I can't believe another month has gone by since my last Concept2 blog, the time sure is flying by. It's July already and that means one thing to me, my birthday! Hoorah, or not, depending on how you see your own birthday. I'm going to make sure I look forward to my birthday this year, and then enjoy it. In previous years I have dreaded my birthday; it was always another marker, another year gone by where I hadn't achieved my goal of losing my weight (see picture of me to the right before I entered the house). Another year where I would make another self promise to be broken in the next 12 months, "by my next birthday I will be slim again". Last year was the first year that had been ever so slightly different, you see the week leading up to my birthday had been the best week I'd had for a number of years. That was the week that I had submitted my Biggest Loser application form, on July 20th and received a call within a couple of hours inviting me to a casting in Glasgow the day before my birthday on July 22nd. I had found the application by accident a couple of weeks before while looking for a solution to my weight problem on the internet. You see, on July 1st last year in a seminar with 8500 other people, I had made a commitment to my partner, Joanne, that I would lose 90lbs in 90 days. I knew what I had to do, I think I was just looking for a miracle on the internet, and boy did I find one. The minute I found the form and told Joanne she proclaimed that I would win the show, and you know what, I felt that too, for the first time in a long, long, tired out time I believed in me too, I knew it, I knew this was my solution and this would be my platform for where my life would go next, there could be no other outcome. Filling the form took some time, there was that little voice in my head that popped up now and again, that little self doubting energy vampire, but I dealt with him and pressed on. So the day before my 38th birthday I went to Glasgow with my niece Amy for that first casting, the rest, as they say is history.

I share that story every time that I speak at various places around the country. I have had some fantastic emails and messages about what people have decided to do in the next 90 days to change their own lives. I must admit I get a real buzz from them all. I do get slightly worried when I'm told people are leaving their jobs, I should really have a disclaimer in there somewhere! I wonder what anyone reading this can do in the next 90 days to change their own lives, have a think, and please do share with me.

Last month I put myself out there and said I was going to compete in indoor rowing in the next 9 months. Change of plan, I'm going for it in January, if not before, in the English Championship. I have recorded a new 2000m PB of 7:29.8 (image to the right), not the leaps and bounds I had hoped for, but a move in the right direction. I do have a plan, a cunning plan, which if I told you I would have to kill you so I will spare us both the hassle and not tell you. The plan means that by the time it comes to competing I will be at a level where I at least don't show myself up! Masterful, I know. I will compete in my age and weight class of course, 39, my birthday was the 23rd of July, did I mention that? I have been doing work on my fat burning and fitness with intervals and using my Ski-Erg machine for intervals too, the Ski-Erg is an awesome workout, if you haven't tried one, you should.

I'm going to set a challenge this month for my fellow indoor rowers, a 2000m sprint followed straight by 300 kettle bell swings, whatever weight you like, but you know if you're cheating. Get your time and email me them through my website www.kevinmclernon.com, join my list while you are there, for lots more to come from that. That machine of mine will be getting a battering over the coming weeks, I know its up to it so don't worry! I am going to do the Concept2 Rowlympics, basically I need to row 15 hours+ during the Olympics, there is even a downloadable certificate for completing the challenge and the pride of taking part with my fellow country men in beating the rest of the world at something, so come on British men and women get involved and give it a good go, even if you aren't British get involved, just don't put as much effort in, you're busy anyway, and that certificate might use loads of ink, I don't know just saying.

Concept2 Rowlympics

My year of challenges rumbles on, on July 22nd, the day before my birthday, did I mention my birthday? Sorry...... July 22nd I hit the streets of Gateshead/Newcastle for the Great North 10K, another running challenge, I did no running training but I know my fitness has improved on my Concept2 rower and Ski-Erg. My time wasn't as great as I would have liked at 76:51 but I completed the run, and enjoyed it. Once again I was joined by my friend Becci. It's great how we have become running buddies since she started following me on Twitter, I love the power of social media. The support from the sidelines (ie the lazy people watching) was stronger than ever, lots of shout outs and support.

I am trying to get more organised with my challenges and get a web page made and get the charity sorted out. I will be confirming my choice of charity soon, just a few details to sort out there. I have added a crazy challenge in Ireland in November which I will fill you in on at a later date, and my ultimate challenge I want to do next spring will be Kilimanjaro, I will need to raise plenty of cash for that. All my other challenges will be funded by me, except that one which will be through one of my charities; I will however make sure I raise way over the minimum required. If you would like to help me organise these events, to do your own bit for charity or if you have something in mind for me to do and would like to help organise that section, then please do get in touch via www.kevinmclernon.com

I have some big news on a personal front, this is a Concept2 blog exclusive, something I have only shared with a few friends and with an audience when I was speaking and got carried away, I do that you know, get carried away with emotion and excitement, I need to tie myself down sometimes. Ok, sorry, the news: If you watched the Biggest Loser you will know that one of the things I wanted to be able to do was to ask Joanne to marry me, well I did just that, a few weeks ago now, and of course (I wouldn't be telling you this if she hadn't ) she said yes! We are both super happy and excited, even more than I thought we would be. We will be getting married abroad, just us two, in October this year with a party at the awesome Sage building in Newcastle when we get home. This will be the beginning of our next chapter in our exciting new life, a life less ordinary that I was so desperate to give to myself and Joanne, the life I knew she deserved that day last year when I filled out that form for the Biggest Loser just before my birthday, which was on the 23rd of July... did I mention that?