Where Did the Plantar Fasciitis Go?

Five miles with the St Croix Valley runners, my buddies, no plantar-fasciitis pain. Yay again! Since I’m out of shape and running on pavement (contrary to doctor’s orders) I ran slowly and finished last, with about a 9:18 pace. S’ok for now. This was the first run with the SCV runners in about two months; it’s so good to be with them again.

Also, this was the first run in my BRAND NEW custom orthotics. I now have TWO pairs of custom orthotics, because the second podiatrist didn’t like the ones that the first podiatrist made. The new ones are softer in the heel, and lighter, specifically made for running. More about that in the next blog; I am now a fan of the Brace Place at St Croix Orthopaedics in Stillwater, MN. I was a little concerned about the softer heel, because the cushioned-heel orthotics that I have made myself or bought at Walgreens have not helped much. But so far so good; I’ll use these for running from now on unless there is trouble.

Back to the headline: Why IS the plantar fasciitis going away? Here are some possibilities:

• Two weeks ago, trail running, I felt pain on the side of the plantar-fasciitis heel rather than in the middle where it’s supposed to be. I was obliged to run two miles on that pain, because I had an appointment and time was short. It hurt a lot, but the pain died down in a couple of days and then disappeared. Perhaps I pulled something loose that allowed the foot to begin to heal more completely; or
• At about the same time, we began to eat mostly-vegetarian. Could that promote healing? Hmmm. Or,
• At about the same time we got serious about a gluten-free diet, along with the vegetarian diet. I have no knowledge that I am gluten-intolerant, none of the classic symptoms. I have the impression that the standard test would be skewed by the myeloma, but I do have a son who is gluten-intolerant. Can gluten interfere with healing? Or,
• I’ve made more effort in the past few weeks to keep the heel warm day and night, to promote healing; or,
• “Everyone” says that PF gets better eventually. It’s been five months, maybe it’s just time.

You be the judge.

Of course I do continue to wear the orthotics all day and the night brace all night, I do my stretches (sometimes), and I am not under the illusion that the PF is gone for good. I’m running a marathon soon, and that will likely bring it back. I hope not, but I'll run it or limp it anyway.



Breakfast: Organic oatmeal, organin nonfat milk, blueberries, banana, organic plum. Estimated Weight Watchers points = 4.


Lunch: Gluten-free raisin bread, kiwi, organic sunflower butter, organic peanut butter, black currant preserves. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 8.


Salad: Organic romaine, organic peach, organic strawberries, organic walnuts, raspberry vinegar. Estimated Weight Watcher Points = 2.


Dinner: Organic rice, organic salad beans, water chestnuts, organic sweet potatoes, local rutabaga, organic catsup.

Six Pain-Free Miles

No pain in the plantar-fasciitis at least. The right hamstring is complaining a little, but this has been a chronic issue ever since it “popped” in the Twin Cities Marathon a few years ago, forcing me to walk the last 16 miles. I need to note it in the log, do my stretches, and hope it doesn’t become a problem. I had hoped it would go away completely, doing so little running, but perhaps the biking is just as hard on it. Or maybe it will never heal correctly. That’s the bad news, and not very bad.

The good news: this is the longest run in months free of plantar-fasciitis pain. YAY! And a beautiful morning on the Gateway Trail horse paths, too. Damp from last night’s rain, silent running.

It took me just over 54 minutes, for a pace of about 9:05, which is just fine considering the soft trails and my current level of fitness. Breathing was four footfalls per full breath most of the way; that’s a perfect breathing rate for me in longer runs, or races up to a marathon. It changes to three footfalls per full breath going up hills and near the finish. If it gets to two footfalls per breath, I’m either a few hundred yards from the finish or I’m in trouble and must slow down or walk a bit.

This run was long enough to begin to feel it in the leg muscles, especially the left thigh which has been under-used while I’ve been compensating for the PF in the left foot. But that’s a GOOD feeling; progress is being made.

Bottom line: It’s a masterpiece!


Today's breakfast: Organic oatmeal, organic nonfat milk, blueberries, organic strawberries, kiwi. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 3.


Today's lunch: Sunshine's chard with sweetened cranberries and pistachios, organic butternut squash, organic cheddar, organic salsa, Sunshine gluten-free corn bread (with stuff), organic peanut butter. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 6.


Last night's supper: Organic brown and wild rice, organic squash, organic home-toasted cashews (by Sunshine), watermelon, organic broccoli. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 5.

Gateway Trail Four Miles

The Gateway Trail is getting prettier by the minute. Fall color is coming fast; sumac is already red as can be, maples are starting to turn, and oaks are giving hints. The sky cleared as we ran (my sweeties ran too), and the temperature was a perfect 53 degrees. Best of all, I ran four pain-free miles today; not a twinge from the plantar fasciitis. Nada. Zippo. Only a little faster than 9-minute miles, but speed was not the objective today.

What’s going on? Why is it better now than it has been in months, even though I ran a tough marathon three weeks ago and the foot was still painful as recently as one week ago? Dunno, but I’m going to grab it and run. Literally. And cautiously.

One thing I’m doing differently: I keep the foot warmer, all day and all night. I added an extra layer of cotton sock to the Strassburg Sock night splint that covers and warms my foot all night, and I’ve been wearing a warm sock on that foot all day too, even when the other foot is bare. I suspect that healing happens in warm tissue much faster than it does in cold tissue.

Plan: Six miles Thursday, maybe five Saturday (there are scheduling issues), hopefully eight or ten Monday? I see the podiatric surgeon again Monday, so maybe I’ll run first and come in with very current data. But if so I’ll have to get up plenty early; the appointment is for 8:25 am. It’s worth it.


Tonight's salad: Organic romaine, cucumbers, avocado, organic plum, raspberry vinegar. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 2.


Tonight's dinner: Organic sweet potatoes, organic broccoli, organic beans, organic brown and wild rice, organic catsup, pineapple. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 6.

Racing Butterflies

Fall is SO much my favorite season! Today I took my trail bike on the big loop of the park. What a lovely ride. Woods and open fields, winged creatures abounded. Twice I found myself following a butterfly. Geese honked overhead in their familiar fall V-formation, celebrating their growing strength for the upcoming southbound journey. Wheeling around a corner, I came upon a hen pheasant. She really didn’t want to fly this early in the morning, and ran down the trail ahead of me as fast as she could, but eventually had to fly into the nearest thicket. And throughout the ride were the first splendid hints of fall color.

Temp was 72 degrees with a strong south wind, weather that so often precedes thunderstorms. The park trails were still a bit washed out from the most recent rainstorms. A few days ago we got an inch and a half of rain in about 20 minutes, and nearly three inches total. Apparently the park did as well.

The ride was energetic, lasting about an hour. Distance is irrelevant because the trails are tough; I used every gear on the bike (there are only seven) including and especially the climbing gear. Heart and breathing rates were right up there the whole time. I stopped just once, to admire the view from a high point in the park. What a great, refreshing ride!



Breakfast: Organic oatmeal, organic nonfat milk, organic grapes, kiwi, organic strawberries, banana. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 6. Basswood leaves fall first in autumn, rather unceremoniously compared with maples and other colorful trees. This one landed photogenically on the picnic table where I often photograph my food.


Salad: Organic romaine, avocado, blue cheese, organic nectarine, organic walnuts, Sunshine's homemade corn & amaranth bread, raspberry vinegar. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 5.


Dinner: Organic vegetable dish (sweet potato, beans, onions, squash), sweet potato chips, parsnips, Sunshine's corn & amaranth bread. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 5.

MMRF Race for Research 5k

This is my race, a fundraiser for myeloma. I help with the course a little, by certifying it and assisting with directional signs and mile markers before the race. How appropriate that this should be the first pain-free race for me in months. I’m a happy runner!

Friend Jim ran very well, close to his best pace, but I was off my pace by more than a minute per mile. I’m out of shape, because the plantar fasciitis has made it so hard to run, and I wasn’t trying to push the pace. In fact when I did lengthen my stride to speed up near the finish, I felt a twinge and quickly returned to pace. But if this freedom from pain is a sign of things to come, I will relish the chance to train back up to racing form. Whoopee! Easy does it, fingers crossed, podiatrist appointment in eight days. Maybe I’ll have good things to tell him.

Carrie Tollefson, world-class middle-distance runner from Minnesota, has lost a grandmother to myeloma and was there supporting this race. She gave me a solid suggestion for the plantar fasciitis: Folske Clinic, a chiropractic clinic in Golden Valley. She asserted that Wade Folske brought an end to her own plantar fasciitis. I may eventually try that.
Tollefson jogged with the regular runners at this race. Gliding past me with a word of encouragement but no apparent effort, she slowed ahead to run with a young boy for a hundred yards or so. Later I saw her stop to tie the shoelaces of an even-younger boy. After the run she signed posters and chatted with runners until well after the awards were finished. She is not only a good runner but a good person, an example to all of us. We're lucky that she represents Minnesota in global competition, and that she is supporting this race.

For more photos and information about the race, visit Sunshine's blog.



Organic oatmeal, organic skim milk, seedless grapes, organic nectarine, kiwi, banana, pistachios. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 7.


Organic romaine lettuce, hydroponic seedless cucumbers, organic peas, crushed blue-corn chips (for crunch and salt), raspberry vinegar.


Grass-fed antibiotic-free bison, organic squash, organic sweet potatoes, onions, organic beans. We're eating mostly-vegetarian right now, not much bison; this photo is from a few weeks ago.

Three Days

Today, Saturday, Sept 22:

OSI Fall Roundup, North St Paul. We three ran this mostly together today. The bad news is that it took me twice as long as if I had run full speed, but the good news is that my plantar-fasciitis foot didn’t hurt at all. Then I put on work boots and did some yard work, and it did start to hurt a little. Shucks. We'll see tomorrow.

Friday, Sept 21:

Lovely bike ride with Jim, partly on my favorite trail along the railroad tracks, partly on grass, partly paved trails, and partly roads. About 21 miles, we didn’t push hard, and I didn’t clock the time. I think that I should do at least one long bike ride each week, although my right hamstring starts to hurt if I ride every day. The foot feels fine, but I don’t imagine that it would if I ran.

Wednesday, Sept 19:

Measured the new Bolder Dash 5k and 10 races around Lake Nokomis, riding the bike about 15 miles. Measurement of road races is done on a bicycle, specially equipped with a counter that precisely reports the distance traveled by the bike's front wheel. The counter is calibrated both before and after the measurements, by riding a special course previously measured with a steel tape.

Recovery treat:

Watermelon, kiwi, organic strawberries, blueberries, organic pear, organic fat-free yogurt, one Dove dark chocolate. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 5.

Elliptical Miles

One half mile on the treadmill, and the foot began to hurt, so I switched right away to the elliptical machine and burned 450 calories there. The machine said 3.8 miles in 32 minutes. Heart rate got up to 146, which is rather high but: (a) I’m a little out of shape; and (b) I was still digesting breakfast, which does make some difference. Good exercise, but I prefer running.

I had an appointment for my second pair of custom orthotics today. And I got a bill for $405 for the first pair today as well. Medicare covers the doctor visit, but not the orthotics. I suppose the second pair will cost a similar amount, but I hope they are a little more appropriate for running. Anyway OUCH!


No-hormone no-antibiotic beef roast with organic sweet potato, organic carrots, onions.

Estimated Weight Watcher Points = 5.