Tag: trail running

Most Saturdays, Hans Troyer, a professional ultramarathon runner, does loops of Pine Mountain. He summits 11 times in 4 hours, covering 25 miles and 7,395 vertical feet. His consistent training here has helped him burst onto the running scene. Most pros train in the mountains of California or Colorado, but Hans grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta and found his stride living out of a camper in the Georgia woods.

The forest tempted me, but I stayed away until I did a trail race up Smith Mountain in Helen. The pouring rain didn't bother me; the encounter with a bear did.