From Cwmtwrch couch to Barcelona, Kirsty catches running bug

Swansea Bay Communications Assistant Kirsty Phillips can thank disc jockey Reece Parkinson for helping her get into the running groove.

The former Radio 1 DJ was the voice of an NHS approved Couch to 5K app which proved to be the catalyst for a change in lifestyle which has boosted her health and well-being through instilling a lasting love of running.

The popular app has seen Kirsty go from leading a self-confessed sedentary lifestyle to conquering half marathons in a little under 12 months.

The 26-year-old from Cwmtwrch, in the Upper Swansea Valley, is sharing her journey as part of the health board’s Active August* campaign in the hope it will inspire others to take the first steps to a healthier lifestyle.

Kirsty said: “I hadn’t done any exercise since university, and then I only went to the gym a few times a week for a year and that was it.

“But in April last year, on a whim, my cousin wanted to start running. We were going to Cyprus on holiday together in June and she wanted us to be able to run out there.

“She had decided to do the Couch to 5K and wanted to run with someone to keep her accountable. So, I said I'd do it with her.”

The couch to 5K programme is free and widely available to download from the NHS website here.

Kirsty said: “It's an NHS app, where you can choose a coach - I went for Reese Parkinson but there's four or five to choose from including Sarah Millican and Jo Whiley - and it guides you through the programme from week 1 to week 9.

“You start with a mix of running and walking to ease you in.

“As the weeks go on, you build up your stamina and confidence and by the end you'll be running for 30 minutes without stopping.”

Kirsty found it challenging but persevered.

She said: “To be honest with you, in the first week, I didn't think I’d do it because I'd attempted couch to 5K a few times before and given up before week three.

“But this time I thought, I'm really going to do this now because I've got someone who's holding me accountable as well.

“I was absolutely chuffed when I finished it.”

As well as a sense of achievement – she completed her first 5K Parkrun in under 40 minutes soon after - Kirsty began to notice an improvement in her health and well-being.

She said: “It's a massive benefit to your body.

“I don't feel half as tired as I used to, and as for my mental health, I feel a lot better because before I wasn't really moving and felt like I was in a bit of a slump all the time.

“I'm on my phone less, I've got like less headaches and I've got different things on my mind rather than stressing.

“After work I was doing the same things over and over again, whereas now I've got a bit more routine and I'm going out more.

“I'm being more conscious of what I'm eating as well because I'm trying to fuel my body a bit better.”

The plan was to keep running the relatively short 5K distance but that soon changed.

Kirsty added: “I wanted to keep doing casual 5Ks to be honest with you. That was the planbut then I thought, ‘I'll try Swansea 10K, see if I can do it by September. Even if I walk a bit of it, I'll be happy with that.’

“I just wanted to keep going. Because I've felt so much better, I didn't want to go back to just sitting on the sofa after work. I wanted to keep doing more.”

She completed the 10K in a respectable 67 minutes and hasn’t looked back.

The next logical step was to join a running club.

She said: “At the end of September I joined Pontardawe Running Club.

“I was going out in the morning before work but it had started getting dark and I was getting a bit scared, even with my torch on, so I thought I'd better run with some other people now.

“I was really nervous to go but once I’d turned up, everyone was really friendly and welcoming.”

Her new running pals encouraged Kirsty to bigger things – namely a half marathon.

“Joining the running club was the start of a slippery slope because they soon had me signing up for different runs!” she laughed.

“I found myself doing the Llanelli half marathon last February in 2 hours 28 minutes.

“I didn't think I'd ever do a half marathon, because obviously in less than a year I'd gone from not being able to run at all to doing a half marathon, which is crazy. I never saw that happening ever.”

Kirsty’s next challenge is abroad once more, having set her sights on running another half marathon in February, this time in Barcelona.

Kirsty said: “I kept seeing videos of people doing races abroad and really felt like that was something I could do. I’d love to beat my half marathon time of 2 hours 28 and I’ve heard Barcelona is fast and flat so it’s definitely doable. Also, a good excuse to go on holiday!”

Finally, her advice to anyone thinking of following in her footsteps is, quite literally, just take that first step.

She said: “Just give it a go. You may as well because you've got nothing to lose.

“You don't need any fancy equipment for it - I just had my phone literally in my pocket and my earphones on.”

* Swansea Bay UHB’s Active August campaign focuses on helping older people move more to boost their overall health and wellbeing.

Keeping patients active is vital to maintaining physical and mental health and reducing the danger of catching infections such as Covid, flu and other nasty bugs like hospital acquired pneumonias.

Deconditioning can affect anyone, regardless of age, but its impacts are particularly devastating for older and frail individuals leading them to have a greater risk of falling over when they do stand up and move around.

But it’s not just the elderly we are targeting. It’s an indisputable fact that regular exercise boosts health and wellbeing, no matter what age you are.