As the attempt gets closer, everything gets more difficult and more time sensitive. Aside from the rigorous training, everything is still coming together in terms of organization which distracts me from the ultimate task at hand. It's slightly frustrating, but it's a fact of life.

Yesterday in my combative fitness class,  Master Instructor Donovan worked us until I couldn't really raise my arms or legs without a struggle. If you're in Columbus and need a challenging workout, come out to Master Matt's next Wednesday if you want an intense workout. You can come watch me struggle if you feel like it. It was the kind of workout that running doesn't really prepare you for. I loved it.

I've been talking with Tony Wright, the current sleep deprivation record holder, and he's been giving me some good pointers and warnings. Sometimes what he says sounds alarming, but it makes me feel more prepared. And he did say I would be on the floor crying for sleep. I imagine myself handling it with more grace, but it's entirely probable that I'm wrong. I'm reading his book Left in the Dark right now and it is fascinating. I recommend buying a copy and talking to me about it. It would be helpful for me to have your insight.

That's it for now. We're getting into the home stretch of preparations. Soon it will be time to start the biggest trial of my life.

I had a meeting yesterday and it looks like the location is set for the sleep deprivation stunt.

I'm more than happy with the location we've found. The manager was more than accommodating. She was supportive and I know that I will have a good business and good people behind me. Not to mention a great location in the heart of Columbus' best cultural area.

I'm excited to be doing this in Columbus, Ohio. This type of stunt is something that most people will only find in New York City or Las Vegas, or some other major metropolitan area. People forget, or never think to realize, that we have cultural flair and style here in the middle of the country.

Training has been tough. I'm enjoying my combination of martial arts training and running. I'm in the best shape I've been in for quite some time.

Where I'm really thriving is my mental toughness. People can build mental toughness in a variety of ways, but the best way for me is to do something that you hate for longer than you would want to do it. Running is a great way to do it. Bring yourself to the point where you feel like you're going to die and then realize that you're not going to die. You have to push yourself to a new "quit point" - the further you push yourself today means you can push yourself that much further tomorrow.

Zen meditation is a great way to get better at experiencing the world and experiencing pain. After all, all sensation and feeling - good or bad - is in your mind. Being in control of your mind makes the world an easier place to live.

The martial arts share a lot of the same principles. That is helping me build a different kind of toughness. The other day in class, we beat our legs with wooden sticks to build our threshold for pain.

All these things work.

We're shooting for a September date for the stunt. Does anyone have any good dates in mind? Check a Short North calendar and let me know if you have any ideas.

It's been a while since I've updated here and I apologize for that. Times have been busy. And mentally complicated. But these things happen from time to time and we just have to push through.

I hope everyone had fun celebrating the holiday. I got to see some old family members and to wrestle around with my little cousins (at 6'2" don't seem that little any more). Simple times are always relaxing. Did you do anything fun?

As for the training, I have varied it now slightly. I've significantly upped my martial arts training, which includes different types of exercises like sit ups, crazy push-ups, and other types of non-running exercise. This is helping me become a better athlete and a better artist. I enjoy immersing myself in Shaolin Kung Fu. It started as a hobby, but I feel as if it's becoming something more. I'm training 4 days a week now and that number may go up in the near future. It is good mental and physical training ... if you do it right of course.

On that note, if you're in Columbus, Ohio and you're reading this, come out to Grand Master Matt's and train with me.

Running is going well too. I'm running over 3 miles now every time I hit the track, in spite of going less frequently. I am continuing to lose weight, look better, and feel better. Feeling great and being able to perform great is the purpose of all of this.

With all of this physical training, I've had less time for magic, which on the surface seems bad, but I think it can be good. Magic is a creative endeavor. For me, anything creative always comes in cycles. Writers and artists for centuries have spoken of "the muse." Sometimes she is with you, sometimes she isn't. But forcing art, forcing creativity, always leaves the artist with sub-par work. So I don't push it when it's not there. Some professionals are forced to, I'm in a position where I don't have to feel mediocre but still plug away. She will be back soon.

The business side of the production is annoying. I thought the location was pretty much squared away, but I am still dealing with it and it is annoyingly difficult. I'll keep you updated on that.

I share so much of my life with you guys. Please use the comments to do the opposite. I'm curious what everyone is up to.

I've always been fascinated with fasting. Throughout my life I've done it for numerous reasons. Going all the way back to high school, I did it to make weight in wrestling - often dropping ten pounds in a matter of a day or two. Since then, I've done it for spiritual reasons, health reasons, and sometimes just because I've been broke and wanted to save some money.

Usually I'll just do a few days of pure fasting at a time - I really don't even consider things like "juice fasts" to be fasts. That's just eating a lot of fruits and vegetables (which is kind of my life anyway) in pureed form.

This time I'm doing it with a few partners. The wifey has been right next to me this time and a friend of ours in Michigan has been putting herself through the fast as well. I always imagined it would be a fun communal experience, and I was right... Though I don't know that "fun" is the best word to describe it.

I notice that fasting gives me a clearer mind, sharper senses, and more perspective on the world. The downside is that it makes me tremendously weak, but, for me at least, that is a trade-off that is well worth it. After all, after two days of exclusively drinking water, my next meal is going to taste a lot better than my last one, only because I'll appreciate it more.

I may do a few more fasts as my training comes along. That feeling of weakness, with irritated, sore muscles is something I need to get used to. I imagine the fatigue I will experience from sleep deprivation is very similar to the feeling I am experiencing now. The only difference is that when I am depriving myself of sleep, time will go slower. No sleep to pass the pain and suffering with.

I am about 10 or so hours into a 48 hour fast (water only). Most of those hours were spent asleep, so it's not really phasing me yet, other than the minor discomfort of missing breakfast. The next few hours will be a little tougher.

I always like to incorporate fasting into my training simply because the body needs cleaned on a semi-regular basis. Your body stores toxins and the like in your fat cells, so it's important to burn through those reserves once in a while.

Aside from that, I enjoy going hungry every so often. There's something very primal about an empty stomach. It helps you think in a different way and it helps you see the world more clearly. At least for me it does. That being said, it's always a challenge to try to fast while having responsibilities and living your life. It would be easier if you could take a time out, but that's part of the challenge and part of the fun.

Training is going great. I've been running 3 miles consecutively with an extra two fast laps added on at the end. Even Tracy is starting to kick butt on the track too. She had never run a mile before she started training with me and she is running miles routinely now (even 1.25 miles sometimes). So congratulations to her. Her improvements keep me improving. Partners are helpful like that.

On a personal note, Tracy and I got some tickets to UFC 101 in Philadelphia. I'm excited about that for two reasons. One, I get to see a couple of the best mixed martial artists in the world in person (even if the seats aren't that good). Two, Tracy and I get to go check out the East coast for a couple days. I've never been to Philly and I've never been to NYC. I think we're going to do both.

... oh yeah... It will be the weekend after Tracy's birthday, so it will be a good way to commemorate such a big day for her. New experiences are always memorable.

After a poor run last time on the track, I came out and had the best run yet last night.

The weather was cool and balmy, the track was lit by a neighboring pool, I had eaten well throughout the day. Everything was different from the previous run. That, and I was sitting on the disappointment of falling a little short the time before - something I was able to turn into focus and dedication.

I'm running 3 mile clips now with 2 speed laps tacked onto the end. I'm not sure where to go from here. The improvement is amazing.

As I've mentioned, this regiment is not about "weight loss" per se, so I don't check my weight regularly and I don't step on scales as a general rule. But the other day I was at my parents house and I stepped on just out of curiosity. I weighed 173 after a meal. Which puts me in the realm of losing about 17-20 pounds from the beginning of this. Without counting calories or worrying about weight. I've only worried about health and my body's performance.

Perhaps one day the regiment will be a wildly popular fad diet. Or better yet, people will find it to learn about better health in general. Who knows.

The only bad news is all my clothes are laughably big now and I am going to have to buy essentially a whole new wardrobe.

From what I can tell though, my body will be in the best shape it's been in for the sleep deprivation stunt. Most essentially still is that my mind is finely tuned. That's the x factor. That's the challenge.

Training was pushed to the back burner for the past 2 days because business matters have taken center stage.

The good news that comes out of that is that we should have our location pinned down for next week. We also are close to having our shooting schedule for all pre-world record stuff fully set. Well, relatively close.

I feel strange to talk about it, but in full disclosure of my life and preparation for this event, I thought I would mention that Tracy and I have taken our zen meditation to the next level and found a community of practitioners in the Columbus area to learn from and grow with. Yesterday we attended our first formal session and meditated for an hour - a difficult challenge the first time you do it. If you don't believe me, try it and get back to me.

This stunt, while important to be in good physical condition, will primarily be a test of my mental strength and will power. This of course is always the difference between success and failure in anything, but losing control of my mind and body would most certainly mean failure in this stunt. Even if for a few brief moments.

Tonight it's back out on the track for some hard work.

Yesterday's run was one of the most challenging of my life. The sun was out, which is different for me since I'm used to running under a dark sky on cool nights. Every time I turned the corner onto one of the straights the sun would hit my face and remind me of how tired I was.

I got a cramp on about the 4th lap that never really left me no matter how much I tried to fill my lungs with air and hold it.

But days like these happen. In a way I like them better because those days are more of a challenge. I know if I can finish my goals on those days, I can finish my goals on any days. And I did clear my 3 miles and felt perfect the rest of the night.

My healthy food last night was exceptionally good... and spicy. I barely even eat food any more that doesn't hurt at least a little bit. But if you want some healthy food that will impress your friends, try this soup. Tracy also made some vegan buffalo chicken wraps - a classic favorite of my unhealthy days revisited in a regiment friendly form. If she posts about that I will point you guys in the right direction.

Lately I've been struggling with where to hold the 12 day sleep deprivation stunt. Part of me wants to do it here, mostly for convenience, but at the same time I see it happening elsewhere. Part of me sees it at Fountain Square in Cincinnati still - the spot where I always envisioned my spectacles happening when I first started picking up decks of cards. Or maybe there are other cities that would appreciate it more. I haven't even considered those.

Time is running out and I need the perfect spot to break this world record.

I'm already getting ideas for my next performance art piece, but I shouldn't be. The one in front of me is too daunting of a task to overlook.

Yesterday I took a break from training to go perform at Mason's Relay for Life. I got to perform for some younger people, which can be a good departure for time to time. As a magician it's hard to avoid getting pigeon-holed as a children's entertainer, but I can see why so many enjoy it. Personally, I enjoy the challenge of penetrating the walls that adults have built around their imaginations, but it is still fun to entertain those that still have an open and vibrant mind.

Magic, in some sense of the word, is truly something that is for everyone.

Also, in spite of buying an xBox (which is amazingly a great way to connect with people across the world), I have been upping the amount I read again and I am becoming a richer person for doing so. I shared that I finished 100 Years of Solitude earlier - which was good enough for me to go out and buy Love in the Time of Cholera - I also just finished Survival in Auschwitz. I've always shied away from reading books on the Concentration Camps for one reason or another (maybe I just didn't want to face the awful things humanity is capable of), but I don't regret reading this book at all. It was written in a muted tone, which ends up making the horrors haunt you worse than if the author would be yelling. It makes you question what it is to be a human being and helps you see what "humanity" is capable of - the good and the bad.

What does it take to break a human? Can the human spirit be broken? Read the book and find out.

Next I am going to crack open Everything is Illuminated, a book  I know little about. It has a nice cover and boasts some rave reviews. I'll let you know it comes along.

Training has been going well. I'm running over 3 miles every time I step on the track now - it's about every other day depending on how the body is feeling. The minor pains and injuries are affecting me much less now. I am becoming stronger, faster and my endurance is obviously getting a lot better. My wife Tracy, who runs with me every time, is also improving a great deal. It makes me proud since I push her by "being a jerk" to her (though I am never actually a jerk to her so I don't know why she says this).

Looking back on my lifestyle a few months ago, before I began training to break this world record, I am proud of who I am becoming. It's interesting how when you truly make a decision to do something, you can do it. Whether that's quitting smoking, starting to work out, or completely restructuring the way you look at the world. Keep that in mind when your back is up against the wall or when you know it's time to change.

It's always as simple as changing your mind.