Plantar Fasciitis

Week ending 31^st May

This has been my longest gap between updates. My last race was of course has been the Connemara ultra where I didn’t get under the 6 hour mark but was glad to get the race covered and to get under 6hrs20mins. The problem (as I feared) has been one of recovery. I took 2 weeks off running and then eased into running (lots of slow Maffetone type jogging) and then into one modest speed session with the club (4 X 6 minutes). On the Sunday I joined the club for a 10 mile jog where I ran the last 3 miles at marathon pace (7.40 per mile). The problems started when the plantar fasciitis started to flare up.

The PF first flared up in 2010 when I first started training for my first marathon. It required some rigorous (painful) physiotheraphy at the hands of the now sadly departed Rob Savage but I was back in training after 2 weeks. It just meant little or no speedwork over the summer. It also acted up a couple of years later but was sorted within a week.

This time I headed down to John O’Sullivan in Mallow and he said I was lucky I started dealing with it early. He worked on the calves, hamstrings and Achilles as well as the heel spur.After 3 visits and another 2 weeks off the feet I headed back running doing lots of slow short jogging (4 miles during the week with Sunday long runs of 7 and 10 miles). On the positive side the HR side of things has been very positive. If I run slower than 8.45 pace the Hr levels out at under 145 so I am happy to keep it there. Hillwork and speedwork isn’t still viable nor is participation in any races. The PF hasn’t completely cleared up either but I am religiously icing and treating the afflicted area a number of times a day as well as stretching the calves and breaking up the spur. This month I have covered a modest 98 miles which says it all.

Injuries are becoming a issue in the last few years. 2013 I exhausted the body after the Cork City marathon and gave my quads a nasty pull. After the 2014 Amsterdam marathon I had to withdraw from the Sixmilebridge marathon with tight calves and a sore hip flexor. After the Tralee marathon and in the leadup to Connemara I had issues with my left kneecap which was related to a ITBS issue. It’s all part and parcel of the running game but injury preventation may be required as part of training. In regard to upcoming challenges I won’t be making any plans yet.