Kielder 2024: Krinzia’s run for better mental health
Krinzia De Rosa, one of our a mental health and wellbeing coaches within Northumbria Primary Care, has taken on the Great North Run for Bright already this year. Now, she’s preparing for Kielder too…
Read her blog to discover more about Krinzia’s runner story and why she’s committed to running for Bright.
I have had the pleasure to work alongside Bright Northumbria Healthcare Charity in the past, so have experienced first-hand all of the fantastic work they do for us all. It’s an honour to run for a charity who supports our patients, my co-workers and myself.
Last year I was fortunate enough to get a place through Bright for the Kielder 10K. This was my first ever race after starting my running journey back in December 2022 using the Couch to 5K app to get me started.
Running has dramatically improved my life, both mentally and physically, there is just something about it which is hard to explain in words.
It was something I always spoke about in my line of work, encouraging and support others to do some form of physical activity but for me, it had always been weightlifting for exercise. The day I decided to go for a run I put on my gear as I would for a walk and just said to myself run if you feel like it, no pressure, I did, and I have never looked back.
Running has enabled me to have ‘me time,’ have something to work towards, time out in nature, that feeling of achievement on a regular basis. It has also help improve my resilience, self-confidence, energy levels, and now I sleep like a baby. My alcohol intake is very low now because I recognised the impact this had on my running, and how it made me feel the next day.
After seeing the post in our weekly newsletter, I thought “what have I got to lose,” not thinking I would end up with a place! But I did. I trained, I put in the miles, and I loved every minute of it. Being a part of something, training towards an event like Kielder in such a scenic place, was all the more motivating.
This year I am running the half marathon for Bright, just 30 days after running my first Great North Run, also running for Bright. The Kielder half to me is the next step, and this place now holds a special place in my heart with it being the home of my first ever running event.
A Marathon next year could be on the cards!
Running has given me so much, and now it is just a part of my life, my routine. It has helped me overcome some challenging times over the past couple of years, and it has given me strength and something else to focus on. I have even joined a local running club and attended running events on my own, something I would have never even dreamed of doing, and made some fantastic new friends from doing so. I always remember I am doing this for me, and no one else.
Every Saturday morning you will find me at a local parkrun, and with this the two GP practices I work at are now Parkrun Practices with myself being the point of contact.
My top tip for Kielder is to do it for yourself, listen to your body, and never put pressure on yourself – you’re doing this for you! I always ask myself on those days my motivation isn’t there… Have you ever regretted going for a run? And my answer so far is always no.
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