If anything, you would think this change would mean that my morning training sessions would get worse in comparison. But the opposite has happened. Now my morning training session is, without fail, my best of the day. This summer some of my best results were as early as 7 o'clock. And my afternoon sessions were continuously unimpressive.

With my new job, I figured it was time to post an updated "day in the life" post. I think that the schedule below is probably more typical for the hammer throwers I know. The hammer throw is not a high paying sport, so a job is a necessity for most. And with a job comes the need for flexibility. In Canada my schedule would never vary. In Zurich, a late afternoon conference call may force me to move my afternoon training session to lunch and turn my lunch into a quick sandwich on the go.

But despite the need for flexibility, I have not yet been too frustrated by the busy schedule. As I've said before, I like the balance a job provides. I get to spend part of my day with physical pursuits and part of my day with intellectual pursuits. The challenge of doing both, and succeeding at both, is what makes it worth the effort.

Since finding Bondarchuk as a coach, my schedule has essentially reversed. I've now spent the past two years constantly traveling away from him. Since 2008, I have made the five-hour trip back to Seattle for work several weeks each month. And, this week I signed a contract that will move me even farther away from coach Bondarchuk. But while I will be leaving Kamloops, I will be moving close to something I have missed the past few years: routine...

This weekend I am preparing to head down to Lake Como for a four-day weekend escape with my visiting girlfriend, my friend Andrea and her brother at their house their. I know the chance to relax and have fun in Italy will be well worth it, but I must be honest, I'm having a little anxiety about taking the time off of throwing. In fact, I'm even going to squeeze in a little throwing session Thursday morning before we catch the train. Still, my three day break from throwing will be my longest since September of 2007.

The first week, however, was a bit hectic. I spent a lot of time learning the ropes at my new job. I was also staying the week at a friend's house before moving into my own room this afternoon. And then there was adjusting to the new time zone (although I think work affected my training the most this week). On top of that, I missed being around for my girlfriend's birthday today.

The week ahead, however, looks great. I'm heading up to Germany on Saturday to visit my sister and compete at perhaps the world's coolest hammer competition on Sunday. I mean, seriously, how many hammer meets have their own beer garden right next to the ring? Based on how my legs feel, my results might not be the highlight of the weekend, but it will be fun nevertheless. Monday is a holiday and the rest of my work week should be less rigorous than this week. My new place looks to be great too. My club helped me find a great room with an Olympic bronze medalist in curling and his friend. For those of you that know me, I'm a closet curling fan and even drove down to Vancouver just to watch the Olympic curling tournament in February. Among the highlights at the place are a thrower-sized shower (which is nearly impossible to find in Europe), American television (including ESPN), a full kitchen and BBQ patio, and a great internet connection.