Re: [pct-l] Foot pain problem

["Joanne Lennox" <goforth@cio.net>]

Beth, regarding your plantar facitistis  and orthotics, you might check
with the Kevin Sayer's ULTRA runners site
	http://www.fred.net/ultrunr/

This site is a wealth of information on much that relates to thruhiking the
PCT and strongly recommend looking at some of the information available
there.

I thought that I had much the same thing and it was very painful all the
time for about the first 2 months, my heels were especially tender and
found that I couldn't sleep on my back at all or have my heels resting on
anything.  The tenderness later went down and was acute only during the
night or early each morning , i.e. when not actually moving it would
stiffen up. I wore a single pair of "superfeet"(  the thicker ones)

I have been following the advice on the Kevin Sayres site of "no Pain",
that is, it is easy to reinjure the site by momentarily not supporting the
arch.  So right now when it is healing, I never walk around in barefeet or
in shoes that do not have a supportive arch, this includes when I get up
out of bed in the morning or during the night.  I am looking forward to
that time that barefeet will be a possibility again.

As far as what orthotic, what shoe, etc. It is probable that that has to
come from your experience.  Unfortunately a lot of boots do not have very
good cushioning and support systems.  Actually when my arches and heels are
really tender, I can walk around in a pair of shoes for about a minute and
tell if they are going to relieve or worsen the pain.  I am not sure how
this translates to preventing the problem in the first place, but in the
absence of anything else, your pain may be your best instructor.

Goforth

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