Recovering from Plantar Fasciitis - when did you start running again?

Triathlon Forum
1

Started doing marathons at age 41 in 2011. Started Ironmans in 2016 and successfully did 4 in a row ending in 2019 (last one). Have had various running injuries, mostly the usual things in the past. I’m recovering from my first experience with Plantar Fasciitis. It started last June training for my 5th Ironman and first one during the pandemic. I got through a July 70.3 where it wasn’t that bad and never felt it racing. Just the day after in the mornings it would feel very sore, but would clear up to train again. It peaked in the beginning of August after a hard and fast session of speed work. After that it was very bad and I did a lot of water running and stopped ground running (did try a couple more runs but had to stop in August). I ended up not doing my planned Sept. Ironman as it didn’t get better. I then went through 4 sessions of shockwave therapy from Oct to November. It wasn’t bad by the time I started doing the shockwave but always a bit sore in the morning and not bad at all during the day. Beginning of December it’s feeling a lot better in the mornings. I feel like it’s 80-90% better depending on the day. This morning, I hardly even felt it. But later today I might feel it briefly for a bit.

I want to start the walk/run protocol in January but fear if it’s not 100% better it could start up again. I’m doing strength and mobility work right now, swimming in my Endless Pool and riding the bike indoors on the trainer.

When did you start running when overcoming PF?

2

I waited until I had no sign of it for a week and then eased into it with the walking/run thing. It’s been a while but I think it was initially like a mile, run 30 seconds and walk for a minute. Easing back into running went well by taking it easy and within a month I was doing a couple miles.

Things that helped me during the recovery… I got a pair of Hoka Bondi shoes and their slides. Thankfully I’ve been in a continual relaxed dress code through out the pandemic so the Hokas can be worn to work. My family gives me a hard time but I’m rarely barefoot anymore, slides at the side of my bed and on my feet around the house 100%. I added a pair of Cliftons to my collection for walk around shoes to augment the Bondi. The Bondi is the better between the two.

Running wise I use super high stack shoes now. Before PF I’d run in just about anything but now my current rotation include the Vaporfly, Alpafly and Endorphin Pro. I did a few of the early run/walks in the Bondi. The Vaporfly was what I used initially, outside of being a racing flat they are very padded. I know they’re jacked $$$ but I scored a pair for a great price and I was sold.

Your timeline sounds similar to mine and I did the run/walk thing through January and started short 2 mile runs beginning of February and started upping mileage and even hit 8 miles near the end of March for a weekly long run. I spent a few months building some base miles and then got back into normal training for me.

3

I waited until I had no sign of it for a week and then eased into it with the walking/run thing. It’s been a while but I think it was initially like a mile, run 30 seconds and walk for a minute. Easing back into running went well by taking it easy and within a month I was doing a couple miles.

Things that helped me during the recovery… I got a pair of Hoka Bondi shoes and their slides. Thankfully I’ve been in a continual relaxed dress code through out the pandemic so the Hokas can be worn to work. My family gives me a hard time but I’m rarely barefoot anymore, slides at the side of my bed and on my feet around the house 100%. I added a pair of Cliftons to my collection for walk around shoes to augment the Bondi. The Bondi is the better between the two.

Running wise I use super high stack shoes now. Before PF I’d run in just about anything but now my current rotation include the Vaporfly, Alpafly and Endorphin Pro. I did a few of the early run/walks in the Bondi. The Vaporfly was what I used initially, outside of being a racing flat they are very padded. I know they’re jacked $$$ but I scored a pair for a great price and I was sold.

Your timeline sounds similar to mine and I did the run/walk thing through January and started short 2 mile runs beginning of February and started upping mileage and even hit 8 miles near the end of March for a weekly long run. I spent a few months building some base miles and then got back into normal training for me.

Thanks so much for your story and great information! Much appreciated!

I tried Hokas after a stress fracture in 2015. I liked them and did great in my first 70.3 back from the SF. I had to change over to Brooks since the heel-to-toe drop wasn’t enough for my achilles. But over 6 years later, maybe my body would do OK with Hokas. My husband loves them and still runs in them.

Funny today my heel has been really good. But it’s been such a busy day that I haven’t done my strength work or swim yet. It does like swimming esp in the EP with no flip turns.

I’m surprised no one else has chimed in since I know PF is one of the most common running ailments. And one of the most frustrating ones.

4

For me, resting it did no good. The reason you have flare ups is the calves and hamstrings get tight. Start by rolling out the calves and hamstrings with a foam roller after every run. I now just do it after long or hard runs. I also started using a box wrench to work my calves, heel and instep. The box wrench (or similar item) will help you identify and work out knots in the calves.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71aVcqXhXiL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

I also use superfeet insoles (blue) in my running shoes.

5

I’ve had it for more than a year stopped running last November and switched to only swimming and biking. The night boot didn’t help, cortisone helped for a week or two. Even after swimming I would get it. There was a thread on here last year about pf. One recommendation that helped me was Romanian dead lifts and leg press. All eccentric exercises. I’m still not back due to a knee injury , but pf doesn’t hurt like it did.

6

I had it for a year or so. Annoying but still able to train. I started to use the hoka recovery slides. I never ever walk on bare feet anymore. At the same time I did quite some glute and calves work. I don’t have problems anymore.

Weirdest thing is that I didn’t get the problems by running, I got it from biking on my indoor trainer

7

Agree with JoelO. It’s the type of injury which will go away more quickly if you’re proactive.
I found eccentric calf raises really helped (I’m sure there’s plenty of youtube) but yeah, don’t discount tight glutes, hamstrings, calves…
Get rolling and stretching.

8

If you do the right stretches is clears up pretty quickly. I struggled with it for 18 months, found a set of stretches including eccentric calf raises and a couple to stretch the plantar itself and it started feeling better almost straightaway. Naturally I climbed into these stretched even more enthusiastically and think I was running properly and pain free in about 3 weeks.

9

Thanks so much for your story and great information! Much appreciated!

I tried Hokas after a stress fracture in 2015. I liked them and did great in my first 70.3 back from the SF. I had to change over to Brooks since the heel-to-toe drop wasn’t enough for my achilles. But over 6 years later, maybe my body would do OK with Hokas. My husband loves them and still runs in them.

Funny today my heel has been really good. But it’s been such a busy day that I haven’t done my strength work or swim yet. It does like swimming esp in the EP with no flip turns.

I’m surprised no one else has chimed in since I know PF is one of the most common running ailments. And one of the most frustrating ones.
No problem and happy to pass on what worked for me. I found the same initially when I got the injury… surprised how hard it was to get it diagnosed since it is such a ‘common’ thing. For me it was also very painful those first few weeks and I’m thankful it was only one foot.

I saw two doctors that improperly diagnosed it before I got recommended to a sports injury specialist… my particular oddity is that it sort of felt the same throughout the day. Many report PF feeling better after it gets stretched out… I digress he diagnosed it, told me to get better shoe for walking around, not go barefoot and ‘not to piss it off’ aka run until I had that week of no pain. So that’s exactly what I did.

In the course of the injury and even before getting it formally diagnosed I found a lot of varying information on the injury. There are exercises, foot taping techniques, boots to sleep in, frozen water bottles massages, strengthening, long sustained stretches of the calf… it just goes on and on.

The doctor I ended up getting the path to my success is now practicing telemedicine. I initially found out about him through a local run club with a lot of positive experiences with run injury. He’s also a runner… has done marathons, iron distance races, etc. so he gets ‘us’.

https://www.livelyhealthclinic.com/

10

For me, resting it did no good. The reason you have flare ups is the calves and hamstrings get tight. Start by rolling out the calves and hamstrings with a foam roller after every run. I now just do it after long or hard runs. I also started using a box wrench to work my calves, heel and instep. The box wrench (or similar item) will help you identify and work out knots in the calves.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71aVcqXhXiL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

I also use superfeet insoles (blue) in my running shoes.

Thanks! Using the wrench looks a lot like that side kick too that constantly pops up on my instagram as an add. I will try this. I have been doing a lot of foam rolling, stretching and using The Stick (picked it up years ago at a marathon expo). The Stick is good too. My heal was a small bit cranky last night and I used The Stick on most of my legs and my heal felt better. It’s a holistic approach to getting it better. I’m getting there but not quite there yet.

I used to use the Green Superfeet when just doing marathons. I’ve had custom orthotics made (the hard and softer kind) and both didn’t work. One gave me blisters in the arches. I keep meaning to order some Superfeet. There are now many different kinds.

11

I’ve had it for more than a year stopped running last November and switched to only swimming and biking. The night boot didn’t help, cortisone helped for a week or two. Even after swimming I would get it. There was a thread on here last year about pf. One recommendation that helped me was Romanian dead lifts and leg press. All eccentric exercises. I’m still not back due to a knee injury , but pf doesn’t hurt like it did.

This summer I swam mostly outside with one long trip the pool once a week. I wonder if flip turns irritate it for some people. I am not sure if the flip turns (pushing off the wall) indirectly made the recovery slower. Maybe it did. We now have an Endless Pool and my foot feels good after swimming. No flip turns. (we got the pool after moving and being 22 miles from a pool and it’s a tough drive in the winter)

I’m on my second week of a paid online strength program with a woman who works with triathletes. I will ask her about eccentric exercises. My foot doesn’t like the eccentric calf exercises done on stairs. But I know that has helped others.

12

Plantar fasciitis sock with the strap that connects your shin to your toe did wonders for me. I wore it to bed, uncomfortable to sleep in, but it was the fastest way to heal it for me. Took about three weeks before I was back to running.

13

I had it for a year or so. Annoying but still able to train. I started to use the hoka recovery slides. I never ever walk on bare feet anymore. At the same time I did quite some glute and calves work. I don’t have problems anymore.

Weirdest thing is that I didn’t get the problems by running, I got it from biking on my indoor trainer

That’s interesting about the indoor trainer. I’ve heard that too from others. Mine was definitely sore from running but maybe the indoor trainer didn’t help. I have had a good bike fit in the past. But who knows. I now ride my tri bike 99% indoors with some gravel and mtn biking outside. So maybe lots of trainer riding contributed to this for me.

I wear the hoka recovery sandals inside all the time now.

14

Plantar fasciitis sock with the strap that connects your shin to your toe did wonders for me. I wore it to bed, uncomfortable to sleep in, but it was the fastest way to heal it for me. Took about three weeks before I was back to running.

I have something similar I wear to bed every night that connects the shin to toes and keeps my foot from pointing down at night. Started this back in November. Not sure if it’s working or not since I’m not in the acute stages where it’s really bad.

I even recently got a some of those toe separators for better foot health and wear them for a couple hours in the evening before bed.

15

Thanks so much for your story and great information! Much appreciated!

I tried Hokas after a stress fracture in 2015. I liked them and did great in my first 70.3 back from the SF. I had to change over to Brooks since the heel-to-toe drop wasn’t enough for my achilles. But over 6 years later, maybe my body would do OK with Hokas. My husband loves them and still runs in them.

Funny today my heel has been really good. But it’s been such a busy day that I haven’t done my strength work or swim yet. It does like swimming esp in the EP with no flip turns.

I’m surprised no one else has chimed in since I know PF is one of the most common running ailments. And one of the most frustrating ones.
No problem and happy to pass on what worked for me. I found the same initially when I got the injury… surprised how hard it was to get it diagnosed since it is such a ‘common’ thing. For me it was also very painful those first few weeks and I’m thankful it was only one foot.

I saw two doctors that improperly diagnosed it before I got recommended to a sports injury specialist… my particular oddity is that it sort of felt the same throughout the day. Many report PF feeling better after it gets stretched out… I digress he diagnosed it, told me to get better shoe for walking around, not go barefoot and ‘not to piss it off’ aka run until I had that week of no pain. So that’s exactly what I did.

In the course of the injury and even before getting it formally diagnosed I found a lot of varying information on the injury. There are exercises, foot taping techniques, boots to sleep in, frozen water bottles massages, strengthening, long sustained stretches of the calf… it just goes on and on.

The doctor I ended up getting the path to my success is now practicing telemedicine. I initially found out about him through a local run club with a lot of positive experiences with run injury. He’s also a runner… has done marathons, iron distance races, etc. so he gets ‘us’.

https://www.livelyhealthclinic.com/

We have a friend who’s a doctor of PT. His specialty is not feet but I did see him back in August when my foot was bad. He was a former marathon runner and multiple Ironman finisher. He didn’t think it was PF and wasn’t really sure. He thought I could do the Ironman with water running and good bike fitness but I was very worried about lacking run durability during the Ironman run and hurting myself further. I think it was smart of me to opt out.

Before covid we moved into the woods, off-grid in a rural area. The trade-off is finding health care. I drove 90 minutes each way to see a good podiatrist who did the shockwave. He used ultra sound to diagnose me with PF. He could see the inflammation. My PF heel is also thicker than my good heel. He did say I could try running after my last shockwave but I just felt it wasn’t a good idea yet. I know my body and things usually need to be healed before I start up again.

Thanks for the website, I’ll check that out

16

What saved me from PF was this combination: adding orange SuperFeet inserts to every single pair of shoes I wear (running shoes and daily shoes), Graston scraping technique done by a chiropractor once a week for a couple months (painful but so worth), and in the summer time wearing Chaco sandles instead of barefeet.

17

PF is the reason I’m back in triathlon. It came on in late 2016, and destroyed my 2017 running season. It was a first for me, at 56, and a life long runner. I was running in Hokas… but drank the Altra zero drop cool aid, and paid dearly. It took a year to get over, and didn’t start getting better until I started wearing the night boot, about 6 months in. I stayed in shape by getting my bike and swimming back, after 29 years out of the sport. I transitioned back into running with a mix of slow build up, and elliptical. Needless to say, I’m back in the Hoka Bondis again… probably for life. Loving and even racing in the new BondiX.

18

2021 has been hard on my running. For the first time shin splints showed up, in my left leg only, but I’ve been able to manage it just fine. 3 days ago though, plantar fasciitis showed up for the first time as well, in my left heel only. I’m not sure yet how I’ll manage it. PF does not feel like a pain I can gauge like SS at all. I’m a bit scared right now on what I can and cannot do. I’m assuming low intensity high cadence is the way to go, bit time will tell.

19

I dealt with SS off and on from 2011 to 2014 but still managed to train for marathons and got to half of all the ones I paid for 😒. They hurt and were difficult to get over. PF sucks too. Get help early and back off running. It is more serious and painful compared to SS…at least for me.

2021 was a tough year for me. Not sure what 2022 has in store but trying to be more hopeful