My girlfriend, Ella, suffers from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Encephalopathy (or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) -  often shortened to ME/CFS. 

This is a physical disease that ranges in severity from mild to severe but the common denominator is that all sufferers spend a lot (or all) of their time feeling drained/exhausted. This is not to be confused with what most people might consider 'tired'. Think of the tiredness you feel when you're in the worst parts of a flu/virus, but almost every day. Severe sufferers are often completely housebound, some even bed-bound. 

Sufferers can feel fatigued after doing the lightest of activities or social situations and bed rest is not guaranteed to replenish energy levels. A common example with Ells is that there are times that simply the act of taking a shower can be so exhausting that brushing her hair afterwards can feel like an impossible task.

And to top it all off, because of a history of misunderstanding about this disease that has in the past been dismissed as psychological or temporary, means there is a chronic (pun intended) lack of awareness, research and funding for a condition that affects an estimated 250,000 people in the UK alone. 

For all of the reasons above - I am going to set myself what feels like my own impossible task, to run 1,000 miles in a year. I am sure there will be a lot of times when I will feel completely exhausted trying to clock up the miles, but I am blessed to be able to sleep and know that I will wake up in the morning with enough energy for the next day. I'm doing this for those that don't have that guarantee. 

All donations big or small are extremely welcome and will go the ME Association, a UK charity that offers support and advice to sufferers as well as campaigning for better medical understanding and research into the causes and best treatments for this often silent, invisible illness.

It's real.

It's physical.

It's M.E.

- JP