Callum Smith (GBR) lays at the finish line after the men’s skiathlon during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Laura Cross-Country Ski and Biathlon Center.

With almost a week of the Olympics routine under my belt here in Sochi, I’ve definitely started to fall into a routine. Between the shuttle bus ride to the media center, to getting gear from my locker in the press center, to eating lunch before I grab another shuttle to my venue, things tend to take on somewhat of a Groundhog Day feel with multiple day shoots like this. Throw a different venue and two completely new sports into the mix, however, and things can get shaken up pretty quickly.

Maybe it was because I was so deep in thought on how I was going to cover skiathlon and biathlon (two events I was completely unfamiliar with), or maybe it was the three hours of sleep I’d gotten the night before, but something about this morning had be quite zoned out. So much so that I boarded the wrong shuttle bus in front of our apartment.

I realized we were going the wrong way pretty quickly, but accepted the only course of action was to ride the shuttle bus through its route and end up back where I started. Imagine my surprise, then, when after the last stop, the bus pulled into a parking lot and the driver turned the engine off! Already running late to make it to my venue comfortably, I banged my head into the headrest and closed my eyes in frustration.

Google Translate is quickly becoming a huge asset to our team, as it was for me this morning when I boarded the wrong shuttle bus and ended up with a Russian driver who spoke zero English.

The bus driver spoke no English whatsoever, so I had to use the Google Translate app we all have on our phones to as how soon the bus would resume movement. Apparently Google Translate works pretty darned well, because the driver perked up and held up all “10” of his fingers. Thankfully, this estimation was accurate, and I made it to my venue with time to spare.

Both of my events today, skiathlon and biathlon, involved people skiing for INSANE amounts of time. At skiathlon, they go for 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) with times around an hour. Biathlon is just as challenging endurance wise. The challenge for me? I’d never photographed either of these events ever. Nothing like getting thrown into the fire with your first time at the Olympics, huh? As I mentioned in my WBEZ interview, however, sometimes not being wrapped up in the particulars of a sport can be an asset, visually. Being disconnected can sometimes help you tap into some great visuals you might have otherwise overlooked, especailly if you were concentrating on the “ideal” photos for a given sport.

I ended up really enjoying the two new sports I photographed today. When the skiers cross the finish line, they all but faint with exhaustion. I must say, it’s so inspiring to see athletes push their bodies to the limit like that. Heck, I can barely climb 300 feet of the moguls hill up here without worrying about having to me medevaced out! I always love photographing people doing things very well that I know I’m incapable of. It’s both awe inspiring and humbling.

Guy’s Russian Word of the Day is ???????, pronounced, “Aftobuhs,” meaning, “Bus,” as in, “Don’t get on the wrong ??????? and stress yourself out!”

Skiers gather for the start of the skiathlon event.

A sea of flags waves over the grandstands.

(From left to right) Alex Harvey (CAN), Anders Soedergren (SWE), Petter Northug Jr (5), and Maurice Manificat (FRA) compete in men’s skiathlon during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Laura Cross-Country Ski and Biathlon Center.

Dario Cologna (SUI) (21) leads Marcus Hellner (SWE) (11), and Martin Johnssrud Sundby (NOR) (1) in the men’s skiathlon.

Dario Cologna (SUI) reacts at the finish line after taking the gold medal in the men’s skiathlon.

As I said, when these guys cross the finish line, they almost immediately hit the ground out of sheer exhaustion.

Kris Freeman (USA) reacts after finishing 54th.

The sun sets through my second venue of the day, the biathlon center, for womens biathlon.

Grete Gaim (EST) during the women’s 7.5km sprint biathlon in the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Laura Cross-Country Ski and Biathlon Center.

Laura Dahlmeier (GER) during practice for the women’s 7.5km sprint biathlon.

Kaisa Makarainen (FIN) competes during the women’s biathlon.

Fuyuko Suzuki (JPN) during the women’s 7.5km sprint biathlon.

Anastasiya Kuzmina (SVK) reacts to her gold medal win during the flowers ceremony.

Vita Semerenko (UKR, left) and Anastasiya Kuzmina (SVK, middle) and Olga Vilukhina (RUS, right) smile during the flower ceremony for the women’s biathlon in the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Laura Cross-Country Ski and Biathlon Center.