Hello. Where do I start? A bit about who I am and what I’m about. So let's start.

I’m Bob Ashworth and I’m going to run in the Great North Run for the St Johns Ambulance team to raise money for their work. I’m 54 years of age and have never attempted to run anything more than to catch a bus, so here we go. I’ve got nine weeks to get up to race survival stage, thirteen miles, oh my God.

I have recently had to leave paid work to look after my aging mother at home so I should have the time flexibility to fit in the required training.

I started training initially in April but unfortunately that coincided with my mother’s illness and as a result I’m still at the novice state with my training. I hasten to add I am no mummy’s boy LOL.

This week I have managed to do two sessions of around 30 minutes on the cross-trainer and one lung-cracking 30 minute run round the streets…(I had to walk at times too).

So watch this space if you want to see someone suffering.