I think I over did myself this week.

In fact, I know I did.

I recently went down another running-injury rabbit hole...

this time looking into heel pain or what the ENTIRE internet likes to call “plantar fasciitis”

Because I uncovered so many ways that this can go horribly sideways,

Let me give you all the juicy tid-bits that didn't make it into the blog (otherwise it'd be a novel)

1. We don’t use “Plantar Fasciitis” or really “-itis” anymore because we’ve realized things are more…complex.

Slapping a label of “tendonitis” or “Fasciitis” on things means is acute, temporary, like it should go away in 7-10 days.

But if you’ve struggled achilles issues or true plantar fasciitis, you know…that stuff does NOT always go away in 10 days and you’re just praying to the running gods that it does.

So we’ve switched to “tendinopathy” and “fasciopathy”. (and let me tell you, they are much harder to spell and they’re already a mouthful to say).

But by switching to “-opathy” we’re respecting YOUR body more. We’re realizing you need better answers when things don't resolve in 7 business days.

Which leads me to point 2..

2. I about threw my laptop out the window again because the entire internet is convinced that ANY and ALL heel pain is plantar fasciitis.

When in reality, for better or worse, this is also more complex than we originally thought.

New lingo: plantar heel pain.

Why? Because it’s more accurate to what you experience as a runner: often that dull, deep soreness in the middle of your heel that doesn’t really go away regardless of how much you stretch or smash your heel on the lacrosse ball.

And that’s why we have this week’s blog post:

because all the “advice” on the internet is suggesting:

• stretching, night splints, smashing your foot on a lacrosse ball, getting aggressive soft tissue work done, etc.

*le sigh*

But as always, if any these help you, please use them! But another highlight you’re getting that’s not in the blog post…

These are all temporary management tools, rather than true solutions.

I mean, it’s really cool that these various tools can talk to your nervous system and try to help convince it to turn down the pain-volume

…but…

If what’s really going on is more inline with our tendinopathy discussion earlier where there are degenerative changes occurring in the connective soft tissues of your foot…

I don’t think a lacrosse ball is going to be your savior.

So that’s why this week I dove into more physical therapy research, came across some exercises that might be helpful and then also threw in some of my own because I wanted to make them ultra-running specific to you.

The result: A plantar heel pain (formally plantar fasciitis) MEGA CIRCUIT.

Because its July.

And Fall races will be here before you know it.

Which means higher mileage, speed work, and potentially hills, are in your near future.

And I want you to have exercise resources in your back pocket incase something feels twingy.

Yes, you can still use your lacross ball. But don’t forget your exercises ;)

What do you say we head over there together?

Dare to Train Differently,

Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit

P.S. If you've struggled with plantar fasciitis that's as stubborn as chewing gum stuck to the bottom of your trail shoes, you're going to want to check out this week's HEEL PAIN MEGA CIRCUIT. Because I'm basically handing you the physical therapy play-book.

Looking for MORE ways to work together?

• ​RUNNING RESCUE CALL: Save your run and your race. Work directly with me 1-on-1 at the first sign of an ache, niggle, or repeat running injury. We'll deep dive into the why behind your injury and create a personalized exercise program that gets you out of pain, keeps you running, and helps prepare you for race day!
• Grab my NEWEST FREE Strength resources for runners: The Calf & Achilles Cure Toolkit, made for marathoners sidelined by stiff, painful achilles and tight, injury-prone calves who want to protect their training cycle and show up to the starting line strong, pain-free, and ready to race.
• ​STRONGER FEET WORKSHOP: Losing the battle to plantar fasciitis, posterior tib pain, or reoccurring Achilles tendonitis? Not with this workshop ;)

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