I mentioned in my last blog that I had a lot of Biggest Loser anniversaries coming up. Well as I write this I am looking back exactly one year and remembering a day I will never forget. It was a Sunday in a not so sunny Sunderland, and I was stood on a scale, wearing nothing but a pair of 7xl shorts, in the middle of a shopping precinct and in front of me stood around 25, or so, of my friends and family. This was the start of the TV part of my Biggest Loser journey. I stood and made a pledge that I was never going back, I would never be this heavy again, that I would be the person I was meant to be and give my partner Joanne the life she deserved, it was tough, perhaps the toughest thing I have ever had to do and I wouldn't wish to repeat the experience. That all being said it was also the most empowering thing I have ever done. There was no going back, I wouldn't be that heavy again and Joanne was going to get someone more deserving of her. After doing that how could I not make all this happen, I knew this would be shown on TV regardless of how well I had or hadn't done, I had to go home and face these people if I hadn't followed through on my commitments. That was never going to happen. The toughest part of the whole day for me wasn't standing there myself but seeing my Niece Amy take to the scales herself and do the same thing I'd had to do. She found it tough, she did it though, I was so proud of her and I knew she was never going back either.

We arrived at the Biggest Loser house via a 5km cross country run, the aim was not to come last, we came second last, thanks to my time around the course, but it was good enough to avoid being certain of being up for elimination the next week. One year on and Amy and I will be taking part in this year's Great North Run, the world's biggest and best half marathon. I'm extra excited to be running with a number I was given by the organisers, 1973, my birth year. Get me! I feel all special! The run finishes just at the end of my parents street, so I am heading for home. Watch this space next month for an update, and if you're on the race course look out for me, I'm the one with the red face and steam coming off me.

The run is part of my 'year of challenges' I set myself, the September challenge. In August I completed my first "peak" challenge. I want to scramble to the top of the highest peaks in the UK starting with my home peak of The Cheviot, the highest peak in North East England. I want to do them all in order so next up is Scar Fell pike, in the first week of October. The Cheviot was a hard one, tough steep accent all the way up, it didn't help that I left my phone at one of our stop offs and had to run down the hill again to luckily retrieve it, all extra exercise I suppose. At the top I was surprised at how pleased I was to reach the peak. Almost slightly emotional is how I would describe how I felt as I got there and touched the monument on the top. I was happy to share that moment with my brother Michael, we have enjoyed a renewed bond getting out and about on our hikes over the last 10 months, being outdoors sure helps clear the head and feeds the soul. It's a bonus that I have no mobile signal most of the time at these places.

Work on the rower continues, I seem to have hit a wall because I don't have new 2000m PB to report, my fellow competitors in any indoor rowing competition can rest easy and stop shaking in their boots for now! I will be back, next month I will have a new PB! The ski-erg is a great piece of kit and really gets me working up a sweat. I usually do intervals on both machines. Joanne, my partner, likes to use it too, I would love to get her really into it and we could compete together at indoor rowing competitions. Watch this space for that! I'm forever telling people how great the rower is for fat loss. I have had lots of great messages about people trying it out and competing with my time and their friend's times down the local gym. I really genuinely believe that my use of the rower made the difference for me in The Biggest Loser.

I have a Facebook group. Kevin's Facebook Losers. There are over 430 members, it's a very active group, just for those who have weight to lose and want to get support and help from others in the same boat or perhaps people who have been there and done that. The people in the group are all so supportive of each other and what we are all trying to do in there, I'm really proud of it. The group has become so popular that I have agreed to organise a get together. I expect we won't get everyone there but if I can get 50 of them there it will be a result. The day will take place in Nottingham in November, the home of Concept2. So I am busy trying to think of a record attempt we can go for using the rowing machines and all these people in the same place at the same time. Send me your ideas to www.kevinmclernon.com.

On Tuesday the 18th of September I will be at The Leisure Industry Week event at the Birmingham NEC on the Concpet2 stand, as well as speaking for around 15minutes at 11:00am on the main stage. It would be great to meet some of you readers there, come along and say hello, and maybe get a picture with my now legendary giant jeans! Until next time, stay healthy.