Being a Woman About Town - Running Routes

When I moved back home from DC, I had to get used to running down country roads rather than through the big city. Although the peace of my little neighborhood in Mint Hill was pretty conducive to getting your zen on, I much prefer running in an urban area. I think it has something to do with accountability. No, those poor souls leaving the office at 8pm don't care that you're running, but I use each person I pass as a reason not to stop... especially if you're one of the creeps catcalling as I'm sweating like a 400lb man. Being an uptown girl, I'm somewhat limited in the route department, but some popular favs are listed at the bottom of this post.  

Things to keep in mind:

Crosswalks. Nothing is worse than hitting the wrong intersection at rush hour. This is both a timing and route-mapping issue.
Pedestrian traffic. You don't want to have to bob and weave too much and no one wants your sweaty body rubbing against them on their commute... well, some do... and for them, we have pepper spray.
Safety. As much as I love my tunes, make sure you can still hear your surroundings and that you are also visually aware of the people and cars around you.

Travel. Don't be shy about getting in your car to drive to a fun new route. You have to keep yourself interested and your body guessing!

Modify. Don't like a certain leg of a route you want to try? Change it! It's your run, you're the boss. Combining routes and changing them to suit your needs is a great way to change it up.

It's worth waking up a little early for a sunrise like this! Morehead in front of the Dowd YMCA.

All of my maps were created with RunningMap.com. The blue flags are mile markers and the red bubbles are points of interest.

Uptown(-ish):

Uptown Proper: It's pretty easy to crisscross through uptown and make up your route as you go. I started to make a map for this route, but it was plain stupid and I have much greater faith in you than to post a loop through Uptown's grid. Have fun with this one and improvise!

Dowd YMCA: Adding a pit stop to your route can be a game changer! Don't think you can run a full 6-miler? How about trying two 3-milers with a short break? I use Sgt. Roy's Total Strength or Heather's Barre class as my breaks if I can. (2.25 miles, one way)

Like, Sports and Stuff: Train like a pro while you run by all of Charlotte's major sports venues: Panther's practice field, Bank of America Stadium, BB&T Ballpark, and Time Warner Cable Arena. (3.29 miles)

Dilworth: The Scott Ave hill is one of my most and least favorite places to run. Expletives usually cannot be helped at the top. This route is light on stops at crosswalks. (3.39 miles)

The Rail Trail: Gets a little crowded, but a great "back-and-forth" route, nonetheless. Again, I won't insult your intelligence with photo of a line through South End. This route follows the light rail.

Around Town:

Montford to Freedom Park: I did this route for my beer run post and loved it! Any Charlottean worth her salt knows Freedom Park can be a little slice of Heaven. (4 miles)

Little Sugar Creek Greenway: passes the Metropolitan. Resist the urge to stop at Target. This Greenway is also a part of the Montford route above if you want a long run.

4 Mile Creek Greenway: Asphalt and boardwalk trail in Matthews. Guess what?! It's 4 miles.

Toby Creek Greenway: Links to Mallard Creek Greenway in the University area. Parking at 235 E Mallard Creek Church Road (Mallard Creek Park) or the Harris Teeter shopping center at the other end of this route on University City Blvd is a breeze.

Out of Town:

Running to The Battery in Charleston, The Loop in Wrightsville Beach, or around the monuments in DC are my personal favorite routes on vacation. Make sure you plan carefully when you're in an unfamiliar place, though. Don't be afraid to stop and explore a little either!

What is your favorite route?