Polymyositis is a very rare disease of the muscles.. Only a few thousand people in the UK are unlucky enough to suffer from it. My wife, and Jack's friend, Violet is one of them. 

Polymyositis is also a cruel disease: there's no cure and outwardly there's no sign of anything being wrong. So while everything might look fine, even great, it's probably not. On the good days  the muscles in your legs and arms are just sore, on the bad days it feels like you have the flu and on the really bad days it can means being completely immobile.

And the drugs to treat it are crude, with side effects ranging from weight gain through to increased risk of types of cancer. The good news, however, is Polymyositis is rarely fatal.

Violet's fought bravely this disease for the last ten years. Many of you probably didn't know she suffers with it, and, of those that know, very few will appreciate how much she struggles physically. 

So Jack and I are running the Berlin marathon to raise funds for research into Polymyositis. What we raise won't fund a cure but it will make a difference, albeit small. We're also running for bragging rights; first to cross the line will be unbearably smug.