Spend a scant six minutes at KT, leaving at 2:17PM. One more climb to go. And the final climb is so easy it's almost insulting to have it as a part of Hardrock. 4.3 miles, 1,970 feet to the top of Putnam-Cataract Ridge.
I cross a creek and begin the climb. I'm still climbing strong, still passing people. I make a turn on the trail and come across a runner on his knees. He looks up at me and asks me if I have any oxygen. It's the old guy from the east coast! And wow, was he hurtin'! He would eventually go on to finish, way behind me.
Little bit of scrambling before hitting some sound-of-music type grassy fields. I see two runners way up in front of me, and I set off to catch them. From Porcupine Pass down and up to Putnam-Cataract ridge I'm able to run and reel the two runners in. But soon we hit the top of the final climb, and they're gone. Damn downhill runners. Not that I was slacking, I wasn't passed at all on the steep downhill and the two runners I was chasing were still at the aid station when I pulled in, at 5:01PM.
The Putman aid station was a lot of fun. They had a big Texas flag flying and when they asked what I wanted I said, "I'll have a Shiner." And to my surprise, they forked over a bottle! So I sat my ass down and downed the bottle, saying "this is great, but I'll be hating yunz guys later when I have the Shiner shits!"
Pounded the Shiner and checked out of the final aid station at 5:07PM. 5.6 downhill miles to go.
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