by The start of last season did not turn out as Frida Karlsson had hoped. After a health check, administered by the Swedish federation, she needed to make a break from all training and competitions. This was caused by an imbalance between training, nutrition and rest.
The Swedish cross country skiing star had impressed in the national season opening in Bruksvallarna (Sweden), but she feel through in the first couple of World Cup races in Ruka (Finland). This was a huge disappointment after her stellar breakthrough during the World Championship in Seefeld 2019.
Coming in to the 2020/2021 season Frida Karlsson has impressed mightily setting several records in the famous “Hallstatestet”, an 1800 meter uphill run, climbing some 210 height meters with and average gradient of 12%.
At the start of the summer 2020, Ebba Andersson held the female record at 8 minutes 56 seconds. Early in the summer Frida Karlsson smashed the record by 20 seconds, running 8 minutes 36, before she improved it by a further 4 seconds in July.
Talking to the Swedish daily Expressen, she makes it clear just how easy it is, as a professional athlete, to push the body beyond the limit. However while preparing for the upcoming season, Frida Karlsson is adamant that she has learned from the mistakes of last season and that she is now much more knowledgeable about the requirements her hard training imposes of both nutrition and rest.
Even if the first half of last season was not what, Frida Karlsson, had hoped for, she ended the season on a high, as she defeated the almost unbeatable Therese Johaug in the last race of the season, the 30 KM mass start in Oslo.
