ive never hiked GA but it does seem to me like there should be distinction made between the trail itself actually being difficult and people commonly having a hard time with it because they arent in hiking shape.
i suspect ME would have destroyed you had you gone there in the shape you were in that took 7 days to hike GA.
personally, i still cant wrap my head around the concept of someone who cant yet walk 15 miles in a day anywhere deciding to undertake walking 2100+, but it seems a lot of people do it.