What it’s like to be living with Alzheimer’s, according to my young friend in his 60s
Plus, our April BHK Cookbook Club menu
Hello everyone! I hope you are looking forward to the weekend as much as I am. I just got home from my travels and am happily writing to you with both Orzo and Livvie draped over my feet. When I get up to get another cup of coffee or stretch, they follow me around like, well, the puppy dogs that they are. I think they missed me.
Today I’d like to introduce you to a few of my friends in the mission to prevent Alzheimer’s—Travis and Mark “Mace” Macy. A highlight of the book tour has been to share the stage with the father/son team and their new book A Mile At A Time: A father and son’s inspiring journey of love, adventure, and hope. I love this book! Every family with Alzheimer’s has a unique story to tell, and the Macy family shares theirs with so much kindness, humor, and grit. I know this sounds like a sad book (and it will definitely cause you to tear up at times), but it is also laugh-out-loud funny. You’ll see what I mean in the excerpts they’ve graciously agreed to share with you all here.
Anyone who loves athletic pursuits will be riveted by all the crazy ultra races Travis and Mace endure throughout their long careers as elite athletes. Though Mace was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018, they didn’t want their tradition of breaking records to end. Instead, in 2020, the father/son team decided to enter what has been dubbed The World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji, a grueling seven-day, 400-mile marathon of trekking, climbing, biking, and paddling through the jungle. In Travis’ words:
My anxiety about World’s Toughest Race remained high as spring became summer and the September race grew near. Yes, I was excited, but also uncertain about the wisdom of combining Alzheimer’s with one of the toughest races in the world—especially since Dad’s prospective teammates were all in their 60’s as well.
But first, a little backstory.
What’s it like to be told you have Alzheimer’s at age 64? Well, if you are Mace, an ultra athlete legend and hardworking lawyer looking forward to retirement, it pisses you off. (In his words: This is bullshit.) And if you’re his son Travis, also a legend, training takes on a new meaning: to prevent what could be another devastating diagnosis. (Travis has finished over 120 ultra endurance events in seventeen countries.) They wrote A Mile At a Time together (with author Patrick Regan) to tell their story to support all those impacted by Alzheimer’s: spouses, children, caregivers, friends, and the diagnosee.