"I've run many thousands of kilometre with a pram ... he sleeps and I run."
Motherhood is no obstacle for Rotorua's Johanna Ottosson, who after giving birth two and a half years ago to son, Nixon, has juggled long-distance running alongside a busy family and work life.
Thanks to prampower the local osteopath is well on the way to rediscovering her history breaking form that saw her win the Lion Foundation Rotorua Marathon back in 2010 and 2011. She became the first local woman to break the event's finisher's tape since females entered the fray back in 1974.
Johanna Ottosson celebrates after winning her first Rotorua marathon in 2010. Photo/File
"It's been a lot different especially this year after having a child," she said. "I've run many thousands of kilometres with a pram and that has been his sleep time. He sleeps and I run, that's just how training has been."
Race progression was most recently seen when she retained her Copthorne Off-Road Half Marathon in the Whakarewarewa Forest earlier this month.
"I always go out to win," she said. "The sharp downhills are hard for me in this type of running but it's here, it's good you don't have to travel anywhere and we need local events like this."
Ottosson, the daughter of a Swedish professional motocross rider, took up long-distance running seriously 15 years ago, after a brief spell of track and field in the USA during a study exchange during her teens, before she moved to Rotorua in 2001.
"I grew up with horses and competed a lot in dressage and ballet up until the age of 11 in Sweden," Ottosson said.
"I was then introduced to track and field when I went over to the USA at around 17; there's a big culture of running there. I had a big break out but there was no way I wasn't running when I came to New Zealand.
"Running is now my little sanity place. I don't run with music or anything like that. I prefer just to have time outside and have time out."
Rotorua's long distance queen Johanna Ottosson has embraced motherhood - juggling training alongside a busy family and work life. Photo/Stephen Parker
Since then the athlete has completed dozens of long-distance races in New Zealand including winning the New Plymouth marathon in the elite women's field twice and finishing on the podium twice at the Auckland equivalent.
Abroad Ottosson's portfolio includes the New York City marathon elite field and representing her nation at the Oceania Marathon and Half Marathon Championships in the Gold Coast, Australia.
In 2011 in the USA, Ottosson clocked 2h 46m 03s, her second-best marathon time, and said it was one of the highlights of a successful running career.
"It was unbelievable. There were 40 of us in the elite women's filed and we started 30 minutes prior to everyone else. I remember when we set off everyone went so hard. Running on the bridge from Staten Island and I looked behind and there was no one there. I wasn't used to that, it was unique for a race.
"It was emotional coming down First Avenue. It's such an iconic part of the race. I could hear so many people shouting my name because they all see it on your vest and support each other equally. I will never forget that."
It's not all been plain sailing for Ottosson after some serious injury setbacks including ruptured ligaments in her knee in 2008 and an originally misdiagnosed hamstring tendon tears in 2011.
"It has been difficult coming back from those but it has made me very aware of my body. I now know exactly how hard I can push myself without doing damage," Ottosson said.
But the mother of two is up to speed with training, running 140km a week over nine sessions, as she eyes the Ohope Express Half Marathon next month before possibly entering the Rotorua Marathon in May.
Last year's top three female Rotorua Marathon finishers: first place Lisa Hunter-Galvan, (centre) with Katie Wyrill (left) second place and Rotorua's Johanna Ottosson (right) third. Photo/File
Ottosson, who finished third in the local marathon last year, running a time of 2h 57m 52s, said she aimed to improve on a difficult performance after a four-year gap out from the annual race.
"At the moment the half-distance is working well for me because I can go out any day and do it. But it's a big step up to the marathon. Psychologically last year was very difficult. Having that gap out made usually strong in the last 10km. I just held on and hung on in there till the finish.
"I want to be back running strong and finding my winning form again."
