A runner's guide to tackling Plantar Faciitis

Plantar Faciitis

Oh no! The dreaded Plantar Faciitis seems to be a very common injury amongst runners. Almost everyone I talk to has either experienced it directly or knows someone who has. Prevention is better than cure, as they say, so read this article and hopefully you won’t have to suffer it.

What is Plantar Faciitis?

Plantar Faciitis is basically an inflammation of the facia at the base of your foot running from your heel to your toes. The main symptom is a pain in the heel of your foot when walking or putting any pressure on your heel. Sometimes there will be swelling on the arch of your foot, but often (as in my case) there is minimal swelling.

How did I get it?

Hindsight is a wonderful thing isn’t it? The injury seemed to creep up on me without realising. Once I started getting the pain in my heel it was too late.

So now that I have the condition I’ve been thinking what I did I do wrong and how I could have done things better? I think there are three main reasons I got Plantar Faciitis:

• I increased mileage too quickly

After completing the Chester Marathon in October 2024 I decided to have a good rest only running 6 or 7 miles in any one session. Then in February 2025 I suddenly increased milage to 16 miles one week, 17 miles the next week then a half marathon two weeks later. A week after completing the half marathon I felt the pain in my heel.

A better approach. Increase mileage in any one session and from week to week gradually. If unsure, speak to the club experts Steve Sole or Rob Jasper who will advise an appropriate running plan for you.

• My footwear was maybe not quite right

 

After the marathon I decided to get some new running shoes. I bought the same brand I’d been happy with for years, but next version. When I tried them on, they didn’t feel as comfy as the previous years version but I went with them anyway.

 

A better approach. Get the right running shoes for your feet. If they don’t feel right when you try them on, don’t buy them. See an expert and have a gait analysis done at a running shop. I intend to go to Cotswold in Beverley once this condition improves. A new running shop has opened on Newland Ave – maybe they can help? If anyone knows a really good running shop to get a foot analysis done, please let us all know.

 

• I didn’t look after my facia properly

 

After my marathon I got a bit lazy and neglected exercising generally. After most of my runs I didn’t stretch and consequently I think my calf muscles became tight, which then put additional strain on my facia on subsequent runs.

 

A better approach. Exercise regularly, even if it’s just some basic, gentle stretches. It doesn’t always have to be a full blown gym session. In particular, look after the facia every day by doing the appropriate exercises/stretches (Please see My Recovery section)

My recovery

The first thing to do is see a physiotherapist to confirm you do actually have Plantar Faciitis. There are other things it could be and you don’t want to make the condition worse by inappropriate exercises/stretches. Once confirmed the physio will advise an appropriate recovery plan.

For me, I’m finding the most important aspect of recovery is obtaining corrective insoles in my shoes/trainers. I thought I could just walk in my existing running shoes as these give a good amount of support. But no! The physio told me this is a common mistake runners make. You must protect your facia with specifically designed Plantar Faciitis insoles in order to support your facia correctly and thus speed up recovery. The physio I saw advised me to put them directly into my running shoes and not to take out the insoles that are already in there. Walking in them at first felt really strange but I persevered and I could feel some benefit within two or three days.

I was also given the following exercises to perform daily:

• Roll the sole of your foot on a small ball and/or plastic bottle with ice
• Ankle rotations
• Heel raises
• Gastrocnemius stretches
• Soleus stretches

Many runners already do these exercises and there is lots of information on the internet on repetitions and how to do these correctly.

Although the physio did not mention this, I found it useful to ensure my foot was at a 90 degree right angle during sleep. When you sleep your foot naturally relaxes and your facia starts to heal in that relaxed position. Then when you wake up and put your foot down the facia is stretched and the healing has to start again. That’s one reason why it takes so long to recover from Plantar Faciitis.

The future

It is now March 2025 and I have had the condition for about five weeks. Recovery is a very slow process. I have been doing a parkrun once a week so far, but I can feel the pain return after each run. So reluctantly, I’m stopping running altogether for a period until I can feel some improvement. That’s a really difficult decision to have to make because parkrun is the staple diet for many runners. But I guess I must now listen to my head and not my heart. I also have a few running commitments starting in mid-April which I hope I can fulfil, but I might have to reconsider.

As you can imagine, not being able to go out for a run when you want to is not a good place to be for a runner. The condition not only affects you physically but you have to be careful with your mental health too. I therefore have a regular overall body exercise plan I am doing on a daily basis to combat this. It’s a good job us runners have a ‘Never Give Up’ attitude innit?

Hopefully, after reading this article, if you didn’t before, you will start to take looking after your facia very seriously. Take it from me,  you do not want Plantar Faciitis.

If anyone in the club has any additional information on how to speed up recovery, that would be most welcome.

See you at club runs as soon as I can peeps.

Dean Luke

 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is not meant to be definitive. Please see a doctor if you are concerned about your Facia. Please talk to other runners and see a physiotherapist to ensure you personally get the right advice for you.