Plantar fascia pain can be a butt.

Especially if it's something that's been lingering for 3, 6...maybe even 12 months!

And really, this applies to any running injury.

But pain, especially foot pain, can become a major STOP sign for us runners.

Do not pass go; do not collect $200.

And it's understandable. The next morning after a speed workout or a couple hills and your feet are screaming at you again. Right after you felt you got to a good place.

Your confidence can take a major hit. Not to mention your training plan.

Working through pain is something I do a LOT with my 1-on-1 runners online and in the clinic.

And after almost 8 years, I will say, I'm very good at it. Not a humble-brag way, but in a "I've done this with 1000 patients and I personally live this life daily" way.

The Point?

There comes a time in your plantar fascia rehab (but also post tib, achilles etc) where pain is going to be there.

It shouldn't be real crazy. It shouldn't take your breath away. But it's going to linger.

And the good news: your foot isn't going to fall off.

Even better news: I wrote the exercises you need to get rid of that last, little lingering pain that pops up the morning after your hard workouts.

Because here's a few things I wish runners struggling with plantar fasciopathy knew:

1) We need to load that thing up.

Our plantar fascia is essentially this giant tendon running along the bottom of your foot. And the same exercises that worked for muscles kind-of work for tendons. The exercise itself is the tool. And the tool (like a calf raise) works great! The magic and the nuance is in the application of the tool: the number of reps, sets, the tempo, how you progress or change the exercise to make it harder, etc. THIS the nuance the internet as a whole misses and it's what I've focused on intently with this week's exercises. You can check all of that out here:

2) Pain is the only sure-fire way your body can communicate to you in a way that you WILL listen.

Listen, we're kind of mean to our bodies sometimes. We forget to eat. Drink water. Sleep. We're really good at drinking caffeine and plowing through. So even though our bodies have probably given us a 101 signs that something's up, because they've been minor or "inconvenient", we're really good at pushing those aside.

Until our body decides that's it. It's temper tantrum time. And we end up in a whole lot of unavoidable pain. The trick here, is learning that while pain initially signaled something was very, very wrong, over time and through rehab, our body continues to use pain as the landline to talk through.

And frankly, it's just cranky, a little grumpy. And it's complaining.

Because that's the tool our body has used to communicate. I know, if it just sent text messages, life would be 1000% easier, but here we are.

All this to say, if you experience some pain or symptoms with these exercises this week, it's actually ok.

I'm alright with my runners working into a 3/10. (0 = no pain / 10 = go to the ER). If I know a runner really well, we can edge into a 4/10. but that's not always the case!

A little bit a longer email, but I've been seeing comments or questions like this floating around the internet so incase they were top of mind for you too, here you go :)

Until next time running fit fam,

Dare to Train Differently,

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

P.S. no really. Anti-spicy your mornings with these plantar fascia exercises and get back to running hills like the speed demon you are.

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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