Running isn't always linear. There are many highs and lows over years of countless miles. We set high goals that drive us to lace up the shoes and get out there for yet another run, day in and day out. It sometimes seems like a never ending pursuit to reach some of those goals that maybe only feel like a dream at the time. But should that stop you from chasing them?
This past spring, the CE record board was decimated by Katarina Smiljanec in every distance from the 800m to the 3000m. At 30 years old, she smashed every PR she had from college. A bit unexpectedly, even to her, she found the best fitness of her life over two decades into her running career. She is passionate about running and has learned to love the process of training through all facets of life. That mindset has allowed her to continue reaching new heights in pursuit of those dreams she's had. Check out the interview with her below.
To start, where are you at with running right now?
I have been running for 22 years now but in the past 8-9 years I wasn't training for anything specific as I did in high school and in college. Last fall I raced the Detroit half for which I had no idea how to train for, so I started working again with my coach back home in Croatia.
It wasn't hard to talk me into racing indoors this February since I had nothing else to do during winter. But then I raced a bit too well and we made more specific goals for the outdoor season. I competed outdoors in April in Orlando, Atlanta, and Cincy, and then flew to Croatia for the selection meet for the Balkan Championships and the Balkan Championships in Turkey.
I had to come back to the US at the end of May and after that I had a couple of weeks of business travel which essentially forced me to take a step back from training. I took another couple of easy weeks since logistically it didn't make sense for me to compete more this summer. Now I am back in base maintenance. I may hop in a couple of track races in September if we find any on the World Athletics calendar. Otherwise, the focus is cross country and the road in the late fall.
Competing for your home country, Croatia, at the Balkan Championships had to be pretty incredible! What was that like?
I was definitely seeing the entire trip through rose-colored glasses! When I was younger, I competed at the U18 and U23 European Championships and went to a number of regional competitions with the Croatian national team. But the Balkan Championships this year were special because it has been exactly 10 years since my last meet with the national team (European Team Championships in Kaunas, Latvia). I actually competed on the same track in 2011, so it was nostalgic to refresh my memory and come back full circle. I made it my goal in February to fly out to Croatia and make the team. This year, I raced and PR'd in both the 800m and the 1500m and it was more than I thought it would be. I loved representing Croatia and found so much more pride in it this time around.
Before this season, did you expect to be hitting so many PR’s this spring? Were you feeling super strong or was it a bit of a surprise at first?
I definitely didn't expect it until this year's indoor season. I decided to run indoors to pass the time during the winter cold and dread. Big PR's in the 3000m and a small PR in the mile surprised both me and my coach, so we knew we had to train for outdoors as well.
I knew I could do it but I didn't know if the logistics behind my situation would be an obstacle. I'm training in the US and have a full-time job with limited PTO, while my coach is in Croatia and the most important meets for me are in Europe. If I were making track racing my priority, the only way I wanted to do it is by targeting big meets back home and in Europe. I decided to go all-in and, even though it was so much to coordinate, I am glad it paid off.Â
Who is your coach?
I am coached by my first and only coach from back home, Sasa Belcic. His approach that emphasizes speed and does not overly emphasize pure endurance always worked out for me. His training plans allow enough flexibility for my work and travel adjustments and he is excellent at receiving feedback. He was my coach from when I was 9 until I left to the US for college when I was 18, so he knows me really well.
The next 4 years, I trained under coach Ben Thomas at Virginia Tech. This was a hard adjustment for me and it took 2-3 years until I was able to handle the intensity and volume well. Afterwards I had a few periods of regimented training. Like when I'd see an interesting trail or road race coming up. Also, there were a few instances when I raced on the track too. Since I never stopped running, I always had a decent base fitness level which I could easily build on. Whether I was competitively running or not, Sasa and I stayed in contact all throughout these 13 years.
9 years old is an early start! How did you get into running?
I used to do gymnastics when I was little, at the age of 4 to 6. We lived in Zagreb and the coaches were serious. I loved it. We then moved to Karlovac, about an hour away from Zagreb, where my family still lives now, and I started training in a new club. Their practices were not as tough or regimented as Zagreb and I didn't like it at all.
I actually had about a year of a break from doing any sport until I raced a school district "cross country" race as a 4th grader. It was a 400m grass loop and I either won or was top 3 and the club coach, Sasa, asked me to join the club. Croatia doesn't have a well-developed school athletic system, so all athletes train in clubs. That was the start of my love with running. It's been 22 years and I will run until I physically can't anymore.
How successful were you early on?
I was pretty good. One of the kiddos that coaches and older athletes would put on the list of athletes to watch. I did many events as a kid. My main events were the 300m and 600m U16, and then the 800m later on. But I also did the 300m hurdles, the 60m, 100m, and long jump a few times. My coach placed a lot of focus on speed and agility which is why the few times I raced the 1500m the time wasn't anything spectacular.
Did you run in college? If so, what was that like?
I ran cross country and track at Virginia Tech. It was a life-changing experience with ups and downs. I look back on it with a lot of nostalgia. We had a great team of guys and girls who got along really well, trained with a lot of dedication, and knew how and when to have a good time. Coming in, I was only 18 and while pretty mature for my age, it was a shocking change that nothing could prepare me for. Croatian and American culture could not be further apart. And my high school training and my college training were even further apart than that. Coach Thomas was demanding and, while his style took a while for me to work out, I reached decent PR's in the 800m (2:07) and the 1500m (4:21).
Our mid-distance squad was deep and those times were only good enough for fourth or fifth best on the team at the time. Our distance team was also very strong and in 2014, we competed at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, IN. We had a number of teammates going pro after college (Neil Gurley, Vince Ciattei, Hanna Green, Rachel Pokratsky). Blacksburg was a perfect place for a student-athlete: there was absolutely nothing to do except to run and go to class. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!
How did you end up joining Cincinnatus Elite?
I was looking for a club like CE for way too long... about 9 months. In September of 2021, I moved to Cincy for work and I couldn't find a competitive, post-collegiate club. That fall, I raced the 50 West Mile and the Flying Pig Half. It wasn't until May next year when I raced the same events and I saw a few runners with CE singlets on the start line. At the 50 West Mile finish line I talked to Kaylee Wessel, who told me about CE. I became a member that same weekend. This year, I didn't get to run with the group as often because my training and work schedule haven't aligned with most group runs. However, I am coming back to it more this summer.
Do you cross train at all?
I hate cross training and I don't do it unless I am injured. It is definitely a personal preference. I don't enjoy any traditional cross training options like swimming, biking, and the elliptical, but I am very well aware of their value. I do like circuit training though and like to take advantage of it if I need more conditioning. Last year I had IT band issues for 9 months and I was doing a lot of circuits and rollerblading. The only mode of exercise for training, not leisure, that I truly enjoy is running and lifting.
What is your all-time favorite workout?
Two workouts from coach Jim Fischer who I trained with in Delaware: 10x500m at 5k pace with 1 min standing recovery and a 10-12x800 at a tempo pace with 1min standing recovery.
Another broken tempo workout I really like is from coach Ryan Waite at the University of Delaware at the time (now at BYU): 4-6 sets of 4x400 with 30s standing recovery between reps and 1min between sets.
I have always struggled with continuous tempo runs and I respond much better to these broken tempos since I do them with more quality. They are usually a confidence booster too.
What is your favorite running shoe?
Brooks Ghost, hands down! For intervals during base training and tempos, I really like the Saucony Endorphin speeds.
Who is your biggest inspiration in running?
I was thinking hard about this one. I really don't have a single person who inspires me like that, even growing up. I used to adore Jeremy Wariner when I was in high school... not sure why. But it was more often that I found inspiration among people closer to me. My coach that was still racing in his thirties (this was not common in Croatia at the time), my super fast teammates at Virginia Tech, my good friends and rivals from Croatia. These days I really look up to runners my age who are still stepping on the track despite biological and social norms. Those who make a comeback after a several year break. Moms who gave birth months ago. Those with full time jobs. I have immense respect for those who return to competing out of pure love and joy despite of it being untraditional.
What is your best running memory?
It was when I broke 2:10 in the 800m in 2011 and ran the entry standard for the European Junior Championships. Qualifying me for my first big championship. I also returned to my main event after a rocky year following an appendix surgery. At the start line, I was way too jittery from the caffeine I had earlier. I was both excited and nervous. The race was awesome and the best part was that my best friend was pacing us through the 400. I placed third at that meet and brought the medal with me to the US. I still have it, it's my favorite medal.Â
What is next for you with running?
The focus is back home, later this fall. However, I may jump into a couple of track meets in September if I find any. If not, I'll choose a road race around the same time. I have road 10k nationals, cross country nationals, and Balkan cross country championships, all in a span of three weeks in late October/early November. These are not my favorite distances but they will make me stronger for the 2025 indoor and outdoor track. The main goal for indoors is to qualify for the European Indoor Championships in the 3000m.
The focus for the outdoor season will again be the Balkan Championships and European Team Championships. I will also be back home for Croatian indoor and outdoor nationals. This year has taught me that I need to get back to dreaming big!
We look forward to watching Katarina's progress this fall and into 2025 as she chases those dreams. 22 years into her career and it almost feels like she's just getting started!
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