Nora Trklja, ambassador of the Subotica Half Marathon
To begin with, a sentence that represents the life motto you live by? Do you apply it in running?
Enjoy life, broaden your horizons, make the most of everything beautiful life gives you, learn to feel your body and give your maximum when you do what you care about. This is exactly the life motto I also apply in running. I train as much as feels good and I do it with enjoyment. When I reach saturation, I take a break… I have tried several disciplines: 5 and 10 km, the half marathon, the marathon, the 50 km ultramarathon, as well as cross-country races. I believe that moderation, in life as in training, is important to preserve our body and health. For example, moderation for me means not exceeding a distance of 50 km; I know that really would not suit me, but for someone else that does not apply, for some the limit is 10 km, for others 100 km. Everyone should feel their own limits, respect their body and enjoy the activities.
When did you start running? Do you perhaps remember your first training session, were you in company, alone, what did it look like?
I remember my first run well; it was in 2008 on a summer holiday, by the sea. I ran alone and it was extremely pleasant. My “first steps”, that is, correct foot strike and posture, were shown to me by my mum, who did athletics (short distances) in her youth. I ran about 5 km without a problem and enjoyed it. That is when I realised that running is part of me. To this day my favourite training sessions are on those very trails, and every year I can hardly wait for summer and those wonderful seaside kilometres. In general I like running alone, but of course company is welcome too, especially on long runs and tempo sessions.
Do you run alone today, or are you a member of a running club, and which one? If you are, can you tell us a little about it?
For years I ran alone and enjoyed it. It was my time with myself and my thoughts, because running connects body and mind, clears our thoughts and fills us with satisfaction. Over the last year I have accepted that I finally have a coach (Slobodan Marinkov) and I work according to his plan. Sloba is also my friend, so we get along very well and I like doing a few sessions a month with him too. He always gets more out of me than I expect. I am a member of the athletics club Crvena zvezda; I run national championships in their kit and I am proud of that. I am also a member of the global ASICS FrontRunner team, whose mission is to get people moving towards physical activity and a healthy life. The team in Serbia currently has 7 members and it is truly wonderful to be part of such a positive story.
Where do you work and in what position, Nora? I know you are very physically active; how do you balance work, family life and running?
I work at the Faculty of Physics of the University of Belgrade in the scientific field of plasma physics, as a researcher, and I also teach several courses. It is not always easy to balance work, family life and training. I am grateful to my husband Igor for his support, and I can also say that I have a very nice job that allows me, on some days during the working week, to organise my working day myself. My return to the track after giving birth was accompanied by the advice of coach Slobodan Marinkov, who completely changed my weekly training plan, so that during the preparation period for races every session became efficient. Together we showed that results can be achieved even with a limited amount of quality training. With planned training I have lowered my personal bests at 5 and 10 km over the last year, and I also ran a good marathon in Belgrade and improved my result at the Belgrade Marathon.
What was the first race you took part in? What is it that attracts you to running half marathons and marathons?
My first race was the Belgrade Half Marathon in 2011. Every race is a special story. Preparing for races, we get to know our body and mind better, we test and push our limits. Half marathons and marathons are the races that suit me best. The half marathon is, in terms of pace, tenser than the marathon, but running a marathon is truly a special story. Being ready for a marathon means being physically and mentally strong, healthy, in top form, stable, with a strong will and desire. Preparing for a marathon, as well as during the marathon race itself, you get to know both your body and your mind completely… Many situations that may have troubled you in the previous period get cleared up, you make everything clear to yourself over all those kilometres… For me the marathon race is like a kind of physical and mental purgatory. You also learn to respect yourself more, to love yourself more, to fight, to be strong, persistent, tenacious. These things transfer very nicely into other spheres of life. The mental strength that half marathons and marathons bring us is priceless. Races of 5 and 10 km require a faster pace and more tension in the body, but over time, with appropriate training, I have grown to love them too.
How many races have you run so far, and how many of them were half marathons?
Honestly, I don’t count them. Usually within one half-season I run about three to four half marathons.
Have you noticed benefits of running and sport in your professional life? What would you single out as the biggest and most significant benefit?
Running helps you strengthen both body and mind. In professional life we come across situations when we have to give more than we are used to, and when we are physically and mentally ready and resilient, we have the strength for additional efforts too. It is also well known that over half marathon and marathon distances there are periods of crisis, when it is hard, when we ask ourselves what all this suffering is for, when it would be easiest to stop. By overcoming these crises we prepare ourselves to mentally endure demanding periods in professional life.
Is there anything you would single out as a negative side of running?
As a negative side I can only single out the addiction that appears in most runners (who start training regularly for a few months). Honestly, even when I decide to take a slightly longer break, my legs drag me into my trainers and onto the track by themselves.
Which of your running achievements would you particularly single out as the most significant to you?
My greatest running achievements are winning the Belgrade Marathon in 2018, holding the national record for several years over 50 km, as well as taking part in the World 50 km Championships in 2019 and the Balkan Cross Country Championships in 2018 and 2019 as a member of the Serbian national team. I also cherish my appearances at the European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country with my club AK Crvena zvezda, held in Portugal. I would also single out second place at the Women’s 10 km Race in Vienna this year and third place at a marathon in Thailand in 2018.
What are your running goals for 2022?
I have already achieved part of my goals: 3rd place at the national half marathon championship, a personal best and second place in the 10 km race in Vienna, as well as first place among domestic runners and fourth in the overall women’s category (after three Ethiopian runners) at the Belgrade Marathon. I have no concrete plans for the second part of the season. I took a short break because of work commitments and I am currently getting back into shape, eagerly awaiting the Subotica Half Marathon.
Apart from your professional and sporting life, are you active in any other field, and can you tell us a bit more about it?
At the moment I have no time for anything except family, work and running. Honestly, I barely manage to fit everything into the working week. You could say I live week to week in uncertainty (like all parents), not knowing when my plans will be disrupted by some nursery illness or additional work commitments. If I have enough energy left by the evening, when my child falls asleep, I like to devote myself to reading a good book.
You were born in Subotica, you grew up and played on these streets of ours. You have been a promoter of the Subotica Half Marathon since the first edition and have followed its organisational growth first-hand. Can you tell us your opinion of it?
Honestly, my heart is full and I am more than proud of my city and the organising team. The course of our half marathon is not the fastest in the country, but it is certainly the most beautiful. The slogan “Run through History” is completely original and exudes culture, as befits our Subotica. The course passes through my favourite streets. The organisation gets better every year. The refreshment stations are placed in the right spots, full of support and positive energy. A very nice part of the story is the involvement of secondary school pupils as volunteers. The atmosphere along the course is dynamic and full of support. Walkers wave and greet us, as do people from their windows. I know how much effort the organising team puts in with the aim of raising the organisation to a higher level every year, and I honestly think they succeed. It is generally thought that the people of our Subotica are sleepy, that they are not loud at concerts, that they are perhaps too polite, but believe me, there is really a lot of support in the streets during the half marathon and that makes me especially glad. I am proud of my city and of the whole organising team for managing to bring the city to life, awaken the sporting spirit and make the Subotica Half Marathon a tradition. I am glad that the city has supported such an event, because that gives the whole story special weight and significance. The Subotica Half Marathon is held precisely as part of the events connected with the celebration of City Day, and that is the time of year when Subotica is at its most beautiful, most colourful and most cheerful.
What does it mean to you to be an ambassador of the Subotica Half Marathon?
Given that I was born in Subotica and that, honestly, I consider Subotica the most beautiful city in Serbia, it is an exceptional honour and pleasure to be an ambassador of the Subotica Half Marathon. Running the half marathon in my Subotica has a special charm for me; it is a great joy when I see my primary school friends cheering me on from a window on Radijalac, when my class teacher waits for me to run past and to see me once more on the way back after the loop in Dudova šuma, or when my neighbours greet me on the corner by my building… Feelings like these, and even just the memories of them, are priceless. It makes me happy that I can be a role model for someone; I am always willing to give useful advice and share personal experiences. I can hardly wait for the start of this year’s Subotica Half Marathon, new memories and incredible energy and beauty.
What is your message to those who have not started running yet?
Right now is the right moment to put on your trainers, do some light warm-up exercises and run! (Provided, of course, that you have no physical limitations or pain.) Running gets the whole body moving, makes you strong, resilient, more ready for everyday duties and challenges. When we are physically active we have driving energy within us, we radiate, we are more positive, we love and respect our body more. You can run anywhere, in any town, village, in the mountains, by the sea… in summer, in winter… The choice of running gear is enormous and you will enjoy picking out the right little things. (The most important thing is the shoes: be sure to check your foot strike type and buy shoes for your type, so as not to cause unwanted injuries.) Run and join our world of happiness!
Do you have any advice for those who will run their first half marathon in Subotica?
It is important to prepare properly for the half marathon distance, so that the race is not mere survival but enjoyment. The most important thing is that, by gradually increasing the distance, you have managed in training 2 weeks before the half marathon to run about 16 km. In your weekly training (a few weeks before the race) include an interval session and a tempo session. During the race carry honey or a gel and a sachet of magnesium with you, as first aid if you run out of energy or feel cramps. (It is also advisable to take one sachet of magnesium every day for a few days before the race and to increase your fluid intake.) Since the Subotica Half Marathon is in summer, be sure to take water at every refreshment station! Finally, don’t forget to enjoy the beauty of the course and the running energy that will carry you that day! Good luck!
Photos: Damir Vujković
Interview by: Kristifor Bogdanić