Thanks for the Boise High Cross Country team for having me out Friday to give a short talk on the power of a growth mindset and then for cheering me on as I broke not just one, but two 100 meter Guinness World Records.

First up was fastest 100 meters run while balancing a baseball bat on one finger. I took off faster than normal and then halfway through I tipped the bat too far forward and had to speed up to catch up with it. I coasted to the finish just like Usain Bolt so as not to push it too hard and set not only my PR for 100-meter bat balance, but my 100 meter PR for any Guinness World Record attempt of mine at 14.28 seconds (beating the minimum mark of 20 seconds).

Next up was a more physically demanding (and more physically damaging) attempt: fastest 100 meters crawling. I was allowed to wear kneepads and gloves but make no mistake, my knees are still ripped up on both sides (and 2 places on the right). I was a bit tender from practicing on Tuesday still and the scabs came off during warmup. I then lined up at the start and after a ready, set, go! took off. I was doing great until my left kneepad started sliding down. I reached over to adjust it with my right hand but briefly had both my left and right hands off the track for a moment and the attempt was immediately disqualified. At least one hand and one knee have to be on the track at all times. Back to the start.

I took a one-minute breather and started again. 58. 22 seconds later I was collapsed on the track with my 73rd Guinness World Record!

It really helped to have all the students cheering me on and several were a great help filming and timing. Thank you! Crawling 100 meters is absolutely exhausting! I can understand now why toddlers learn to walk.

Thanks to the students at staff at Boise High School for having me out to break Guinness World Record #71 at lunch today: Fastest 100 meters as a waiter.

I had to carry a waiter’s tray with a full, unopened bottle of water 100 meters without it tipping over in under 20 seconds. I made it in 15.17 seconds making it my personal record and I felt I could have even gone a little faster (but would have been risking tipping over the bottle. Check out the video footage to see how hard it is to keep an arm steady at those speeds).

This was the last record attempt at the Boston Juggling Festival.

The record was for most 180-degree bottle flips in one minute. Throw the bottle in the air, it rotates 180 degrees, catch the other end.

I had the perfect bottle. I practiced for months. I got faster and faster. I started at about 120 flips in one minute and worked until I could get over 180. I then took the bottle to Boston. I practiced more. I set up a towel on the hard floor. I did one last dry run. Then I went for the Guinness World Record with timers, witnesses, and video. I was about 45 seconds into the run and I dropped the bottle, it bounced on the towel, bounced off the towel, and the bottle broke.

My biggest fear had been realized. I didn’t have a backup plan.

I thought I was going to have to run to a store (and none were close) but then some folks decided to raid the recycling. Cole found a glass bottle and brought it to me. It was too heavy but he showed me where he got it and I found a glass Blue Moon bottle that still had the last drops of beer in it. It was about the right weight but the skinny end was less tapered than my original. It was good enough. I shook the beer out and went for the record again just a few minutes after my initial failure.

I dropped it a couple times but was happy with the pace and managed 182 bottle flips in one minute. It wasn’t quite by PR but it was close.

On Saturday I walked a half marathon. This is a first for me. Usually, I run them. By walking the FitOne Half Marathon I was able to break 2 (and maybe 3) Guinness World Records for 68, 69 (and maybe 70):

Longest duration balancing a baseball bat on one finger – mark to beat: 2 hours

Furthest distance walked balancing a baseball bat on one finger – current record: 9 miles

Both of these records required the bat to be balanced on a single finger the ENTIRE time. No switching fingers. No breaks. No drops. No touching any other part of the body, any other people’s bodies (this got tricky when we merged with the 4,400 people walking the 5K), or any other object.

I’m happy to say the middle finger of my right hand was pain-free for 15 minutes. The next 3 hours weren’t as fun (total of 3 hours 9 minutes 51 seconds). When I finally took the bat off my finger, I was unable to bend it even a half an inch for more than 10 minutes. I’m typing this 2 days later and the joint still aches.

The most difficult unexpected challenge was the tip of my finger going numb in the cold. And then it got harder when the right half woke up and not the left half 4 miles in. It felt like the bat was balanced on the edge of my finger even though it was right in the middle. Physiologically I was panicking wanting to bounce the bat over to get it off the edge even though it wasn’t off the edge. It was like spinning around a bunch and then trying to take a step when you stop and feel dizzy. You know you’re not moving but it sure feels like the world is and you want to take a step. I almost lot the balance twice wanting to move the bat.

And then there was the third record: fastest half marathon with a baseball bat balanced on one finger. For this record, I could run (and will next time) but the minimum mark was only 3 hours 15 minutes. By walking an average of 4.1 miles per hour I was about to come in just under 3 hours 10 minutes and break this record (assuming the half marathon course meets the Guinness requirements and I won’t know this until I request it from FitOne).

Thanks to Matt Freeman for walking the whole thing with me and to Patrick Harper and Lisa Marie Hannon for each walking about half.

Thanks to the Christa McAuliffe Charter School in Framingham, MA having me out on Monday to give a talk on STEM education, growth mindset, and overcoming adversity. I did some juggling, some balancing, faced some challenges from the kids (The 3 ball challenge) and then attempted to break an ambitious world record.

The record attempt was for “Fastest time to burst 200 balloons with a nail”. The previous record was 33.74 seconds. I had lots of great help from the students to inflate and tape 200 balloons to the wall. The wall was not even, the tape didn’t stick, the air was blowing, and the balloons kept popping, but we still made the attempt.

After a talk to the student body of about 400 about STEM education, having a growth mindset, facing failure, and overcoming adversity I attempted the record as the closing segment.

I made it through the first 50 balloons in 5 seconds on pace for 20 seconds. I then hit a few uneven sections of the wall, a couple balloons fell off the wall when the balloons before them popped. I had to slow to round a couple corners but I thought I might still get there. On the way back on the 2nd row of a hundred, even more balloons flew off the wall. I had to stop, pop balloons in mid-air, go back for a couple but finished on another good run.

I went to consult the timers. The final mark was just over 36 seconds. It was a failure, but that’s just fine. I have failed more times in my life than I have succeeded, but so long as the failure doesn’t define me – rather how I respond to it, all will be well. And that’s what I told these kids. Don’t let failure define you. Failure is an opportunity to learn and I learned a LOT from this. I’m going to call this my practice run and crush the record next time I try!

I downed 500ml of milk. The record was for fastest time to drink 250ml of milk through a straw. I had enough milk for 6-7 tries but I really only wanted to do one. My wife: “You’re going to try it 6 or 7 times!?!?”.  Me: “No! I’m going to get it this time!” That’s the power of a growth mindset. Guinness World Record #63.

My son: “Can I have some?? Me: “No you can’t have any of this one. I need every drop”. Me right after the record attempt: filling the container with whole milk and giving the straw for my son who then proceeds to say “Ready, set, go!” before chugging milk.

https://youtu.be/7_ytqeOOKj4

It took me two tries since the first try the straw kept sticking to the bottom of the container. Josh tried it right after me and got it in 6.53 seconds. The new world record is 5.80 seconds.

It’s a little late but it’s time for the Labor Day Weekend World Record attempt roundup. I broke 2 records over the weekend (on 3 attempts).

I broke the record for most tinned sweet corn kernels eaten in 1 minute with a cocktail stick (toothpick). The previous record was 65 and I got 80. I then continued on for the 3-minute record but fell short of the 236 needed to break that record.

I then reattempted the hot chocolate drinking record for “Fastest time to drink a cup of hot chocolate” ensuring the drink was sufficiently hot (I was a degree too low last time). The record was 5.17 seconds and I landed at 4.78 seconds.