Hogpen Hill Climb Race Recap

The Hogpen Hill Climb is a race for crazy people. The race starts in Helen, Georgia – elevation 1,447 feet. It ends at the top of Hogpen Gap:

In just 17k (that’s 10 point something miles) runners gain more than 2,000 feet of elevation. That is a lot of climbing.

The closest I’ve ever been to a real Bavarian village is the Burger King at the Munich Airport, but I imagine most Germans would feel right at home in Helen:

After starting downtown, the first four miles of the race follow what I would normally consider a tough, hilly course. But this is not a normal race. In this race, the first four miles are considered easy. After that it’s just, up, up, up!

This race was a Team Louisville reunion of sorts, which made it extra fun. In the beginning, I tried to stick with Diablo and YC, but that only lasted until the first substantial hill – at mile one. Ouch! I was hurting, but  I tried to keep them in sight.

I had one real goal for this race – to put myself in a position where I wanted to give up, and then try to keep going. And by mile six, I was definitely in the pain cave. I really wanted to walk, but I just kept thinking about Hawaii, and how bad I want to go back. And how I want to run the entire Ironman marathon, because I know I can do it. So I kept running.

The positive thoughts helped, but this elevation profile shows how I really felt:

After I finally crossed the finish line and caught my breath, I realized what a cool race the Hogpen Hill Climb really is. It’s hundreds of people testing themselves. The race isn’t easy for anyone, but standing on the summit with a few friends makes it worth every step.