I got a nice late start, departing at 12:11 pm. Conditions were good. Around 50f down in Brevard and mostly sunny. Dry leaves littering the first 13 or so miles were a bit slippery. Light breeze up on the high summits, high 30s probably. Minimal ice, but lots of tacky mud. I had 3 50g CH gels and 2 smaller isotonic gels. Filled bottle a third up at around mile 8 below Cedar Rock. Full bottle a mile later. Then filled again at Grassy Cove. I got greedy during the mini taper I did, getting into the gym for the first time in a while, to address an ongoing hamstring issue I've been dealing with. All fine, except one lift really aggravated it, which I felt during this effort. Slowed me down a little perhaps. I really enjoyed going after this route. Such a classic, so much fun. I do think that a few minutes can be won here and there. Possible to push the time down towards 5hrs. Drew Antonisse took these pictures, shuttled, and generally offered a lot of encouragement. Thank you Drew!