From the Southwest to the Far East - our adventure continues

After the canyon de Chelly ultra, the name of the game was recovery. When planning a trip involving races, it was important for me to build it some serious down time. The race was long but our training paid off and we were both in good shape as we headed back to Albuquerque for a day of massages, foot soaks, and general lounging around the hotel. We did laundry, watched football, and stayed off our feet. It was just what the doctor ordered. The next day we were fresh and ready to continue our journey, this time by train.

Marchelo and I had never been on an overnight train, mostly because logistically they don’t make a lot of sense. The tickets are often more expensive than flying, but the train takes twice as long. However, when planning this trip I found that we had some down time between our two adventures, so the timing worked out just right. We would board the train in the afternoon and arrive in Los Angeles the following day. I booked us a ‘roomette’ so that we could stretch our legs and lounge about for the 16 hour journey west. Basically you have a small room with two seats facing each other that can be folded down to make a bed. While the space is small, it is enclosed and private, perfect for watching movies and listening to podcasts without disturbing those in the rooms around us. Since we were traveling by night, there really wasn’t much in the way of a view. It wasn’t luxurious or fancy, but it was a good way to relax and cover the miles.

Amtrak trains are notoriously late and ours was no exception. Fortunately we had the entire day in LA before our flight to japan that night, so the 4 hour delay didn’t affect our schedule. We made our way west and caught up with old friends who graciously hosted us for the afternoon. After cleaning up and enjoying a meal, it was time to carry on to the airport. We said goodbye to our friends and got on the plane bound for Japan.