My Last Marathon?

I ran my first full marathon since I turned 60, in the 2019 Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon today.  For the past 3 years, I was not able to register to run because there were just too many people applying.  So when I was able to get in, I tried to prepare as hard as I could.  For past years, I would run 20 kilometres per week in the months leading up to the marathon.  This year I ran 40 kilometres per week.  I feel fitter than ever before.  

But there were also some ominous portents.  I started to develop pains in the big knuckles in my big toes.  Most likely due to the increased running, and perhaps also related to my severe flat feet.  One week before the marathon, I stopped running altogether, to give my toes time to heal.  They did get better, so I was not too worried this morning.  

For the first 21 kilometers, I actually felt reasonably good.  The toes were not hurting too much, at least not enough to interfere with my running.  Then starting around 24 kilometres, just before getting into the Cheung-Tsing Tunnel, my ankles started to hurt.  I decided to stop to do some stretching, to relieve the pain.  And to prevent cramping, which was my major problem in previous marathon.  

Then the pain would come faster and get worse.  I basically had to stop every kilometre or so, sometimes even shorter, to stop and stretch.  The pain was just too much, mainly in the ankles, but also the toes, the sole of the feet, the lower back, the upper back, the neck and shoulders.  If I stretch the back of the legs, the front would start to cramp, …

I got slower and slower.  I dreaded running into the Western tunnel. It was long, stuffy, dark, and the road was dirty and slippery.   I decided to run out of it as quickly as possible.  Miraculously, I ran through the tunnel and then up to the elevated highway on the Hong Kong side without stopping.  But as soon as I got to the top of the highway, my feet were screaming so loud with pain that I had to stop to stretch, and repeat the run-stretch-run routine again.  

As soon as we turned into Lockhart Road, I decided to ignore the pain, which seemed to have eased, and run to the finish line, where my wife was waiting.  

So, I train hard to be fit to run.  But my feet hurt when I train hard. When my feet hurt,   I cannot run.  But if I don’t train hard, I am not fit enough to run well.  Either way, I don’t seem to be able to win.  What can I do?  Perhaps it is really time to call a stop to marathon running, and just run for fun?