Have you ever been so tired you felt like you could literally fall asleep while training on the bike? Or did an injury lead to extra napping, which turned into sleeping 18 hours a day? Have you ever fallen in the depths of fatigue so great you had to be hospitalized?

Active Expert Gale Bernhardt shares the stories of a few athletes who have experienced one or more of these symptoms (triathlete G.D., cyclist R.C., triathlete W.H. and cyclist H.A.).

In her Part I of Examining Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Gale introduces the disease and lays the foundation for a closer look at CFS. In Part II, she ties the athletes' stories together and finds the commonalities and difference between them as well as what they now do to protect themselves when extreme fatigue sets in.

Have you been diagnosed with CFS? Does anyone have any similar experiences? Share them here.