hi all. i started developing plantar in my right heel.....ohhh sometime during the winter. i can't remember now. it felt like i was walking/running with a marble under my heel. i didn't pay it much mind. i was running in five fingers on a lot of rocky trails, at least those that weren't snow covered. finally in march it blossomed into an injury that hurt like hell. but thing is, i didn't want to stop training. so i kept going. finally, arrrrghhhh, i had to turn back from a couple of runs because of the pain and in the mornings i shuffled around like i was a hundred years old. well actually, a hundred year old person probably walked better. i limped at work. it was painful to get up from my desk and walk.
the first thing i did was go buy a pair of sturdier shoes, some montrail serotas, with super feet, because i felt like more support would help. then i went to a doctor and he said the five fingers were the cause. the useful information he gave me was about stretching. so every morning i'd lay in bed for twenty minutes pushing my heel down and bringing my foot back. helped a little. but the shoes only hurt.
then i read something eric wrote about doing lunges. and i bought something on amazon called a "cheetah," that gymnastic folks use; it's like a soft boot with a heel pad in it. i also invested heavily in doctor scholl's plain and also the gel heel pads. but here's the thing. i only started getting better when i used tape and when i stopped running in the more supportive shoes. the taping i learned from a video somewhere on the web, i wish i could remember where because it's very plantar specific as far as the wrapping. i did everything either barefoot or in the five fingers around the house and i started running again in my nb mt100's, working on form, really really trying to be on the toes and mid foot and off the heel.
stretching. tape. minimal shoes. gel heel pad. form. did the trick. soooooo i never stopped running. some nights my foot felt pretty badly beat up and i compensated so much the right side of the foot started hurting. but i'm here to say that i got through it.
i just bought a pair of saucony peregrine (because the nb mt100's finally fell apart) and i love the minimal design but with a little better heel cup and a little more padding under the heel. more support today i took out the heel pad and it felt great. but i'm going to continue to tape up.
dean
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