Northern Echo chief reporter, David Roberts, is tackling the Great North Run on behalf of the Tony Blair Sports Foundation. Here's his story on how started the final countdown to the big event.

"I've done the Great North Run twice, but it's fair to say that this year I'm finding it harder than ever.

I decided to do it on behalf of the Tony Blair Sports Foundation, the charity set up by the former prime minister.

In the run-up to the 2012 Olympics, the charity aims to give young people in the region, particularly those who are socially excluded, the chance to get more involved in sport.

Each time I've entered the Great North Run I've aimed to get below the two hour mark, but have yet to complete the race in under 2hr 15mins. This time I look even less likely to to do so, so I decided to take up the offer from the sports foundation's partners, Lifestyle Fitness, for a free training plan and advice.

Lifestyle Fitness also offers five months' free membership to the 100 runners taking part on behalf of the foundation.

At the Lifestyle Fitness gym in Newton Aycliffe, I was introduced to Terry Anderson who was to be given the dubious privilege of getting me into shape.

So far, my training has consisted of jogging and gradually increasing the distance.

Terry immediately worked out that I'd not been warming up properly and so set me away on a "gentle" jog on a treadmill.

Then, while I'm attached to a heart rate monitor, the speed is gradually increased in a bid to find my anaerobic threshold.

Suddenly, with sweat stinging my eyes and beginning to get out of breath my heart frate leaps.

This, apparantly, is my anaerobic threshold and to get better times when jogging I need to work on running shorter distances at this speed.

Then it's onto a strange contraption - basically a belt attached to two pulleys bearing weights. I have to climb up and down on a step as fast as I can while Terry, shouts encouragement.

By the end of the minute (it seems a lot longer) my legs are burning.

It;s time to end the session and Terry gives me a sheet detailing to sort of food I should eat while I am training. I can't promise I'll stick to the training schedule to the letter but I will be back to see Terry at the gym."

If you would like to sponsor David for the Great North Run, visit justvisit.com/david_roberts