Run 71. Tram Route #64. 25/1/2020
Finally another chance to run a tram route and this time it was tram number 64. I know most of this tram route well as it was the tram I caught to uni for the year I lived in Armadale. Caught the train to Flinders St and jumped on the first tram going past as they all seem to go via Melbourne Uni regardless of their destination. As luck would have it the first tram was a 64. Not that it really mattered.
Easy run early, as always from this point, as it is downhill into the city. In fact a pretty simple run right up until I got to St Kilda junction. At this point the tram leaves the road proper and heads into a tunnel. Tempted as I was to actually run the tram tracks, I decided it would be stupid to try and go there, so went left and followed the road. But the transition from Queens Way to Princes Hwy did not facilitate foot traffic and the path suddenly came to a stop. Fortunately there was a skinny bike path so I took the risk to run on the road – no bikes and I survived. Bikes love to ride on footpaths but have no time for runners on bike paths.
No drama after that and when I turned left onto Hawthorn Rd it all seemed very quiet for a long weekend. Finished with 1:47:45 in near perfect weather for running.
My Three Learnings.
Catching the tram of the same route that you are about to run makes no difference to your speed.
Probably not a good idea to follow a tram through the St Kilda Rd junction.
It’s an uncomfortable feeling running on a bike lane on a busy road.