You would think if I created a course it would be easy to navigate. The problem is when you know all the trails you forget which way the actual FKT course goes. After some failed attempts over the summer I was able to put down a time with the complete course. Maybe it was the heat, podcast distractions or maybe it was the insane amount of deer flies in the midsummer, but this one went well. It was not too hot and there were zero deer flies. We had a rainstorm the day before so there was some mud patches but they did not consume the trails in spots like they can in the spring. If you are using an app to navigate the course I would recommend this one over the original. The original gps was a little lost after crossing wart rd. going onto Backus Bend. Also get an earlier start to avoid the heat on a warm day.
I used two bottles and a vest. One bottle had a integrated filter so I was able to scoop some water from a stream in route. This is course is too long for me in warm weather to just have two 16oz bottles. In the past I have also tried listening to podcasts while running this route and it does not end well. With the number of turns you have to stay mentally in the game on this course. It doesn't let you check out mentally and just grind on. The trails were in good shape and there was no high grass or spots where I couldn't run. A great day with a lot of different trail surfaces keeps it interesting. I leaned to over-fueling on this one and I think that made a big difference too. I actually felt better as the route went on. Much different than some crash and burns I have had in the past.
The more attempts you make, the more rewarding the completion. It was a challenge and I had fun. That's the whole point.