I started the run a little after 4am (which in retrospect I didn't actually need to run in the dark, but it was a cool experience anyways) and the first 15 miles felt pretty relaxed. My mindset going into this run was to just conserve energy at the beginning, especially having never done a run like this before. The first few miles before getting to Ellicott's rock was a bit slippery and muddy from the rain yesterday. Around 7:30, the sun came up and that gave me some extra energy. This part of the trail was relatively flat, however there were some rocky/rooty sections along the river's edge. This part of the trail was also well marked! Once the Chattooga trail split from the Foothills trail, the trails were a bit more overgrown. However, not as bad as I thought they'd be given the comments people had made about this section. I think it helped that we're just coming out of winter, so I'm sure come the summer would have more growth. Miles 25-30 were some of my favorite because I felt really strong and was finally in the back half. The footing on the trail was also really good, and there weren't any big uphills. Miles 30-35 were pretty tough as far as my energy levels, but things picked back up again after that. The portion of the trail that intersects with the Bartram trail was very well maintained and decently flat, so I picked up a lot of speed here. The last 10 or so miles were pretty challenging, as I was feeling the fatigue more & there were some longer uphills. Also, there was no bridge at Buckeye Bend, so I had to wade through. The ice cold water felt good though! Around mile 35 (I believe) was also pretty confusing because you have to cross the creek but it's not obvious, and I had to walk across some logs.
I brought all the food I needed for the run, which I carried, along with a bladder, in a small backpack. I refilled water three times (miles 11, 20, 35), which I filtered from the river. I would carry about 1-1.5 liters at a time. The temperature were pretty chilly in the morning (around 30-40F) and were in the 50s later in the day. I'm sure this trail would be a different beast in the summer heat! Also, the bathroom at Burrells Ford campground was super close to the trail, very convenient!
Also, I'm sure much faster runs could be done on this trail. My experience leading up to this run was 4 months of training for a half marathon, which I ran three weeks before this. And since that race, I only ran 21 miles total. Honestly, it was a little crazy of me to think I could do this run! So some actual ultra training would make a huge difference.