I am about 10 days away from The Spirit of Columbus Half Marathon, and my training has been going pretty well. I have reduced my volume by quite a bit (hovering in the 70's for weekly mileage), so my workouts have been fairly solid. My best was probably a 5x2K session I did last Tuesday where I came through the miles in 4:59, 4:53, 4:56, 4:49, 4:46. However, I have started to develop a little bit of plantar fasciitis. I had this once before, and I ended up developing a heel spur. So, I learned a lot of different things to do to help alleviate the pain.
Since I started working at The Texas Running Company, I would say that about 1 in 3 people who come in are suffering from this painful inflammation of the arch. Here is what I recommend:
1. Stretch--the inflammation of the arch is often times a result of tightness in the calf. Make sure you stretch your calf before and after working out. I simply use the curb in front of my house to get a good calf stretch, but if you want a good product that helps you get a deep calf stretch check out the Step Stretch.
2. Use a tennis ball or golf ball and roll it under your bare foot to massage the tendon. A frozen water bottle also works well. I like to keep a golf ball at my computer--this helps remind me to massage the arch throughout the day. If you want something that may give you a little bit deeper of a massage, try Trigger Point massage balls and rollers or Foot Rubz.
3. Before getting out of bed in the morning, use a towel to stretch your arch and calf. Place the middle portion of a rolled up towel on the ball of your foot and pull your foot back to you. Most people have the most arch/heel pain in the morning as they take their first few steps. There is a reason for that--At night your foot relaxes and so does the arch. Throughout the day your arch is usually flexed, because you are using the tendon for walking, standing, running, etc. Another option is The Strassburg Sock (this keeps your arch flexed/stretched throughout the night to help alleviate those painful morning steps).
4. A final option would be orthotics. Two good options for runners that provide great arch support are Superfeet and Powerstep. However, if you are like me, you don't like adding anything to your shoe--I prefer my shoes light and flexible.
Take care of your feet, because happy feet mean happy running!!
Since I started working at The Texas Running Company, I would say that about 1 in 3 people who come in are suffering from this painful inflammation of the arch. Here is what I recommend:
1. Stretch--the inflammation of the arch is often times a result of tightness in the calf. Make sure you stretch your calf before and after working out. I simply use the curb in front of my house to get a good calf stretch, but if you want a good product that helps you get a deep calf stretch check out the Step Stretch.
2. Use a tennis ball or golf ball and roll it under your bare foot to massage the tendon. A frozen water bottle also works well. I like to keep a golf ball at my computer--this helps remind me to massage the arch throughout the day. If you want something that may give you a little bit deeper of a massage, try Trigger Point massage balls and rollers or Foot Rubz.
3. Before getting out of bed in the morning, use a towel to stretch your arch and calf. Place the middle portion of a rolled up towel on the ball of your foot and pull your foot back to you. Most people have the most arch/heel pain in the morning as they take their first few steps. There is a reason for that--At night your foot relaxes and so does the arch. Throughout the day your arch is usually flexed, because you are using the tendon for walking, standing, running, etc. Another option is The Strassburg Sock (this keeps your arch flexed/stretched throughout the night to help alleviate those painful morning steps).
4. A final option would be orthotics. Two good options for runners that provide great arch support are Superfeet and Powerstep. However, if you are like me, you don't like adding anything to your shoe--I prefer my shoes light and flexible.
Take care of your feet, because happy feet mean happy running!!
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