How long did it take you to venture into the castle?

I've spent 60 to 70 hours on the map before even venturing into the castle and being forced to fight my first lynel (they terrify me). Guessing the time based on the bar of the heros path. So my total play time this game is most definitely close to or over 100 hours.

Is that a long time? How long did it take you to get the courage to venture into the castle?