Charlotte is a city known for it’s beautiful parks for good reason. In the Queen City we have everything from the views of Romare Bearden Park, to the expansive nature preserves of Reedy Creek Park.
But, are you looking for a park that has it all? If you are, look no further than Renaissance Park!
Located just 15 minutes from uptown, this park is an underutilized, lesser known gem that’s been around since the days of the Charlotte Coliseum.
Renaissance Park sits on 145 acres at the intersection of South Tryon and Tyvola. It’s just a short trip from Uptown and easily accessible from 77.
If you’re coming from the South Tryon side, the first entrance you will pass is the main entrance. On this side of the park, you’ll find a little bit of everything - tennis, volleyball, trails, disc golf.
The second entrance will take you to the quieter side of the park. Here you’ll find trails, disc golf courses and some old softball fields. This side is a great spot to catch a sunset and it gives you the opportunity to get away from the crowds and find some solitude in a busy part of town.
The Trails
Whether you’re a trail runner, mountain biker, or just enjoy a walk through nature, these trails are for you!
The trail system here is made up of two separate loops that total 4 miles.
Photo Credit: MTB Project
The larger loop of the two is called the volleyball loop and can be accessed by both park entrances. This loop is 3 miles of singletrack, with opportunities to exit early, and will take you deep into the charming forested part of the park.
The larger loop is a little more rough and rugged than the shorter loop. You will see plenty of exposed roots and loose rock paired with steep drop offs and climbs, alluring to most outdoorsmen.
This loop is considered an intermediate trail but people of all skill levels will find it enjoyable, especially if you’re the type that likes a good challenge! The best part is, at non-peak times there is a good chance you will have this entire trail to yourself.
The smaller loop of the two is called the softball loop and can only be accessed by the second entrance to the park. It’s considered a beginner trail, but is sure to please all skill levels.
It also sees regular maintenance from the Tarheel Trailblazers, and thanks to their tireless efforts, it’s in great shape. On the softball loop you will find technical short climbs and fast downhill sections paired with berns and jumps.
Both loops are optimal options to test your technical mountain biking skills, crush miles of trail running, or to just take the dog for a walk!
Trail Running Workout Challenge
Now that you know about the trails, it’s time to test them out!
Give this one hour interval trail running workout a try:
For the warmup, we will start out with a few dynamic exercise moves to get the blood pumping.
High Knees x 1 minute
Butt Kickers x 1 minute
Walking Lunges x 1 minute
Jog x 5 minutes
Now that you have loosened up, we can start to pick up the pace. This workout is made up of seven rounds. Each round will have a running interval and a recovery interval. For this workout, the running intervals will change, but the recovery will always be two minutes.
Run 2 minutes / Walk 2 minutes
Run 3 minutes / Walk 2 minutes
Run 4 minutes / Walk 2 minutes
Run 4 minutes / Walk 2 minutes
Run 3 minutes / Walk 2 minutes
Run 2 minutes / Walk 2 minutes
Run 5 minutes / Walk 2 minutes
You can’t have a good workout without a finisher, a grand finale if you will. It’s time to push yourself and finish strong! Whatever you have left in the tank here, spend it!
Sprint x 90 seconds / Walk x 30 seconds
Sprint x 60 seconds / Walk x 30 seconds
Sprint x 30 seconds / Walk x 5 minutes
Make it your goal to cover as much ground as possible during the workout! Now, I wouldn’t just talk the talk without walking the walk, check out my results below. Can you beat me?
You may ask, why should I trail run? What’s so good about intervals? Let me break it down for you!
I’ve been a fitness trainer for several years and I’m currently summiting all 40 of the 6000 foot peaks in North Carolina - nothing gets me better prepared for those brutal hikes than interval trail running.
Here’s a few of the benefits you’ll see:
Trail Running
Spreads impact more evenly among muscle groups and allows you to run on a softer surface, lowering risk of injury.
Improves mental health - according to research from The National Academy of Science, 90 minutes of exercise in nature lessens negative brain activity. Their study also showed that the same effect was not replicated in an urban environment.
Constant changes in elevation, footing, and stride length provide a better leg workout than road running.
More effective calorie burn - trail running can burn 60 to 90 calories more per hour than running on pavement.
Intervals
Improved aerobic and anaerobic endurance - In other words, helps you sustain intense exercises for longer periods of time.
Increases your V02 Max - This is your body’s ability to take in oxygen. When you have a higher V02 number, you’re body is able to take in more oxygen and deliver it to your muscles allowing you to push yourself even harder.
Improves overall running performance - Without variety, performance will eventually plateau. Intervals keep your body guessing and will help continue to push your max pace.
Keeps things interesting - If you’re like me, running at the same pace for a long distance can get boring. Intervals are guaranteed to keep you focused.