains. Not that I was a perfect specimin of health before I started working on the computer. I'm hypermobile, which was probably one of the causes of my dislocated knee when I was 19. I've never been particularly strong. My body-type has been likened to a stick oweing to its lack of muscle or fat, and my stamina has always been non-existent. At school I was the kid right at the back of cross country runs wheezing, light headed and trying not to throw up.

Why then decide to run 10k. Sounds like you didn't enjoy running?

No, I didn't. However, it occured to me that a proper programme of training might make the activity more enjoyable while getting me moving and away from the desk.  That said, running was hardly my first choice when I finally recognised the need to be more active.

In the summer of 2016 I decided to retrain as a massage therapist. My decision was partly influenced by my need for a job that let me be more active, and it it was during my training that the importance of keeping mobile was really hammered home. It was around the same time that I started trying to incorporate exercise into my day to day routines.  I invested in a fitness tracker (one that vibrates when I'm sedentary for too long) and endeavoured to walk some distance every day. It was a weak attempt at improving my fitness as the vibrating was easy to ignore and the habit of working all hours was a hard one to break.

It was clear my fitness needed a stronger commitment, particularly as my new chosen career was a physical one.  On New Year's Day 2018 my resolution was to take exercise more seriously, and I started planning how I might go about this. My first action was to take out membership at my local leisure centre. I scanned their timetable, selected a few fitness classes and booked myself on a fitness room induction. I aimed to pay more attention to my dictatorial wristwatch and move when it prompted me. If possible, I tried to reach the step goal it set anew each day (with mixed success), and decided to tackle my dreadful posture.  To do this I spent many hours on YouTube looking at posture exercises and I signed up for regular pilates classes. By April I was regularly attending weights training, step aerobics, and abs workouts, and was visiting the gym at least once a week. All was going much better, but I wasn't working to any particular goal other than 'feel better and ache less'.

In mid-April, by chance I discovered the Derby 10k whilst online. It piqued my interest as Derby is my hometown and I wasn't familiar with the race (why would I be, I never liked running). It struck me that 10k might actually be an achievable distance for someone who would usually baulk at running 10m. The race had just taken place, so I had a whole year to prepare for the next one. As it's a subject I have shown zero interest in before that was probably just as well, because I knew nothing about it. Nothing about form, training, how not to injure yourself, which shoes to buy, etc.

So why am I blogging about it?
As I'm new to sports training I thought this would be a good way of documenting my progress and experiences. Inevitably there will be days when I ask whether my training is helping (or rather what the hell I was thinking signing up to a running event?). Who knows, it may even help someone else in the same boat one day.