I had attempted this FKT about two years ago, and missed by about 20-minutes. I've since moved away from the area, and had honestly kinda forgotten about the route. Recently, my partner and I had to come back into town to care for his sick mother. I started running segments on the course, and realized I'd gotten quite a bit faster over the years.
On my last attempt, the trails were covered in a thick layer of light and fluffy leaves, making it hard to see the rocks and roots below them. It certainly didn't help my time. With the trails still relatively clear of leaf cover, I just kinda decided to go for it before we leave town again.
It was a beautiful day—cool temps, dry conditions. I started at Old Mountain Road around 7:50am and reached my partner at Harris Mountain Rd, where he was waiting with water and snacks. Nothing more than a quick water refill, and I was off again.
I maintained my pace back to the Notch, and then I started to bonk. My pace dropped by 1-2 minutes/mile, but I kept it together, dug deep, and managed to get back to Old Mountain Road in 05:21:23. My partner surprised me by showing up there to congratulate me.
Proud to have shaved 40-minutes off my last effort!