Week 2 Segment Details
Strava Link: map and leaderboard
Veloviewer Link: interactive maps and more
Distance: 1.8 miles
Average Grade: -1%
Elevation Change: -94 feet
Course Records: 9:27 (Victor McHenry) / 11:28 (Erin Teschuk)
Adopted Businesses: Foot Rx Asheville and Village Bakery
Segment Description:
A gentle downhill through Bent Creek and the NC Arboretum. This is a well-traveled route with easy access from multiple locations.
Course Navigation:
Start – The paved bridge at the intersection of Bent Creek Road and Hard Times Road (just below Lake Powhatan)
Finish – The Arboretum’s viaduct bridge overpass on Old Mill Trail will serve as your finish line
Notes – You must open the gate to the Arboretum around 1000m into this segment. Also, there is one right-hand turn onto Old Mill Trail just before the finish
Start by the paved bridge and head down to the Arboretum
Stay on the main gravel road - side trails won’t count!
Turn right onto Old Mill Trail. You are almost there!
Your finish line is under the viaduct bridge.
How can I fit this into a workout?
If you’d prefer to have a measured effort rather than a time trial, this is another great segment for some threshold work. Build off of last week’s mile repeats by tackling 2 x 2 miles this week. Start your workout closer to Lake Powhatan in order to hit the full 2 miles (the segment itself is a bit shorter). On the way down, your effort should be a bit faster than half marathon pace (or 45-60 sec slower than your 1-mile time if you blasted last week’s segment). The splits will come a bit easier due to the gentle downhill.
When you get to the end of the segment, jog or walk for a few minutes (5:1 work:rest ratio is a good rule of thumb), then turn around and try to hit the same splits coming back up. The gradual uphill will add a manageable challenge to your second 2-mile rep.
Keep in mind, there is a Bermuda Triangle for GPS watches in the middle of this segment, so focus on pace rather than real-time pace provided by your watch.
Where can I park/how do I get there?
You can access this segment from a variety of trailheads and parking lots. The easiest and most direct starting point will be the Hardtimes trailhead.
Segment Raffle Prize & All-Time Course Record Award
Complete the segment to be entered in the raffle for a $25 Gift Card to Foot Rx Asheville. Set the all-time CR (9:26 for men & 11:27 for women) to earn a a gift certificate for Village Bakery.
Adopt a Local Business (or Two)
This week, we will show love to the south side. Both Foot Rx Asheville and Village Bakery have supported the Collective and the Wedge Run 10k from the beginning. You can help give back by grabbing a new pair of kicks and filling your belly with baked goodness.
For more than a decade, Foot Rx Asheville has served runners of Western North Carolina with high-quality customer service, a commitment to building a supportive community, and a strong connection to some of the best events on the race calendar. Aaron, Scott, and the crew have not met a foot too funky to fit. Empty your Amazon cart, stop searching for coupon codes online, and buy local. Who cares if you need shoes now… you will in the future. So, spend some cash with the folks who will reinvest it in our amazing running community.
Those who have raced the Wedge Run 10k may remember the monster-sized post-race cookies greeting them at the finish line. Those treats, along with a mobile pizza oven, were provided by our friends at Village Bakery. ARC-member Dave Workman has kept the Collective well-fed for years now, and we couldn’t be more thankful. With two locations, Flat Rock and Fletcher, Village Bakery is giving us way too many reasons to buy more baked goods. Give in to your impulses and place an order for a to-go pizza or some fresh-baked bread today.
