Latest / C Tolle Run / 444: Klara Lukan - I Love Challenges
Transcript
- Carrie Tollefson: Hey everyone, I'm Olympian Keri Tullofson and welcome to the SeaTally Run podcast. This week on the show we have European record holder. Yep, she's the first European woman to break 30 minutes on the roads and we have her here. Her name is Clara Lukin. Clara is a two-time Olympian in the 5,000 meters and the 10,000 meters for Slovenia. She is a professional runner for Puma and has a master's degree in international business and a bachelor's degree in biotechnology. And she's only 26 years old. Hi Clara, I'm so excited to meet you. I have been now watching as you have just been crushing it on the roads and obviously you've done so well on the track throughout your career, but congratulations on everything and thanks for coming on See Tally Run. Klara Lukan: Thank you so much. really appreciate the invitation. Carrie Tollefson: Wowza, one successful woman and I can't wait to get to know her. So let's get after it. See Tally Run. My guest today was Clara You can find her on social at Clara underscore Lukin. Before we go, a big shout out to Rundot for supporting the show and to Andrew Harley and Sarah Burney, the amazing producers behind not only See Tally Run, but also the Try. and Rundot podcasts. Hey, if you're a fan of this show and you want to leave a rating and a review, all you have to do is visit seetallyrun.com slash review. ⁓ been kind of traveling all over the world. Tell me a little bit about what this last month has brought you. In the open, I talk about how you were the first European woman to break 30 minutes for the 10K. You set that European record. I mean, you're just doing so well. So give us a little background of where you've been in the last month and all your travels. and it'll bring you right to our show's page. You can find us on YouTube, Facebook, X, and Instagram at Carrie Tollefson or at SeaTollyRUN, and you can visit our website anytime at seaTollyRUN.com. Thanks so much for joining me today, and don't forget to get after it. Klara Lukan: ⁓ yeah, the last month ⁓ has been really dynamic. ⁓ And yeah, after setting the European record, ⁓ I traveled basically directly to the training camp, Italy. Me and my team, my teammates, we went there for a whole week. ⁓ We continued with the training, so I basically had no rest. ⁓ And yeah, I continued to train. And then I returned back home. And then I went to Manchester where the recent week I competed at North, Great North Manchester run. So it was really nice. And then directly I traveled to New York and currently I'm staying in New York. So it's been dynamic and I'm all over the place because it's been such a... ⁓ such a, I would say, a bump with the European record. Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Klara Lukan: I received a ton of messages, congratulations, all of the media, the interviews, it was just crazy. But I know that all comes together when you make a success. So ⁓ yeah, I don't mind to reach that. ⁓ Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah, I mean, you know when you've done something pretty spectacular that that comes with all the press and everything. But it is kind of nice that you're getting a couple of rest days in New York. But when we were planning on chatting, you had to work around your work schedule as well, not only your professional running schedule, but your work schedule back home. So tell us a little bit about what you do and and all of the things. I mean, I know your degrees are amazing. You have two really strong degrees. So like tell us what your day like. is like what your daily life is like. Klara Lukan: So yeah, just recently I got employed into ⁓ in the software international company Impact.com. So yeah, I'm this is basically like a ⁓ half-time job because yeah, I have a lot of ⁓ lot of work to do ⁓ my sports ⁓ but but yeah, it's a manageable because I work ⁓ online a remote through computer, so it's not a problem to organize myself. ⁓ So yeah, my day usually looks like that, that I have two trainings, one in the morning, one in the afternoon. It depends, a couple of times a week we have trainings, group trainings with my teammates, sometimes I do ⁓ alone ⁓ running, I also have gym. So yeah, and in the meantime I try to ⁓ also focus on other things, to not only have running in my life, because ⁓ I would say that it doesn't work for me that I only do running because yeah, it's then too much stress ⁓ and you put too much pressure on yourself. So if I have something on the side to focus on, I think it's better also for my sports career ⁓ and having the ⁓ sports and also education part of my life, I think it's a good balance. Carrie Tollefson: Hmm. Klara Lukan: and I've been managing to do this basically my whole life because I've been studying till last year and I finished all of my degrees ⁓ without any interruptions, ⁓ everything on schedule. But yeah, I believe that if a person has a good schedule, ⁓ organization, good time management, everything is possible. ⁓ I just don't like when Some people say that it's not possible to combine professional sports with ⁓ education, with the studies. ⁓ I would say from my personal experience, it's possible and it goes really well together. ⁓ And I believe that I'm a better athlete because of my ⁓ student part of life and also the other way around. So I think it goes perfectly together. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, I mean it seems like it's working and sometimes people just need an outlet to get away from that heaviness of being one of the best in the world and all the training. I mean, Clara, your degrees are pretty awesome. Like you have a bachelor's degree in biotechnology and a master's in international business. I've been thinking about this since I started researching you. I wonder how many languages do you speak? Klara Lukan: Actually, I only speak English and Slovene, my native language. ⁓ Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ only. But you speak English so well. Klara Lukan: Yeah, I've been like, ⁓ I started with the basically with English program ⁓ in high school where I did my international ⁓ graduation, international bachelorette program it's called. basically we had all the subjects in English. So I think it's helped me a lot with learning the language. And yeah, also. Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Mmm. Klara Lukan: With the athletics when I'm traveling around, it's really necessary to know the English, otherwise I don't know how I would manage to communicate and to coordinate all of the things. So I think the English language is necessary to know. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. I love it. Tell me a little bit about your training group because you know a lot of people are getting to know you over here and and we'd love to hear how you train, who you train with, if you have male pace setters, you have other women that you train with. Klara Lukan: So yeah, just like first thing I want to emphasize that ⁓ I love my group, my teammates. ⁓ I think that if I would train alone, I wouldn't be at that level as I am now. Because yeah, to have someone to rely on, to have a support, to have a good energy, it means a lot, especially on a daily basis. So yeah, every time when I need to go somewhere alone to train alone, it's not the way how I... would want it. And yeah, we are basically the group of, I would say, 20 to 25 athletes. It's a great variety because we have athletes from sprints, hurdles, up to long distance running. quite some runners are also in the middle distance ranges, like 800, 1500. And yeah, I believe that a really variable group. is a good ⁓ way to optimize, to push each other. And we are so different, but ⁓ I think that we complement each other and it's great. The energy is great. ⁓ Currently, I'm doing most of my workouts ⁓ with the boys group ⁓ and ⁓ it's really amazing. We help each other, especially when longer things come than I'm... ⁓ good with the faces and when there are shorter stuff, they're quite faster than me. So, but yeah, it's a great way and ⁓ we have a great coach. ⁓ He's really ⁓ attentive. He listens, he adapts, he has his own training plans for each of us. So I think this individual approach is really important to not have like, for example, a generic plan that ⁓ everyone would need to do because I don't believe in generic. It doesn't suit anyone, everyone. So, yeah, he's a great coach. So I trust in his system. We've been together, been working together from 2017. So it's been quite some years, but yeah, we improved together. We developed. So I'm really happy with my support environment and I just... Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Okay. Klara Lukan: I'm just enjoying this path and I hope that I will enjoy it in the next few years. Carrie Tollefson: That's awesome. I mean you're still pretty young so you have you have so much on your resume already. Two-time Olympian, like all kinds of European championships, things like that, but you still are young and you still have a lot of more years. Do you have mainly Slovenian athletes that are on your team or is it an international team? Klara Lukan: It's mainly Slovenian, Carrie Tollefson: Okay, and your coaches from there as well. Klara Lukan: Yes, yes. Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ I see. So this is your first time in America? Klara Lukan: Yeah, basically this is my first time. I was very curious how it's going to look like. I was curious whether it is going to look the same as movies. yeah, New York is great. The first impression is great. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. ⁓ it's so fun and I love running there. I love running along the highway. I love running along the water. I love running in Central Park. And you know, you're gonna be greatly taken care of when Sam and Dorian get there. They'll be able to show you and tell you everything to do. But I hope you go see a show. Go to a musical or go to the theater if you can. It's easy way to take the pressure off your legs and your mind and you just go and watch a beautiful show on Broadway. It's right down the street from where you're staying. Klara Lukan: ⁓ thank you. That is a lovely idea. Maybe I will consider that. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, as long as your sleep is caught up. Klara Lukan: Yeah, I just must admit that I'm not fully adapted yet. So, and the time differences usually hit me hard, but yeah, it's part of the process. So, yeah, a little time, yeah. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, you have a little time, a little time. So I want to know what kind of runner you are. Tell me, tell me, are you an aggressive runner from the gun? Are you somebody that likes to sit and kind of let the race come to you? See what your your competitors are like? What what kind of what's a perfect race plan for you if you have one? Klara Lukan: ⁓ yeah, definitely I'm a runner that just goes, that run and I don't care what others are doing, I just go. I just go and I'm not afraid of the pain because I know that it's going to hurt anyway. So it's better to just be at the finish line as fast as possible because the pain is then is going to be shorter. So that's my, usually I don't have any tactics. My tactic is just like go all out. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. . Yeah. I love it. Klara Lukan: ⁓ and that's it. So it's really simple. Carrie Tollefson: Well when you were in Manchester you were racing, yeah when you were racing Wayne E. Clotty that's kind how she runs too and it sounds like you guys were pretty close until the end. Klara Lukan: Yeah, yeah, basically it was a really ⁓ competitive ⁓ race because none of us, ⁓ none of us didn't want to like ⁓ reduce the tempo. So we were pushing each other like the whole like till the last kilometer. So it was quite aggressive, I would say. We were running shoulder on shoulder. So it was nice. Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Yeah. This is going to be a big race for you in New York. I mean, we have Agnes Noguettich, who won the World Cross-Country Championship. We have Helen O'Bury, who is ⁓ the NYC Marathon Champion. We have Sharon Laketti, who's coming back as the Boston Marathon Champion. We have Weiny Kloddy, the American Record Holder. We have a lot of really good runners. And you never seem to shy away from really good competition. Is that what kind of fuels you as a runner? Is going head to head against a lot of really good runners? Does it make you nervous? Tell me about that. Klara Lukan: Yeah, of course. ⁓ I'm never afraid of the competition. I'm not afraid of anyone, even of the Olympian champion, the Olympian record holder. I don't care. I don't care. just like to compete. ⁓ I'm really... I don't know. I just like to set myself a new challenge every day. And for me to have the opportunity to be and to compete with the best in the world, that is just a huge privilege. ⁓ Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah. Klara Lukan: and I take it as a great opportunity to show myself, to show what I'm working for ⁓ every day, ⁓ basically the last 16 years of training. ⁓ And yeah, what would be the point of not showing this if you are really ⁓ working hard ⁓ every single day from the moment you wake up? ⁓ And yeah, of course I'm afraid. Every time I'm afraid. But I think that's the beauty of sports because you never know what is going to happen. ⁓ You cannot predict the scenarios and yeah, it's kind of really like interesting story for me and I'm enjoying ⁓ what this adventure ⁓ brings me every time. So ⁓ every day is a challenge and I love challenges. Carrie Tollefson: What are you working for? mean, I heard you talk about that and I just thought, I wonder what it is that you think about. Like what would be the ultimate for you? Is it an Olympic medal? Is it more records? Is it more wins? Like what do you think fuels you? Klara Lukan: Actually, it's kind of hard to explain, but it's just the thing that I have this like inner feeling in my side ⁓ that I need to do this. Nobody pushes me like from the the moment I when I was like 10 years old and when I started ⁓ with athletics with running, nobody pushed me. Nobody told me that I need to to to attend the trainings. My parents, they Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Klara Lukan: They just like to, they supported me, but they didn't push me to do this. But it's just the thing that it's kind of an inner feeling that I was sent to the world to do this. And ⁓ if I don't do it, I feel unaccomplished, know, unsatisfied. And ⁓ my ultimate goal is not a medal. It's just that I can show... Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Klara Lukan: The best I can, that I would say it's my ultimate goal. My wish is just to prove that I'm capable of the things that not anyone can do. That would be so, maybe it sounds a bit like a philosophy, but ⁓ I don't know. The medals and fame and everything, that's not the... Carrie Tollefson: I love that. Hmm. Klara Lukan: the driver that I'm doing this. It's like the inner motivation I have since 15 years ago, so I cannot explain otherwise. Carrie Tollefson: No, I think I feel that. Like that's, you know, I've never had a medal up on my wall. I got the Olympic rings tattooed 20 years after I made the team. Like it just wasn't... Do you have the, do you have the tattoo? Klara Lukan: ⁓ me too. ⁓ Yeah, I do. It's like here. ⁓ Carrie Tollefson: It's on your bicep. That's awesome. See, I mean, there's certain things that I'm super proud of, obviously, but I'm not really one... Klara Lukan: Yeah. Carrie Tollefson: to chase like a medal. I tried to chase an American record and I never got it and it kind of just was like that really wasn't what it was about for me. It was about the feeling of accomplishing something, working hard towards it, getting up every day. Maybe the word sacrifice is a little strong but to you know devote your time and energy to something and really find what makes you tick. feel like I totally I feel what you're saying Clara like I get it. Klara Lukan: Yeah, you know, it's the feeling when you cross the finish line and you know that you put everything the best you can. That is the feeling that is the most important to me, not the medal afterwards. The medal is the consequence. yeah, you know, ⁓ I believe that's the inner driver is something that you must have if you want to succeed on the long term. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Tell me a little bit about your plans now. So you've been on the roads racing a ton and now it's getting to be track season, but there isn't an Olympic Games this year. There's not a World Championships. You will be running the World Road Championships in September. So how do you plan out this year a little bit? I mean, do you now transition back to the track? Klara Lukan: Yeah, basically I will run European Championships in Birmingham in August. So that is going to be like the highlight of my track season. But before that, ⁓ we'll see. I'm currently in the communication with my manager also for the races, because ⁓ after the New York, I'm going to St. Moritz for a training camp, altitude training camp, to do a little bit more of preparation. Carrie Tollefson: Okay. ⁓ lovely. Klara Lukan: So it's going to be nice for three weeks and after we see if I get any track race ⁓ and then in August of course European Championships. Carrie Tollefson: I Yeah, for sure. And that's gonna be fun when they announce your name as a European record holder. Klara Lukan: Yeah, that's nice. Carrie Tollefson: I mean, did you get to celebrate yet? Like no one in Europe. Clara, no one in the entire continent. no one has run faster than you. Klara Lukan: Yeah, it's kind of crazy, you know, I wasn't able to comprehend all of this because it's been like, it's been a lot of attention and everything going on. So it's just like, yeah, it's crazy when you, when I think about that I'm the first European ever who runs sub 30. So, yeah, I almost cannot believe it, but it, it happened the way me and my coach planned. So I'm super happy about that. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, that's really neat. So we know that you're the superstar, but before I get into what I call their kind of fun questions, their rapid fire, I gotta ask you just a couple other things. Would you mind telling us something funny about you? What's funny about you? Klara Lukan: It all turned out so well. Hmm. What's? Carrie Tollefson: Can you sing? Can you play instruments? Are you terrible at telling jokes? Tell me something funny about yourself. Klara Lukan: Hmm, something funny, you know, ⁓ like just yesterday I posted on my Instagram what actually is happening in the head of a professional runner during the race. So I posted ⁓ some of my personal thoughts and it's kind of fun, know, that during the race I'm just like any other ⁓ runner and it's not easy. Carrie Tollefson: Yes. Klara Lukan: Because it's really interesting when people see me running, ⁓ they tell that I look super relaxed and easy and chill and that it's jogging. But you know, actually what is happening in my head is a chaos. Because I have this inner monologue with some terrible thoughts and ⁓ when I'm questioning my life decisions. So yeah, if you would step in my head during the race. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Right. So funny. Klara Lukan: would be chaotic. ⁓ So that would be one thing. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, I love that. If you're listening to this, go check it out. That was brilliant. It's like, what are you doing right now? Klara Lukan: it. So yeah, and you know, sometimes I'm just like asking myself why I'm doing this to myself while other people, for example, at eight in the morning are sleeping and I'm torturing my body at this early in the morning. So ⁓ it's kind of funny. And I do it every time, you know, every time when I finish, I apply for the next race all over again. So it's a repetitive cycle. Carrie Tollefson: You know, it's so cute. Yes That's it. It is. I love it. Yeah. Exactly. I love it. thought I everything you said I was like, yep. Klara Lukan: And yeah, in some... And it also, know, to distract myself, sometimes I think in my head during the race. I think or I comment on others. I do. I really do. Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ Do you really? Like, what is, what are they wearing? Klara Lukan: So. ⁓ Yeah, and you know, I sometimes comment about like ⁓ how others for me it's really ⁓ it's a kind of ⁓ Relaxing if I tell myself that also others are Suffering and it's hard for others as well so that I'm not the victim here here ⁓ So so yeah, it's ⁓ yeah, you would need to see my my thoughts While running it would be a really funny Because it doesn't show on the outside Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. For sure. It's good. It's good. Okay. No. Yeah, you can't let it show on the outside, but there are, think a lot of athletes go through some funny things in their mind. I remember one of my friends used to sing a rap song every time and she doesn't know why in the 1500 this rap song would come to her mind all the time. So that was great. Tell me what your favorite junk food is. Like what's like something you're like, ⁓ I Klara Lukan: as people say, yeah. junk food. Carrie Tollefson: I can't, I shouldn't eat this, but I'm gonna. Klara Lukan: I would say ice cream. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. I love ice cream. Klara Lukan: Ice cream and chocolate. Yeah, chocolate as well. Everything that is connected to chocolate. Carrie Tollefson: Okay, that's great. Do you make your bed or do you leave it a mess? Klara Lukan: ⁓ make my bed. I ⁓ was ⁓ learned that first thing in the morning when you wake up, make your bed. It's the form of the ⁓ natural. ⁓ Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Yep, me too. I love a nice bed. Yep, I agree. I agree. How about this? Do you do when you're at home and you can do laundry? Do you do laundry every day or do you do one big load like on the weekend? Klara Lukan: ⁓ I would say regularly. Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. I did too. I like everything kind of clean. How about this? Do you talk to yourself in the mirror? Or do you just silently tell you tell yourself thoughts? Klara Lukan: ⁓ For example before... Yeah, that's exactly what I do. Before the races I always look myself in the mirror, I tell myself I'm the best, that I'm going to destroy the field. So yeah, it's a form. Carrie Tollefson: Like before a race, are you like, you can do it? I love it, I'm getting to know you pretty well on this. Okay, last one before our rapid fire, and they're similar, but do you have a go-to song that you sing in the shower or do you like it silent? Klara Lukan: ⁓ I would say that I have a lot of go-to songs, yeah. No silence. I don't like silence. Carrie Tollefson: Okay. I don't like silence either. Okay, these are our run dot rapid fire questions. Now these are quick. They're like this or that. Okay. So we're gonna we're gonna have your fast twitch muscles going right here. Okay. Cake or strudel? Klara Lukan: Okay. Cake. Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Tattoos or piercings? Klara Lukan: Mmm, tattoos. Carrie Tollefson: red hair or brown hair? Klara Lukan: Obviously, red hair. Carrie Tollefson: How long have you had your red hair and what's behind the story? What's the story behind it? Klara Lukan: It's really not complex, it's really easy story. Just one day I decided that I've been the same basically for my whole life, that I need to change. when I was 18, I went to the store and I bought myself a red color. That's the story. So since then I'm redhead. Carrie Tollefson: Okay. ⁓ It's really pretty. So you do it. You do it yourself. Klara Lukan: I think. Yeah, yeah, sometimes I go to the hairdresser, but most of the times I'm coloring my hair at home. Carrie Tollefson: I love it. Roads or track? Klara Lukan: I wrote. Carrie Tollefson: Mountains or sea? Klara Lukan: Mountains. Carrie Tollefson: Mmm, massage or chiropractor? Klara Lukan: Massage? Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, long runs are intervals. Klara Lukan: long runs. Carrie Tollefson: I love that too, and I love the conversations. Okay being from Slovenia. We know you guys are big into athletics. So watch hockey or basketball Klara Lukan: basketball. Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, is hockey big over there? I mean, I know we have Sylvian athletes, but is that pretty big? Like, do you guys watch it? Klara Lukan: ⁓ If I'm honest, I don't watch sports at all. But I believe that no, it's not so common. Basketball much more, yeah. Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Okay. ⁓ But you ski over there. Yeah, and there's, but they're skiing. Klara Lukan: ⁓ Yeah, skiing is really ⁓ prevalent, but ⁓ since I'm more into now in the last years when I'm more into professional athletics, I stopped skiing because it's too dangerous. I will ski after. ⁓ Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, we don't need you to get hurt. Yeah, we don't want you to get hurt. Okay, would you? ⁓ yeah, you'll have plenty of time for that. Would you rather go out to eat or make dinner at home? Klara Lukan: Make dinner at home. Carrie Tollefson: And then last one, would you rather win races or run records? Klara Lukan: run records. It depends which records. Yeah, depends which records. ⁓ Yeah, that's it. Carrie Tollefson: Really? Yeah, I know that's a hard one. You can say both. It's okay. ⁓ Clara, this has been so fun. I appreciate your time. I know that you're trying to get a little sightseeing in, do your work from home or you know your work back home, get your running in, do all the things. But you took some time for see Tali run. We so appreciate you. Make sure you get after it this weekend, okay? Klara Lukan: Thank you so much. ⁓ I appreciate that you invited me and it was so much fun talking to you.