QUEENS, NY April 26, 2009- May 2, 2009.Performance artist Shishaldin will embark on a difficult 6 day journey as she competes in the Self-Transcendence 6 dayrace beginning April 26th. The race is held annually and is attended by approximately 40 runners and hundreds of spectators.Shishaldin will be running and walking for 6 consecutive days, all the while not using any spoken or written language to communicate. Shishaldin has completed the 6 day race twice with a personal best of 338 miles and knows how essentialcommunication is in this extreme environment.  Stating basic needs like pain, hunger, and requests for special assistance facilitate a successful race.  Chatting with other runners makes time go by more quickly, as well as releases emotional and psychological weight. “Bets are already being placed that I won’t be able to make more than 52 hours” Shishaldin said of her latest piece, “but I’m going to make it all 144. I will sing a song of truth with the music of my hamstrings.” The race is set-up with on site tents and food, Shishaldin’s only job will be to run in a one-mile loop repeatedly and achieve spiritual transcendence.For more information: shishaldin@hotmail.com

I start the 6 day on Sunday. Luis already started the 10 day.

I took ski lessons at Vail and day 1 I had Howard as an instructor. He told me I had to loosen up, that my upper body was stiff while I was skiing. To do that I should have a shot of Jack at lunch. Just one shot. I didn’t go for it. Howard like eating a big quantity of meat and various condiments and I had a hard time being at the table with him.

Howard, me, Scott visiting us, and the other girl in my class.

I prettied up my foot. If it’s not clear in the photo, the toenail on the big toe is mostly gone just skin is left. If you’d like to see it in person, just ask.

My feet looked better during the 6 and 10 day races…sheesh.

I used to pride myself on having hot feet for a long distance runner. As the podiatrist was cutting off my black toenail today waves of nausea traveled through me as I looked at my misshapen, horrifying toes.
On my other foot the toenail hasn’t grown for at least a year. I have nerve damage and I’m supposed to keep an eye on it for infection to avoid future amputation.

I was in Vail over the weekend and I was embarassed of my black toe when I was making my trips to and from the hot tub. I’m glad I didn’t go to the doctor before the trip and have this nasty great big toe.

Men’s tennis season has started, so after my appointment I went to practice and started warming up around the track. I had a rough start jogging because my foot was taped. As I was moving I calculated I had looped around that track a minimum of 10,800 times. Probably many more. I’ve probably only done 30 of those clockwise at most.

Thanks everyone for Shishanukah wishes and the thoughtful gifts.

Once upon a time I was in a cafe. I started to smell something funny. At first I thought it was the bathroom, or perhaps someone came in wearing dirty clothes. Soon I realized it was a man who was surrounded with flies and the flies were landing on him. I immediately thought of Pig Pen. He looked exactly the same as Pig Pen but dressed all in black.

 Eventually he left, but the smell is still stuck in my nose.

A summary of New Year’s Eve:

Went skiing at Snowmass, stopped by hotel before going to the gym and saw police tape up across the street but didn’t think much of it, called hotel to get picked up and there was no answer because it was evacuated, then made it back to the hotel and couldn’t go in!

Brendan Carlin, general manager at the Hotel Jerome, described the scene, on what is typically one of the busiest nights of the year in Aspen. He said his hotel had evacuated hundreds of guests to a nearby public building after learning of the bomb threats.

They announced we would have a place to stay at Aspen High School overnight and I was a bit freaked out. Luckily the hotel opened up after a couple hours and I still was able to attend this thing.

Happy 2009!

Luis and I spend every Christmas together. I work all day then come over and eat his stale popcorn and pretzels and watch Logo.  Today was a Priscilla Queen of the Desert rerun on Logo, so we watched the MLB channel instead. He shouted the names of every player that was on the screen, even if only for 3 seconds. We exchanged presents, the same thing every time. He gives me worn out t-shirts from the 70’s and 80’s and I bring him pastries and new marathon shirts that were too big for me. Today I gave him an Alaska t-shirt with a moose on it that he was very excited for because he thought it would show off his muscles this summer.

He told me there was a review of a book in the Times about a runner in the park that sounded like his physical description, but with an imaginary background. It called him Skinny Ginsberg.

“When I first spotted Skinny Ginsberg, he struck me as a sad soul. His big, brown, searching eyes peer out behind what may or may not be protective lenses meant for soldering. He wore rumpled sweatsuits, the sleeves pushed up to the elbows, revealing twiggy arms.

Sure, he had a slight problem with amphetamines a decade or so ago, but that was just a function of his drive, his work ethic, the tiny terror that he might end up like his father, a pinched man, a high school principal in Paramus.  ”

Luis’ house is covered in running trophies and medals. Every inch of every table is filled. This is part of the living room:

This is Luis’ freezer:

Frozen crackers anyone?

I’ve been completing at least a marathon or longer once a month, but I still have 22 states to complete in my marathon tour. I’ve finished most of the west and east coast but I need to tackle lots of places in the mid-west. Starting in March I think I’ll be running a marathon a week so I can finish this project by the end of ‘09.

My latest art piece is sending a personal ad into space. Biped preferred. More on that when it’s finished.

And I’ve been taking my photo everyday, almost.