Flashes of Panic

I finally talked to runner #9 this morning. It turns out that (a) she seldom checks her email, and (b) the phone number I was given was incorrect; there were two numbers transposed. So I left voice mail at the right number last night, she called back this morning, and I re-submitted the article with actual quotes from her. Even though it’s nearly a week late, I got complimented by the editor for my persistence. Will nobody just call me on the fact that I should’ve either started sooner, or just called for help sooner when things weren’t working? I’m not sure what to do about compliments for work I think I could’ve done better.

I have flight information for Fukuoka; there will be a missing day where I spend something like thirty-six clock hours on a plane (combining travel time and time-zone shift,) then a sort of “miracle” flight back where I’ll arrive shortly after departure, thanks to the International Date Line. I have three assignments from U.S. outlets, two magazines and one niche wire service, and I’ll probably be writing for iaaf.org as well, so I expect to dominate U.S. coverage of the event. (Heh.) I wonder if I should be ambitious and contact some local newspapers of U.S. runners—the Daily Camera leaps to mind, but the Gallup Independent might be worth a ping if I decide to go that route. (As long as I’m dreaming, maybe I should contact the NYT, USA Today et al?)

Meanwhile, I’m trying to make sense of this press-credential application form. What’s expected on the line labeled “Media”? (There’s a checkbox later for Print/Photo/Team and yet another for kind of media, Daily/Weekly/Monthly/Agency/Photo/Web, so this line perplexes me. Maybe that’s for my employment? Should I list the University, just to boggle ‘em?) Should I have a press card? Does my TAFWA membership count?

Now Playing: Cinematic from Grand by Erin McKeown