David Blaine says he knew before he attempted to break the world record for holding his breath that he wouldn't succeed.

"Right before the stunt took place, I knew in my heart that I wasn't going to be able to do it, but I thought I would give it my best shot," he said.

After a week submerged in a saltwater tank at New York's Lincoln Center, Blaine's shriveled hands and feet looked like something out of a horror movie. After about 36 hours out of the tank, they returned to normal, but the illusionist is still in pain.

Blaine's skin is no longer shriveled, but "all the oil is gone, so it feels really strange," he said. He also has rashes and blisters from the sun — he suffered bad burns because the spherical tank magnified its effects.