How I’m returning to a running after plantar fasciitis

Everyone recovers differently, but there are a few things to know when you start running after plantar fasciitis. Here’s what I learned.

Returning to running after plantar fasciitis

Last week was the first week in a long time that I actually felt like my old running self. I barely noticed my plantar fasciitis, my PT told me I didn’t need to come back for needling & scraping, and my legs felt like they actually had pep! I’ve been getting some questions about my running now that I’m increasing mileage after struggling with plantar fasciitis for months so I wanted to share my experience!

Can I still run if I have plantar fasciitis?

Everyone is different but I found that initially running less helped. Then, not running often enough seemed to hinder my recovery. After an initial period of running less, I started increasing the number of days I ran (while still keeping the daily mileage low), and I started to heal faster. Definitely work with your physical therapist on this decision!!

How can I prevent plantar fasciitis from returning?

Make sure you stay on top of stretching, rolling and improving any muscle imbalances. I learned this the hard way!

How long does plantar fascia take to heal?

Everyone is different. Mine took about 5 months to really go away, but some people only have it for a few weeks. I am still aware of my foot so it’s not 100% gone but it’s not a constant pain anymore. It probably also depends on how quickly you address the problem (and the root cause) and how soon you start treat it. You can see my post about how I treated plantar fasciitis here.

Last week’s workouts

I’ve gradually been increasing my mileage over the past few weeks, and my goal is to add a mile to my long run each week, assuming things continue to feel good. Here’s what last week looked like!

M – 4.6 miles, 8:14 pace

• This run finally felt like fall! 65 degrees and slightly less humid!

T – 6.4 miles, 8:11 pace + full body strength

• Full body strength session
  • 10 min elliptical warmup
  • Bicep curls (17.5 dumbbells)
  • 5×5 Front squats (worked up to 95# for last 3 sets)
  • Triceps pull downs (35# I think?)
  • Lat pull backs (50# I think?)

W – easy, easy elliptical

• I did this mostly because I wanted to watch Great British Baking Show. 😉 (Read my review of Apple Airpods here!)

Th – 7.5 miles, 8:06 pace + needling that afternoon & a massage that night

• This was the first run where I I felt like myself in a LONG time! I think finally having AC back in our bedroom (it was replaced last Tuesday!) is helping me sleep better, which is improving my workouts!
• I don’t typically do needling and a massage on the same day, but it’s just the way it worked out last week. My PT worked on my calf and foot and my massage therapist focused on my back, glutes, and psoas.

F – 5.4 miles, 8:07 pace solo run

• I knew this would be a recovery day but decided to see how I felt that morning before I decided if I ran or did the elliptical or just took Maizey on an extra long walk. I felt great when I woke up (thanks to the body work the day before I bet!) so I ran. Plus, the mornings have been so pretty!

Sa – 9.2 miles, 8:16 pace with Christian

We were sent off on our run with such a gorgeous sunrise!

Su – Cross-training (a little ab work, some stretching)

Total Miles: 32.3

This was my highest weekly mileage since July (when I was running in Utah) and I felt amazing!!!

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