Amtrak Cafe Car

For one whole academic year 2007-2008, I lived in Philadelphia (Philly), PA., to attend the University of Pennsylvania to obtain my second master's degree in Nonprofit Leadership. I traveled to and from NYC/Philly every weekend via Amtrak just so I can be home and spend the weekend with my true love. Of course it would have been cheaper to take the Bolt Bus or Megabus at that time, but these busses weren't as popular and frequent back then. The difference in time between the bus and train is usually a range from 30-50 minutes, but I preferred the train anyway because it was much quicker and less ghetto.

While it was exhausting at times traveling back and forth every weekend, and while I never really felt like I lived in Philly, taking the Amtrak became a way of life that I had everything down pat. From knowing where to stand to be the first one at the gate to which car to sit in so I can quickly exit, the one thing I never really took advantage of was the cafe car. Not sure why, really, but I guess I just never needed to. So imagine my surprise this past weekend when I boarded the Amtrak once again after so many years at 3AM to run my very first Philly Marathon, and plopping in my seat only to find a cafe car menu in the seat pocket. Obviously the cafe car wasn't open, but I decided to take the menu anyway as a sign of good luck! Oh, and I was the first in line at the gate. Yippie!

I decided at the last minute to run the Philly Marathon, but initially I wasn't because I have been dealing with a strain issue on the inside of my lower left leg just above the ankle. The injury began right after an 18-mile training run in Central Park in September. Yes, I've had it since then and haven't really rested or dealt with it, so I just take Ibuprofen and it relieves the pain temporarily, but I said to myself that if I do run the Philly race that I would go see a specialist to find out what is wrong right after. I have no more marathons scheduled for the rest of the year and I am taking the month of December off from running races.

Arriving in Philly at 4:30AM, I walked to the start which was a good 20 minute walk, and arrived at the security check point at 5AM. Met with some friends and decided that I would begin with them in the last corral. We crossed the start at 7:30, and mind you, the race started at 7. While I spent the first half of the race weaving in and out and passing so many runners that were doing the half marathon, it wasn't until mile 13 where we split off and I had the freedom to run about. Somehow I still managed (barely) under 4 hours to finish at 3:59:13. I was pretty happy.

After the race, I went to the massage tent, but the line was so long that by the time I got to the front I had to leave to take the 1PM train back. Phooey! And while I was trying to flag a cab to take me back to the train station, because I just ran 26.2 miles, I freaking couldn't! My tired, but feeling accomplished ass, had to walk all the way back and it felt like the longest 20 minutes of my life.

Thank you to the entire city of brotherly love. It was good to be back.

Amtrak Cafe Car
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Amtrak Cafe Car