Thought the injury would heal in a few weeks. Six months later, he is still struggling with pain.

– It has been a real nightmare of a season, admits the long-distance skiing profile. 

– I never thought I would be in mid-May and still dealing with pain from a minor fall in November.

Mathias Aas Rolid is referring to a training session with friends in Nordmarka at the beginning of November, where he slipped and injured his shoulder just fifteen minutes into their run. Rolid got back up and continued running – for another three hours. 

– It didn’t hurt that much, so I didn’t think much of it at the time, says the 30-year-old to Langrenn.com. 

See also: Ran three hours with a broken shoulder

Fracture and Tear 

But eventually, it started to hurt. Really hurt. 

It turned out that Rolid had sustained both a fracture in his shoulder and a significant tear in the tendon that connects the biceps muscle to the shoulder. The prognosis from the doctors was not what he wanted to hear. 

– They said it could take up to 12 months before I’m back to 100 percent, he says. 

Still, Rolid hoped to “beat” that timeline. 

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Disheartening

In January, he was back at the starting line, aiming to be among the best in Marcialonga and Vasaloppet. He had trained “like a beast” and achieved solid watt values on the roller ski machine.

However, the feedback he received from the field after his return was disheartening. 

– I could really feel that I had lost six to eight weeks of specific double-poling training on skis. My technique was okay, but I didn’t have the power to push hard when the speed increased, says Rolid. 

But the worst part was the pain in the tendon attachment that wouldn’t go away, even though the fracture had healed. 

– Every time I stretched my arm back, it hurt a lot. I had to drop out of several races because of it.

– I thought I could be back after six to eight weeks, and my ambitions to be among the best in Marcialonga and Vasaloppet still stood.

The reality turned out to be quite different. 

71st place in his comeback, 62nd in Marcialonga, and 90th in Vasaloppet was a blow to the gut. His best result was 29th place in the 50km with a staggered start.

From Disappointment to Relief

After the season ended, Rolid was left with a knot in his stomach. 

The contract he signed with Team Aker Dæhlie last year was for one year, and the season’s performance was a poor basis for negotiating a new one. 

– I doubted whether I would keep my place on the team. I only had a one-year contract, and there were many strong skiers without a team after Ramudden was shut down, as well as Torleif Syrstad being out of Engcon, to name a few.  

Rolid admits he was quite nervous when the team manager called. The message he received changed everything. 

– Joachim (Aurland) called at the end of the season and said, “We’re continuing with the same team next year.” 

How Did That Feel? 

– That was a nice call to receive, and an enormous relief. 

The X-Factor

Rolid is convinced that it’s the team dynamics and the way all six guys complement each other, each with their unique qualities and strengths. 

– We have an extremely good environment in the team, where everyone is good friends. Everyone feels that this is the team to be in, Rolid says eagerly. 

– It becomes such that you want to perform well, not just for yourself, but for the others on the team. You push yourself hard so that the team can win, and you want everyone to succeed. That’s a huge strength we have in Team Aker Dæhlie. 

– I Can Become Really Dangerous

When the ski season was over and the new contract signed, Rolid went straight to Antibes to reset with three weeks on the bike.  

– That has been my medicine to put the winter behind me and focus forward. I had to do something completely different because I felt I needed to rediscover my joy in the sport, actually. 

And he found it again, in abundance. 

Now Rolid is in the midst of his training buildup. The pain is still not completely gone, but his desire for revenge and ambitions are sky-high. 

– Now we need to sit down and make a solid plan for the upcoming season. I want to win Vasaloppet. If I’m in Moraparken, I can become really dangerous.

The rest of the men’s team at Team Aker Dæhlie includes Kasper Stadaas, Max Novak, Petter Stakston, Gaute Kvåle, and Ski Classics overall winner Amund Riege.