There are a lot of things to do in life. Mark Macy and his son Travis seem to have done them all—Leadville, Badwater 135, Eco-Challenge, Marathon des Sables and HURT 100. They’re both legends in the ultrarunning community. If there were a runner’s equivalent to the popular celebrity column, “Stars – They’re Just Like Us!” these are the men I would expect to see being featured carrying groceries or a box of donuts without knowing they’re being watched by the paparazzi. Yet, in this new book, A Mile at a Time, Travis Macy insists that he and his father are just like everyone else.
They’ve been through the same worries: children, career, money and balancing dreams with obligations. They’ve also been through more. Mark’s wife (Travis’s mother) is the recipient of three organ transplants. Mark also gave one of his kidneys to a stranger who eventually became a friend. They joke that it’s the longest-running kidney in the world.
Maybe grueling races are easier, in comparison.
Diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, Mark was forced into early retirement but resolved to continue doing the things he loves. His dreams of an easy retired life and RV travel, however, are off the table because his greatest competitor is his own body, and the progress of both disease and aging are unpredictable. Yet, even after the Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Mark’s physical fitness remained strong. He simplified his running route so that he won’t get lost running in the mountains among cognitive decline. Instead, he puts in the work running up and down a hill behind his house. On race days, he blazes up mountain trails so fast that he leaves young kids behind.
But the daily challenges line up. Advised to give up his driver’s license, Mace struggled to do so when he’s accustomed to being independent. His wife keeps his journal for him because he can’t remember how to write.
The newfound difficulties in their lives are extreme, but something that a lot of us can relate to. Most of us will never stand on a podium, yet we return feeling victorious after finishing a race. Life has its share of frustrations, but we do what we love even without a gold medal or prize money. While listening to Mark and his son read through their journal entries and raw audio diaries, I can hear their determination. Their voices are literally gritty. What they’re doing while navigating Mace’s Alzheimer’s isn’t hard—it’s relentless.
Alzheimer’s disease affects the skills that Mark Macy relies on for winning races: the ability to read a map, find his balance and perception of speed. It’s not the stereotypical picture of a person forgetting recent memories while remembering older ones. If Travis Macy’s previous book, The Ultra Mindset, was about hammering to the end, this is a book about the other tools in the toolbox. It’s a book about how we perceive life, the people we keep close to our hearts and how they help us.
After his father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Travis suggests that they apply for “The World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji.” There are lawyers wondering whether it’s too much of a risk, of course, and when they finally get cleared to race, it’s at the last minute. On the airplane to Fiji, Mace can’t remember how to use the seat belt.
All the things that the father and son have learned over the years come into play during this epic adventure race. Under a spell of Alzheimer’s, they repeat the mantras they use each day:
- Facing uncertainty makes us stronger.
- Doing hard things is good for us.
- Keep up the pace.
- It’s all good mental training.
- (And of course) Smile for the cameras.
Rowing across the ocean to a distant shore, Mace quips that the island seems to be getting further away; Travis wonders if it’s Alzheimer’s talking, but he feels the same way. How do we trust our own mind? We’ve all second-guessed ourselves and the gains we make getting to the finish line mold us into better people, more resilient versions of ourselves.
There are no spoilers here, but the fear of missing cutoff times becomes more than just symbolic. Returning home to Colorado, a Leadman 50-miler turned into a 50k, but – as Travis points out – when a 68-year-old man with Alzheimer’s runs 32 miles at high elevation in 9.5 hours, it’s still a great day. At races, people ask Mark Macy his age, and he’ll knock off about a decade because he doesn’t remember.
Enjoyable and inspiring, I found myself laughing out loud through the audiobook. Miles of trails eased past, and I went further than I’d planned, so that I could keep listening. It filled my tank. His humor is as dry, steep and rocky as the terrain.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
- The Longest Day fundraiser for Alzheimer’s: June 21 each year – alz.org/thelongestday
- The Route 66 Ultra Run was created by Marshall Ulrich to help raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer’s Association
IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:
- My Final Ride by LeAnn Bednar: Diagnosed with stage-three bone marrow cancer/multiple myeloma, Chuck Christensen resolves to do one last mule ride. From Canada to Mexico, he becomes the first person to complete the Great Western Trail from Canada to Mexico.