Started the loop at sunrise from the south trailhead, heading clockwise. Took one fall at mile 2, however, no real scrapes or bruises. At mile 5 I twisted my ankle pretty good, sore and swollen for the next 13 miles but still able to run on it. I carried 2L of water in my Nathan hydration vest, as well as 0.5L of gatorade in a handheld bottle. I also carried minimal food (honey stinger waffle, gummy bears, and apple sauce) in my vest. This trail is notorious for bugs, especially banana spiders and ticks, so I opted to wear leggings and bring a hiking pole to swat down the webs along the trail. The hills are more than you would expect for Louisiana, but the pole was not necessary for climbing. I slowed down the pace and walked a bit toward the end of the effort. This was probably a combination of me underestimating the last couple miles, as well as the Louisiana summer heat and humidity starting to take effect as the sun rose.
Overall I am happy with the effort, but hope to be back in the winter for another effort with better weather and hopefully no ankle sprains.