I visited my podiatrist, Dr. Kuruvilla. He had excellent bedside manner, gave lots of examples of plantar fasciitis, and was informative, patient and relatable. He told me about his own experience with plantar fasciitis and how that resolved well.
Based on the available information, he concluded that I have torn my right plantar fascia - probably in the medial band. The X-ray reveals a very small heel spur, the cause of which is likely plantar fasciitis, and probably has emerged in the past six months. The prognosis is good based on my rate of recovery (my aura of invincibility returns), and the root cause is tight calves.
Treatment:
- Partial weight bearing (i.e. crutches) for 7-10 days after the injury
- Ice, NSAIDs
- Calf stretching once the pain subsides entirely
- Use of heel pads in my shoes to increase the angle between my foot and shin when at rest, i.e. to leave the PF looser
- No running for three weeks
I assume the last piece of advice is more of a guideline than a code; I heartily intend to run at West Point (and the days in advance of it) provided my body is amenable. What's disappointing is that the Billygoat looks impractical, though I will make the final decision on that next week. I will resume biking and swimming to try to maintain my fitness and avoid muscle atrophy in GimpyLeg. I intend to race competitively at the Western MA 5-Day.
On the plus side, I have found a
Latex templates website.