Hardrock 100: 5 questions with the vert queen

Joanna Ford had been waiting almost a decade to run Hardrock 100. The well-versed mountain athlete is known for her love of unique summit snacks, cold water swimming streaks, and a passion for bagging 25 new-to-her peaks each year. She’s also one of Canada’s top women ultrarunners, and on Sunday she finished as the second Canadian woman, sixth female overall, in 38:17:45.

This year’s Hardrock 100 boasted a remarkable field of contenders, and Ford was led by Courtney Dauwaulter, who set a new course record in 26:44:38, and Canada’s Stephanie Case, who ran 33:52:40.

We caught up with Ford post-race.

Joanna Ford is the sixth woman at the 2022 Hardrock 100 in 38:17:35. #HR100 pic.twitter.com/pwRWgRl9Hf

— iRunFar (@iRunFar) July 17, 2022

You’ve obviously run more than a few ultras, and I’ve heard you called the “queen of vert.” Did you have to switch up your regular training for Hardrock? 

When I found out that I’d been picked in the Hardrock lottery, I was not in as good physical shape as I have been in the past. As a result, I had to be careful not to increase my training too quickly and push too hard.  I knew that I could easily get hurt during training and miss out on my dream race.

In the past, I’ve been the “queen of vert,” doing some monster days in the mountains, but this year I just had to be more conservative and focus on consistency. I didn’t do any monster days, but I did run most days of the week, and every run had at least a couple of hundred metres of vert.  My biggest vert day was 3,000m at Minotaur SkyRace, which was three weeks before Hardrock.

What do you eat during races? Anything that really helped with the altitude/nausea? 

My previous experience at altitude was that I could not digest fat while I was running. My strategy for Hardrock was to stick to a strict carb/sugar diet, with more real food mixed in at the aid stations that were at lower altitudes. This strategy worked… until it didn’t. I did a lot of vomiting and dry heaving at Hardrock. The eventual solution to the nausea was a combination of SaltStick Fast Chews, saltine crackers and salted avocado. I also enjoyed potato soup, ramen, pickles and even a couple of quesadillas.

What keeps you going during the really low parts of the race? 

I’ve had big mental struggles, and my share of pity parties in previous hundred-milers, but going into Hardrock I was 100 per cent committed. It was very difficult to get there; it took me nine years to get through the lottery system, I had health issues throughout 2019 and 2020 and my dog Dobby died unexpectedly one month before the race. Dobby was my adventure partner, and losing her was very challenging.

I didn’t have any pity parties at Hardrock, because I knew what it had taken me to get to that start line, and because I wanted to honour Dobby’s memory as an all-out, full-send adventure machine. I also had some fantastic pacers who acknowledged my fatigue and discomfort but didn’t allow me to dwell on it.

What was the best part of the race?

The descent into Wasatch Basin was my favourite part of the course. The wildflowers were insane, and I was completely alone, except for the marmots. It was magical.

What would you suggest for other runners hoping to tackle Hardrock one day?

Just to be patient. I don’t know that I would have had the physical or mental maturity to complete this race if I’d gotten through the lottery system sooner. I think this was a more positive experience because I learned so much in the years leading up to the race.

Bonus question: what’s up next?

Iron Legs 50 miler in August. This will be my fifth time running this race and I’m super excited!