That is a shame, but I have faith.
Final speedrun update:
IMAG0663.jpgIMAG0664.jpg
SPOILERTurned out I had time for a few more tries at Gwyn than just one. Eventually I beat him on the 5th. Here's my setup throughout this playthrough:
Level 61, mostly Vit & End, little bit of Str & Dex.
Weapons/shield:
Drake Sword +1
Fire Claymore +3
Lightning Spear +3
Pyromancer Flame +15
Tower Shield +5
Armor:
Gold Hemmed Hood/Mask of the Mother
Gold Hemmed Cloak/Havel's Armor
Gold Hemmed Gloves
Gold Hemmed Skirt
Rings:
Hornet Ring
Wolf Ring
All in all I'm really satisfied by keeping the total time under 6 hours. The run was challenging, tense and gratifying. I might do a recap and see what I could have done better to improve my time, but I'm not too sure whether I'll attempt another speedrun. For me, it turned the image of "hardest RPG ever" 180 degrees around. It's not hard, it's just superfun.