SPOTLIGHT: Kendra Arnold

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their Alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

This has been surprisingly hard for me to get started writing!

Alzheimer's has affected people I care about for a long time; my maternal

Grandmother (or as I knew her, Grandma Tootsie) and my paternal Grandfather (who didn't have a nickname, but did have a great sense of humor), both had Alzheimer's and passed away in the 1990s.

I first noticed that my dad might have some signs of Alzheimer's when my parents came to visit me in New Jersey and my dad had some issues finding the hotel from my apartment, even though they were less than 3 blocks away from each other. I don't want to say that's why I finally got married after living together for almost 10 years, but it sort of is (of course, having an awesome guy to marry played a strong part in this decision also!). I really wanted my dad to be there for it.
Anyhow, I am going to try to keep this story mostly about the last year and how running and Alzheimer's fit together. I'm sure if you asked me tomorrow, I might take a different approach.

In early 2010, I stayed with my parents while my mom had surgery and was out of commission as my dad's caregiver. Anyhow, in the year so so leading up to this, I had gained a lot of weight and felt pretty worried about my parents, and while I still was riding my bike to work, I wasn't very healthy myself.
At one point during this trip, I was helping my dad with something, and having trouble myself, and it occurred to me that unless I took care of myself, I wasn't really going to be able to help anyone in the future. When I got home to New Jersey, I started with a Couch to 5k Running app on my iPhone, and it was awesome. I am sort of Facebook addict, and it would post my runs to Facebook, and it really helped to have people encouraging me on.
Besides feeling a bit healthier after trying to start running, I found running was really awesome in other ways. Being by myself without a lot of distractions was a great way to clear my head, and I spent a lot of the time thinking about my dad. You can also listen to the cheesiest songs and feel sad or happy or inspired, while thinking about things, which was great. I think I had a lot of imaginary conversations with my dad when I was running (and still do!), and some of them were like "Can you believe I just ran 3 miles?"
So! At some pointt, I found out about the Alzheimer's Association Marathon team and was really inspired, and also spent a lot of time reading people's stories and blogs on their training and what was happening with their families. It was really helpful and made me think that maybe I could do that too.

I continued on with a 10k training program on my iPhone, and signed up for an 8k in September during a visit to my parents. My father's Alzheimer's was progressing, and he went into assisted living while I was there. I still showed up for the run tho, and my mom was there to cheer me on (and also pass out Kleenex to thankful runners when the port-a-potties ran out of tp, thanks mom!)
Then I a few 5ks and 10k and then signed up for series of winter trail runs, leading up to a half marathon marathon in the spring. The first trail run was on December 11, and the second was on January 15, 2011. I had a post New Year's trip to visit my parents planned in between these runs, and when I got off the plane, my mom met me and I found out my dad had suddenly taken a bad turn the day before and was really not doing well at all. He passed away on January 5.

I think I came back home on January 14 and drank a lot of wine, and then got out of bed and hitched a ride out to the trail run. I was seriously a winner just for showing up for this one, but I have to say that running in the snow (or trying to) through the woods is pretty comforting. I think my dad would have appreciated it.

I kept running, but I also signed up for the Five Boro Bike Tour in the spring and rode on the Alzheimer's Association team. It was great experience and I was really grateful when I found out that I could be on the team to run the New York City marathon.

While I have been thinking about this run since last year, it really just dawned on me how far that is in the last week and that I need to really try a little bit harder to keep going. I am pretty sure I can do it, and I appreciate the opportunity to try, that's for sure.

I wish I could fit into this essay all the great stuff my dad did and was, but I would really need many, many, many more pages. I do want to say that one thing people kept asking me over the last few years, was "does he know who you are?" and I really don't know. I knew who he was though, and I think that's what mattered. I miss him!

SPOTLIGHT: Brette Polin

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their Alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

As my Grandma Vivian is looking down on us, she’s smiling at this picture of her three granddaughters, myself and my sisters, Carly and Melanie, and her great-grandsons, Ryan and Drew (beautiful children by her granddaughter Beth and her husband Jordan and her grandson Jason and his wife Jessica). Grandma Vivian, my maternal grandmother, passed away in spring ’97 after years of suffering from Alzheimer’s and, later on, heart conditions. While I still choke up every time I share my grandmother’s story, I realize so many people relate and understand the evilness of the disease.

As the mother of three children, Ronald, Carol (my mom), and Alan, the wife to Benjamin, and a teacher, Grandma Vivian was a devoted, dedicated, loving, beautiful woman with a very big sweet heart who spent most of her life in Brooklyn, New York and many of her later winters in Boca Raton, Florida. She was a widow earlier in life when my grandfather passed away in ’79, and I always wonder if my grandfather had still been around if she would have overcome the disease or, at least, prolonged her deterioration. But as studies show, it has a genetic component—and my mom believes that her grandmother (my Grandma Vivian’s mother) suffered from it too. The scariest part, to me, is where it spreads from there…

My grandmother had caretakers the last years of her life, but, in my eyes, my mom was the true hero who really took care of her throughout the most challenging times and had to make many of the hard decisions for her. My mom experienced all the hardships firsthand and was the one who received the early phone calls from neighbors about my grandmother acting “strange” and asking “odd” questions—similar to most sufferers reverting back to their long lost past. As the stages progressed, my grandmother started becoming more and more remote and losing recognition of loved ones. When she past away, no one was emotionally prepared for her loss but mentally we knew she was at peace and so was the family’s anguish.

It’s in Grandma Vivian’s memory that I run my first marathon. I pray everyday that we can find a cure for this crippling disease—and that Ryan and Drew only know Alzheimer’s as a condition of the past, not the domino effect it can have on the future.

SPOTLIGHT: Susan Girling

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their Alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

When I ran the NYC marathon in 2007 & 2008 it was an amazing experience. The supportive spectators and fellow runners are so inspiring. But I found that I was envious of the other runners that were running for a cause that was important to them. At the time I wished there was a team that ran for Alzheimer’s since it was a disease that had affected my family. After some time off from running to become a mom, I was thrilled to learn that a team had been created to run for Alzheimer’s disease. I had to join.

My grandmother passed away from Alzheimer’s disease in May 2006. She was “Granny” to everyone she met, looking out for & supporting them all. Her pride and joy was her family and all her grandchildren. She was always positive, courageous, patient and kind- the one you turn to for advice. She inspired us all to seek out the best in each other and ourselves. When she was diagnosed with the disease in 2004 it was quite a blow to my family. The person who had taken care of others for so many years was now unable to care for herself, and this made her very sad and us too. It was difficult for my family to see her decline and not be able to do anything about it. Day by day a person with Alzheimer's loses a part of the person they had been. We all felt this loss as she declined. I will be thinking of my Granny through every mile and I know she will be cheering me on to the finish. I will also be running for my mother who selflessly cared for my granny each day as she suffered through the disease.

Training for the 2011 NYC marathon with the Run 2 Remember team has been excellent so far. I look forward to the continued support, encouragement & cheers we can give to each other in our fundraising efforts and our push to the finish line in Central Park. We can do great things together to the fight Alzheimer’s. Thank you and GO team!

SPOTLIGHT: Nancy Israel

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their Alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

I absolutely want to share our story. And I say share because it belongs to all of us in some way, to my extended family, to our communities, and to the Team. It's why I avidly pursued joining the Team, because I knew that by sharing the goal of running the NYC Marathon with others who had experienced the loss and heartbreak of Alzheimer's would help to make the whole bitter experience of the loss bittersweet. There is nothing that compares to the challenge of living with the harsh reality of Alzheimer's, but the challenge of the marathon and meeting it is a source of strength that can be extended to all aspects of life. I am honored to run with my team members, who are as dedicated and sympathetic a group of people as I've encountered anywhere. And it's going to take awesome team work if the research and advocacy ahead of us is to be realized.

I think the best way I can tell the story of my sister Susan, diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's Disease at age 50, is by providing a link to an article published in the Ladies Home Journal a year ago called "Losing Sue: A Story About Alzheimer's Disease". http://www.lhj.com/health/conditions/mental-health/losing-sue-a-story-about-alzheimers-disease/

I welcome all suggestions of resources for my two teenage nieces who don't have any peers who share their dreadful situation.

The Sister, Nancy Israel

I first noticed that Sue was having memory problems about six years ago. She wouldn't remember our phone conversations from one week to the next. She'd ask the same questions again and again. Initially I dismissed it as the stress of her hectic life: She was a working mom with two little kids. But her memory loss kept getting more noticeable -- and more worrisome.

There was one really strange incident: Sue was staying overnight at my house. When we were setting up the trundle bed in the guest room, the bed collapsed on my foot. It hurt and I made a pretty big deal of it. The next morning I was complaining that my foot was still really sore and Sue asked why.

"Don't you remember that the bed fell on it last night?" I asked.

"It did?" she said. Even when I described the whole scene she had no recollection of it. None. It was as if it never happened. That totally freaked me out.

I urged Sue to see a doctor, but she refused. She said that her memory issues were because she was getting close to menopause. Eventually, though, her husband, Jeff, persuaded her to get examined by a local neurologist.

Sue went to that appointment alone and never fully told me what the doctor said. Maybe she didn't remember. I know he gave her an MRI, which showed that everything was normal. She was relieved and insisted that her memory problem was caused by hormones and stress. I wasn't convinced.

Coincidentally, I met Alan Jacobs -- a highly regarded New York neurologist who specializes in memory-loss disorders -- who happens to live in my town. I gave Sue his number and begged her to call him, but she didn't.

Over the next year things kept getting worse. I had the sense her marriage wasn't going well. By now she had quit her job and spent most of her time sitting around all day long. Jeff was working full-time and ended up having to deal with the girls and the house. Sophie and Emma were upset because Sue was always forgetting things. They'd have to remind her again and again to sign their homework. She'd forget to pick them up from school. She had trouble driving --since she couldn't remember how to get anywhere -- even places she'd been to hundreds of times. Finally Sue agreed to meet with Dr. Jacobs. I went with her to the first appointment.

SPOTLIGHT: Jean McCormack

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their Alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

In 2006, during a family reunion to celebrate my mother’s 80^th birthday, it became clear that something was wrong. We were unable to send Mom from one room in the complex to another without her getting lost. Shortly afterwards, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

My sister, Ann, had never moved out of our parents’ house. She became Mom’s primary (and only) caregiver. I would offer help but she always declined saying “Mom’s not that bad”. When Ann was let go from her marketing job in early 2008 because of mistakes she was making we all assumed it was due to the stress of taking care of Mom. There were certainly no obvious signs that Ann suffered from the disease herself.

In April of 2010 Mom broke her hip and passed away 2 weeks later. It was then I discovered the Exelon patch on Ann’s arm. I googled the drug, stared at the screen, and thought “Oh my God! The doctors must be wrong.” Ann was a world traveler, hiking Kilimanjaro, Chili, Bhutan and Mongolia on high altitude treks. It must be stress, lack of sleep, lead poisoning, something reversible. Eventually we discovered she was diagnosed in 2008 at the age of 48 with early-onset Alzheimer’s. She never mentioned it to anyone.

After Mom’s death, all Ann wanted was to live in the house our parents built (we’re talking swinging the hammers not just writing a check), in the same bedroom we shared as kids. By August we had someone coming in twice a week, and by Christmas multiple cases of food poisoning led us to have a heart to heart talk with her about moving into Assisted Living.

She now lives here in Boulder about 5 miles from us. She is declining rapidly, has lost 3 of her ADLs, and is having an increasingly hard time with language comprehension and expression. She often has that vague lost look that many Alzheimer’s patients get. She does enjoy visiting us, playing with our 5 cats, taking walks, going out to lunch, gardening, and visiting the cat shelter at which we volunteer. I doubt we have much time left to do even these simple things with her. It’s very difficult for me to see the life basically sucked out of her and to watch her deteriorate. We were not only sisters, but best friends as kids -- she was the older more responsible sister. It seems very unfair that just as she was released from the self imposed responsibility of caring for Mom, she is unable to do the things she loved to do. She can’t travel, she can’t take walks by herself, she can’t even find her room.

This will be my 8^th marathon but I have never run NY before. My husband teases me that after every marathon I swear I’ll never run another one. Hah! It’s like childbirth, you forget how much it hurts a few months later. Last year running took a backseat to dealing with Mom and Ann and a bad case of plantar fasciitis. This year I needed something to relieve stress so I decided to go for the ultimate marathon, the NYC marathon. I entered the lottery, but when I saw the Alzheimer’s Association as one of the charity groups I thought “Cool! I can relieve stress and raise money for a cause that hits so close to home.” So in honor of my mom (Doris Ehlers) and my sister (Ann Ehlers) I’ll be joining you all in New York on November 6^th.

SPOTLIGHT: Steven John Gorss

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their Alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

My connection with Alzheimer’s and running came somewhat by chance. In high school I was a three sport athlete who was always very active. When I got to college I found myself not really doing much. I was not good enough to play for my University and intramurals were poorly organized. So still wanting to be fit and active…I started to run. I went to school in NYC and have many wonderful memories running through the city. One summer specifically I worked at Bouchon Bakery in Columbus Circle. I worked the early morning s

hift and it allowed me to get long afternoon runs through Central Park. It was great! Since my running quest began early in my college career it has really taken off and since I have run in numerous races including two full marathons.

As you can probably understand, I have the marathon bug and was looking for ways do more. Since my running quest started, the NYC marathon has been a “bucket list” goal. I knew it would be difficult to get in without working with a charity and since I had run the Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach with Team in Training, I asked them for advice.

They were the ones who introduced me to the Alzheimer’s Association and their connection to the race. It was fate…

I can now accomplish a running goal of mine while helping my grandmother. My grandmother has been suffering from Alzheimer’s for over a decade now. It has been devastating for our family and each day gets more difficult. I am proud to be a member of the team and hope that my fundraising as well as awareness can help the fight.

SPOTLIGHT: Farron McIntee

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each day or week for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

My connection to Alzheimer’s disease is personal and professional. I have spent the past 5 years completing a Ph.D. program in biomedical sciences; my thesis project is on Alzheimer’s disease. I am working to identify targets for treatment, prevention and markers for preclinical intervention. My research project has received grant support from the International Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. My research perspective has instilled a sense of urgency; we must find effective measures for treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a societal and public health crisis!

My maternal grandfather suffered from dementia for many years until he passed away in 2003. I have a granduncle that passed away from Alzheimer’s disease in 2007. I now have a grandaunt that currently has vascular dementia. Thus, I am extremely aware of how an Alzheimer’s disease diagnoses change the lives of entire families.

Running and completing the NYC Marathon has been a personal goal since 2006. Running with Team R2R as I am completing my Ph.D. program is truly a culminating experience. I am running in support of the NYC Alzheimer’s Association, with Team R2R, to honor all Alzheimer’s disease patients, their caregivers, and their friends and family members. I am dedicated to continuing to raise awareness for the disease, as well as generating support for advancement of Alzheimer’s (and related dementias) research.

SPOTLIGHT: Alexis and Nicholas Versandi

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each day or week for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

Just over 10 years ago our mother, Rosalyn, helped care for our grandmother, who eventually passed away from Alzheimer’s. Little did we know, it would be 4 years before our mother would be diagnosed with the same disease.

Our mother had always been the fix it person in our lives. She really could make anything better. She had a plan of action for every obstacle. The right words to ease any upset. A ready, clean tissue in her purse for every tear or scrape. And a hug that made us feel calm and safe.

Each stage of her accelerating decline has brought a new sadness, probably because the one time she has needed us to find a remedy, we have been unable to. For a woman who loved to interact with others, she’s no longer able to communicate. On the few occasions she was able to convey her own sense of complete helplessness, her sorrow was palpable. Since, normal daily activities have become a struggle for her, if not impossible. She is a shell of the driven, capable woman she was not too long ago. In her eyes, through a thin layer of cloud, we can sometimes see she’s still in there, but there’s nothing that can bring her back.

Every step of the way our father, Stephen, has shown tremendous love, support and patience in caring for her. His strength and selflessness is truly humbling.

Always active but never “runners”, my brother and I are running the NYC Marathon for the Alzheimer’s Association in support of our amazing parents and all the wonderful memories they have given us. Hopefully this comparatively small accomplishment will help ensure that at some point in the near future others won’t have to endure the same pain our family has experienced.

In honor of all those who have suffered, are suffering and will suffer from this horrible and currently incurable disease that robs one of something so precious – their memories. And of course, to all those incredible people who care for them.

The Coaches

Brian Hsia
Brian Hsia had a dream in creating an official team for the Alzheimer’s Association in participating as a charity for the New York City Marathon in 2006. He joined the Junior Committee (JC) to learn more about the Alzheimer’s Disease because his grandmother first showed signs of it in 2003. He brought up the idea to former JC President, Meghann McKale, which probably at the time thought he was crazy. He got that dream fulfilled in 2009, after 2 years of rejection and despair applying and reapplying. Modeling the program from two previous Alzheimer’s Association chapter running programs: Chicago and Boston, and teaming up with an even crazier runner, Jeff LeBlanc, they set forward in putting a running program together in 1 month. (really,first impressions of Jeff was that he had to stay off the caffeine.)

Trained as an architect, Brian has been running since high school in Westchester, NY. Since moving to New York City seven years ago, he has evolved from a sprinter into a long distance runner. When Brian attempted to run his first half marathon, his only goal was to "complete" the race. He now runs ultra marathons and multiple marathons in the same weekend. The marathon is his favorite distance with the perfect combination of speed, distance and time. He has competed in 30 marathons and has a quest to complete a marathon in all 50 states. He recently ran his personal record of 2:54:42 in the 2010 Boston Marathon. He enjoys running competitively, although giving back to the running

community is a better satisfaction than any personal achievement. Best known for running with his camera and taking pictures of teammates, and capturing race moments along the way, he enjoys saying hello to friends in Central Park.

Trained as a Road Runners Club of America and USA Track and Field certified coach, he is also the New York City marathon coach for the New York Road Runners Team for Kids in New York. Brian

also served as the co-director of the marathon training program for the New York Flyers, one of the largest running clubs in New York City and has been featured in The New York Times.

Brian’s advice to a new runner training for a marathon is, “Just have fun with it. Have no expectations, enjoy the moment and believe in yourself. You are doing this for yourself. You will gain so much more than you will expect as you bond friendships, memories, and new experiences in your life”

Jeff LeBlanc

I found Brian and Meghann in 2008 after a phone call to the NYC Chapter about ways to get involved in the fight against Alzheimer's (my grandmother was in advanced stages of the disease at the time). Their energy for the cause was contagious and inspiring, so I signed up immediately to help out wherever possible: as a JC Treasurer early on, and when R2R finally came together in 2009 thanks to their valiant efforts, as a team coach and P.P.A. (Peer Pressure Administrator -- to get first-timers signed up and excited to run the race, of course)!

I'm honored to be coaching the team for a second time. This year will make me a three-peat R2R member (woohoo!). In terms of experience, I have a weird mix of 45 marathons and ultramarathons under my belt, including a 100-mile run in Vermont to raise $25,000 for the Alzheimer's Association in 2008. I've experimented with barefoot / minimalist running, different footstrikes, various running fuels, handheld water bottle running, etc., so if you have any questions in these areas, I am happy to talk your ear off!

My one piece of advice for a marathon first-timer: don't look ahead to 26.2 in the beginning. Look ahead to your next training run. Complete that, add it to your log, feel good. Another notch on your belt and then it's on to the next training run. You're going to have down days, or days off, and that's okay. Live in the moment. Have fun with the training, fundraising and team building. Don't worry, the race will be waiting for you when the time comes. And if you put in the time, we promise -- you'll be ready for it.

Alexandra Cohen
I am not directly affiliated with the Alzheimers’s association, but have become dedicated to spread awareness and the fight against Alzheimer’s. When I was asked to be part of the 2010 it was a great honor. I am excited, amazed and thankful to be with a team that has such passion for the reason why they are running.

My role as a coach is to design a run specific/technical training program, as well as avoid, treat, and beat injuries. My background is in Exercise Science (slowly advancing to exercise physiology). I am licensed in manual therapies with multiple sports specific certifications. I have both personal training and group fitness certifications through ACSM, NSAC, ACE and Advanced first aid.

In my teens I trained and competed as an elite athlete (not running). Some of my worst and best, mental, and physical moments occurred during my training and racing seasons. When I decided to stop, I also decided to try every other extreme sport and resulted in a life altering injury that led me to be a runner. My recovery started with walking up 2 steps and ending with a ½ marathon. Today, running is something I love and am passionate about.

Meghann McKale

When I first moved to New York, in 2002, my grandmother was already in the late stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. I wanted to do something in her honor and I was lucky enough to find the Junior Committee, an amazing group of young people dedicated to raising funds and awareness in the fight against Alzheimer’s. As time passed I became more involved in the group, and in 2006 I was elected President. Each year we applied to be an official Marathon charity and each year we were denied – until 2009, when we were finally accepted, and I decided to dive in and run the Marathon myself! I had no running experience at all, but I wanted to do something big to bring attention to the fight against Alzheimer's. That first Marathon was one of the greatest experiences of my life, so I kept running, and joined Team Run to Remember again in 2010. I've finished two New York City Marathons and seven half marathons. This year, I am beyond honored to be part of the R2R coaching team. I'll be certified by RRCA as a running coach in July. Read more about my adventures at http://meghannonthemove.wordpress.com.

My one piece of advice for a marathon first-timer: “Believe in the training, believe in yourself.”

SPOTLIGHT: Michael Frank

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each day or week for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

I hope you all had a great 4th of July! As many of you know, I started running a few years ago as a means of creating balance in my life, and hopefully living a healthier lifestyle. Once I became hooked on running, I decided that I wanted to do something more with my new-found passion. The answer was simple! I was going to use running to help raise money and awareness for the one thing I hate most in my life...Alzheimer's. As a result, I raised close to $8,000 last year, while participating in several runs. So...this year I've decided to turn it up a notch!

On November 6th I am running the 2011 NYC MARATHON, and will be a member of the Alzheimer's Run To Remember Team! And not only am I pushing myself to run 26.2 miles, but I am pushing all of you to help me hit my goal of $10,000! I know that I can reach both of these goals with your support.

Alzheimer's is a horrible, horrible disease. Many of you may know that my mother, who just celebrated her 78th birthday in April, and her 55^th wedding anniversary in June has been suffering with this terrible
disease for at least the last 8+ years. In fact, over the last 10 months my mom has gone from living somewhat independently at home to living in an Alzheimer's facility where she receives 24/7 hospice care. She has broken both hips and her femur in the last 6 months. And worst of all, she has no idea who I am, and will never again enjoy all of the pleasures that comes from being a grandmother to 2 beautiful girls.

I realize there is nothing that can be done to help my mom, but I know that if I do something, my daughters and their children might not have to go through what I am now. Don't let this disease continue to wreak havoc on other families!

My goal is to build awareness, and hopefully assist in some small way towards finding a cure for Alzheimer's.

Thanks for reading, and thank you for your support.

I don't just run for my health, I run for my mom.

SPOTLIGHT: Team Wells

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each day or week for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

Team Wells includes Ron & Diane (48) & Adam (20). Because I (Diane) am most closely associated with the disease, I will speak for our family.

My mother, Ramona, was officially diagnosed in April 2007, but she was so good at compensating that we missed almost the entire first stage. She is currently in the final stage & has no meaningful connection to her outside world, cannot speak, has no voluntary motor skills & is severely contracted (rigid). She recently broke a tooth, chewed it up & swallowed it without so much as a change in her expression. She still lives at home with my 84-yr-old father, which has taken a terrible toll on him. For over three years, my siblings and I have maintained a daily schedule of caring for my mother - an exhausting challenge to juggle with the demands of our own families & careers.

Ron & Adam have been loving, supportive & understanding, as I frequently put our needs behind those of my parents; that can get old, even in the closest of families. I love them both for this gift. Ron & my mom were buddies, and I used to tease her that I was convinced she loved him more than she did me! As high school class president, Adam gave a beautiful speech about the importance of leaving a tangible & significant legacy, because he has seen that memories alone are simply not enough. Alzheimer's is like death that keeps happening, over & over again. It lingers, and I resent it for what I interpret to be its enjoyment of our sorrow. Be done with it, already. How many times can we say, "Uncle?"

Adam announced in January 2011 that he wanted us to run the NYC marathon as a family. Ron & I responded with wide-eyed stares; none of us could be considered a serious runner. As supportive parents, of course our reply was "we're in!" - but we were secretly thinking, "are you kidding me?!" We love Adam's adventurous spirit & that he so often includes us in his plans, so....how could we say no? We began training immediately.

Learning about the options for participating in the marathon quickly made it clear to me that there was one team for us: Team R2R. It HAD to be this team, to give us a unified goal with a clear purpose, to feel like we were doing something helpful in the midst of feeling so utterly helpless. As it turns out, it has also been rewarding and revealing to see the power in setting and achieving goals - a great life lesson - and we still have four months to go!

Thank you for the opportunity to join your community, and to support your efforts to fight Alzheimer's Disease. We honor you for your dedication! See you in November!

SPOTLIGHT: Thomas Munds

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each day or week for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

I am connected to the Alzheimer’s disease not by choice but by necessity. I am sure that is the case with most of us. My mother passed away in Feb 2011 from this dreaded disease. For me the passing was not the hardest part, the years leading up to the end were the most difficult to deal with. Her loss of memory was the toughest for me, not knowing who I was, asking my oldest sister who the guy out in the driveway was. I wanted to scream “Mom, it’s me, you only son, your youngest child”. But, I knew that would not help in any way. So I would just yell those things in my head, wipe away he tears and tell her that I will see her again real soon. Hoping the next time she would remember me. I realized I lost “my mother” years before she actually passed. We lost her mentally years ago, but only lost her physical presence in February. Don’t get me wrong, I miss her very much and would take just her physical presence back if I could. I have only been running for a few years and I started running to help raise funds for charity. My first charity fund raising task in 2010 was for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. I have a friend who lost his wife to this disease and we decided together to run and raise money for his cause. Then in 2011 I decided to run to raise money for Alzheimer’s. This year I signed up for 13 runs, 4 full marathons and 9 half marathons. It is a challenge and it is not easy. During those days when I am not motivated, mentally not wanting to run. I just think about my Mother and tell myself that Alzheimer’s never stopped destroying her, it never quit. So I cannot quit, I cannot stop. I must keep going, keep trying, keep pushing forward. One step at a time, one dollar at a time and hopefully someday soon a cure will be found.

Running the NYC marathon was an easy decision for me. It is considered to be one of the biggest, well known marathons out there. Initially, I wanted to run in a famous run to add some flair to my fund raising. I believed that as the reader was looking through the list of runs I was planning on participating in I needed something to jump off the page to make them say WOW, I want to help. It did exactly that, a lot of conversations started off with “are you really running in the NYC Marathon”? And from there I could gradually steer the conversation from the run to the main cause, raising money for Alzheimer’s research, caregivers, etc. I am really excited about this event, I get fired up for all the other runs but this one already has me excited and anxious. This run is known worldwide and I cannot think of a better way to raise money for Alzheimer’s, other than running in one of the biggest marathons in the world.

*** Attached is a shirt I had made up for every marathon or 1/2 marathon I run in for Alzheimer's ******

SPOTLIGHT: Elizabeth Jonckheer

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each day or week for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

Two years ago I did not consider myself a runner. I was an ex-swimmer who rode my bike, sometimes did yoga and smoked the occasional cigarette. Yes I admit it, I was a smoker! As of today, I have completed two NYC marathons as part of team Run to Remember and while I still ride my bike (we are a rare breed, according to the recent NY Times article) and take the occasional yoga class I no longer feel the urge to smoke. But I didn't start running to quit smoking, I was, for those of you who don't know, a division one swimmer who grew up in the pool. It all started when I received an email from the Alzheimer's Association announcing their acceptance into the marathon as a charity team and calling for applications for the first NYC team R2R. After years of cheering during the marathon, and years of hearing myself say, "I'm going to run next year!" I applied for the team. Needless to say, my life has never been the same.

I run for Nana, my paternal grandma who suffers from dementia. I run for my father who is her primary caregiver. I run for my family, friends and Nana's friends who care for her, love her and visit her. I run to cope with the fact that I live 3,000 miles away from Nana and can't often visit. I run for everyone who suffers directly and indirectly from this horrible disease. I run for everyone who is working to find a cure. I run for everyone who supports those in need. I run to send the message that if you want to run a marathon you can run a marathon. During my first marathon in 2009 I saw a man running with no legs over the 59th street bridge. If I have learned anything from this amazing journey it is that the journey is what counts and if there is a will there is a way. And finally, I run for Team Run To Remember.

SPOTLIGHT: Alfred Battista

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each day or week for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

Alfred Battista's Parents

My mom was diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s two and half years ago. She hosted Christmas Eve every year since as long as I can recall. My family along with my two brothers gather at my folks house each year. Including our kids and their spouses we total over 20! She does all the preparing. Being of Italian decent that includes a variety of pasta and seafood dishes. 2007 Christmas Eve preparation became increasingly difficult as she just couldn’t keep up with all that was required. She became very frustrated and depressed. That is when we took her for tests and she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. She went from an incredibly smart and independent senior to one that has difficultly in doing and recalling the simplest day to day activities. She was an avid member of America Online until the age of 80 emailing her 9 grandchildren who were off at college daily. She would check the results of my NYRR’s races online and before I made it home would call me on my cell to congratulate me on my time!

It has been especially difficult for my Dad who is 88 since she literally did everything for him from “soup to nuts”: the check book, the savings accounts, the birthday gifts, retirement planning, cooking, housecleaning , you name it she did it. Now he has been taken to do all she has in the past. He is doing a great job but it hasn’t been easy.

Anyway she continues to amaze me with her incredible positive attitude and sense of humor. I have yet to see her down at any point during this process. I believe the medication she is on has helped. While there is no cure it has slowed the process.

I just hope it continues to help. That is why I’m involved with the R2R Team because I can see firsthand the benefits that research has provided and that with additional funding it can only speed of the process of finding a cure.

Since my writing last year my Mom's primary caretaker, my dad passed away last month. It seems his passing has accelerated her illness as myself and my brothers now have first hand knowledge of her difficulties. We are fortunate in that we were able to find a caretaker Mon – Fri while we all pitch in on weekends as she can not be left at home alone. We have already taken advantage of some of the wonderful services offered by Alz as we registered her to the "Safe Return" program. The recent developments in my family only reinforces my resolve to do as much as I can possibly do to help others who are in similar or worse off situations then us .

For me it's an honor to again be part of a very special Team "R2R" supported by an amazing group of coaches and support staff!

SPOTLIGHT: Jeffrey LeBlanc

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each day or week for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

In 2007, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Watching her degeneration was sad and frustrating, but she was a strong and amazing woman until her passing in January of this year.

When I was younger, I fondly remember my grandma taking me to McDonald's for playtime and burgers. It's funny, but sometimes it's the ordinary moments in life that are most memorable. She is sweet, loving and thoughtful and always looked out for me.

In my grandma's final years, my parents were able to spend quality time with her in Florida. She enjoyed getting her hair and nails done and my dad's walks with her around a local lake. I had a chance to visit her each time I went down to Florida, and it was always a joy. Her strength was an inspiration to me.

I am coaching and running this race in memory of my grandma and my wife's grandmother (who also suffered from Alzheimer's). It's time to put an end to this nasty disease once and for all. It's time to run to remember.

SPOTLIGHT: Brian (Michelle) Hsia

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their Alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each day or week for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

This year, I will give my spotlight in the words of my sister, Michelle…

Life is about many precious moments of time, each person shares those moments with family, friends and all the acquaintances that he or she meets along the way. As our life lingers, we get older and over time our memory starts to fade, so we rely on pictures to recollect those precious moments shared together. Now imagine yourself waking up one morning to find that you do not know who your friends are, who your family members are and most importantly, who you are, and this continues for years. That is the reality of what an Alzheimer’s disease patients goes through. Usually, the disease affects elderly people, although there are more and more cases of this disease affecting the youth.

In 2003, our grandmother was diagnosed with the Alzheimer’s disease; a disease that afflicts 5.4 million Americans. It is the 6^th leading cause of death in this country and of the top 10 diseases, it is the only cause of death to date that cannot be prevented, cured, or even slowed.

My sister, Michelle started running marathons in 2004, with 2 goals in mind: finish her first ever marathon and raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. She did both, and then decided to try running a marathon in a different state (maybe even in all 50!) and dedicate each marathon to fundraising to find a cure for the Alzheimer’s disease.

In 2006, Brian ran his first marathon with her and decided to join the Alzheimer’s Association Junior Committee to hopefully understand more about the disease that afflicted our grandmother. After learning more about it, he made it his goal to have the Alzheimer’s Association as an official charity in the ING New York City marathon. In April of 2009, he succeeded in doing just this and now the Alzheimer’s Association is entering its 3^rd year as an official charity organization in the NYC marathon and raised well over half a million dollars. Not only has he run 3 NYC marathons (an additional 25 marathons in other states), but he has also motivated and train others to complete their first marathon and change their lifestyle!

In October of 2009, my grandfather, who was my grandmother’s caretaker, passed away. This was a very heartbreaking time for the both of us and our family because our grandfather was the stronger one—he passed so suddenly and left so quickly from our lives. His passing left our family with more responsibilities caring for my grandmother that eventually led to our family not being able to do it alone.

In February of this year, our grandmother succumbed to the disease and passed away…an 8 year battle came to an end that February afternoon. Our grandparents were loving, caring and helpful people. They always did the right thing, always cared for others and always were selfless. We have spent the past 7 years running in honor of our grandmother, but this year, we are running to remember the amazing woman she was, and the wonderful qualities she has left behind in both of us. For the Big Sur marathon, we have raised over $9,000 from generous support from our family and friends!

On May 1^st, Michelle and Brian set forth in running the Big Sur Marathon together. Out of all the marathons they have ran “together” but separately (Marine Corps, Outer Banks, Chicago & Honolulu) this would be their first marathon running together for the entire way. Brian helped his sister record her first Personal Record (PR) in completing her first sub 4 hour marathon to honor their grandma and say thank you to all of their supporters who have helped out for those previous 8 years.

We hope that a cure be found soon so that other families will not have to experience what so many go through daily.

For Brian’s post, please click here: http://trakmaniak.blogspot.com/2011/02/long-road-home.html