Plantar Fasciitis in Runners: What Helped Me (and What to Try First)

If you’ve ever stepped out of bed in the morning and felt a sharp, stabbing pain in your heel (like you’ve stood on a bit of Lego), you’ll understand why plantar fasciitis can feel so alarming. Mine crept up gradually, then suddenly became the thing I thought about every time I laced up my trainers.

I’m not a medical professional, so this isn’t medical advice — it’s simply what helped me manage my symptoms and get back to running more comfortably. If your pain is severe, getting worse, or affecting the way you walk, it’s always worth speaking to a qualified professional.

What plantar fasciitis felt like for me

For me, the classic sign was that first-step pain in the morning. It was worst when I’d been sitting for a while too — I’d stand up, take a few steps, and feel that tight, sore pull under my foot and into my heel.

It also had a knock-on effect on family life. When you’ve got a 3.5 year old who wants to be carried, chased, and taken on mini adventures, you don’t get much chance to “rest your feet”. Steve was brilliant at taking over the more active bits when I was having a flare-up, but I still wanted to be able to do the everyday stuff without wincing.

Common triggers (and what I noticed)

Plantar fasciitis is linked to irritation of the plantar fascia — the thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot and supports the arch. In runners, it can be triggered by a few things at once rather than one single cause.

Here are the triggers that seemed most relevant for me:

• Doing too much too soon: increasing distance, speed, or hills quickly.
• Tired calves: when my calves were tight, my feet seemed to take more strain.
• Shoes past their best: trainers that looked fine but felt “flat” and less supportive.
• Standing a lot: days with lots of errands, nursery runs, and general life admin.

If you want a clear, trustworthy overview of symptoms and causes, the NHS page is a good starting point.

What I did first (the “calm it down” phase)

When my foot was at its grumpiest, my goal wasn’t to be heroic — it was to reduce irritation.

1) I reduced running volume (without stopping all movement)

I cut back on distance and avoided hills for a bit. I still walked (because life), but I tried to keep things steady rather than doing a big run followed by a huge day on my feet.

2) I stopped pretending it would magically go away

This sounds obvious, but I’m the sort of person who can be very good at powering through. Plantar fasciitis punished that approach.

3) I paid attention to what made it worse

A few patterns stood out:

• Long periods barefoot at home made it worse.
• Speed sessions made it worse.
• Tight calves made it worse.

That last one was a big clue.

The daily routine that helped (simple, realistic, doable)

I’m a big believer in routines that fit into normal life — especially with a small child. I didn’t suddenly gain an extra hour a day for rehab. I just tried to do a few small things consistently.

1) Calf stretches (my non-negotiable)

Tight calves can increase strain through the foot. I started doing calf stretches daily, especially after running and before bed.

A simple routine:

1. Straight-knee calf stretch (targets gastrocnemius)
2. Bent-knee calf stretch (targets soleus)

I held each for around 30–45 seconds and repeated a couple of times.

If you want a reputable guide to stretches and strengthening, I found this resource helpful: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Plantar_Fasciitis

2) Foot mobility (quick and gentle)

• Rolling the sole of my foot over a small ball (or a frozen water bottle if it felt inflamed)
• Gentle toe stretches

This wasn’t about “smashing it” — it was about easing stiffness.

3) Strength work (small but consistent)

Once the sharpness settled, I added a few strengthening exercises a few times a week:

• Calf raises (slow and controlled)
• Towel scrunches (pulling a towel towards you with your toes)
• Short foot exercise (lifting the arch slightly without curling the toes)

On days when my daughter wanted to “exercise” too, she’d copy me on her own little mat, which honestly made it more likely I’d actually do it.

Running adjustments that made a difference

1) I warmed up properly

I stopped doing the classic “walk for 30 seconds then run” approach and instead did a more deliberate warm-up: a brisk walk, ankle circles, a few calf raises, then an easy jog.

2) I kept easy runs genuinely easy

This was hard for me mentally. But keeping the pace comfortable reduced the flare-ups.

3) I avoided sudden changes

No big jumps in distance. No surprise hill repeats. No “I’ll just add an extra 5k”.

Footwear: what I changed (and why)

Footwear was a big part of my trial-and-error process.

1) I retired old trainers sooner

Even if the uppers look fine, the cushioning and support can break down over time. I started paying attention to how my shoes felt, not just how they looked.

2) I stopped going barefoot at home

This was a surprisingly big one. I’m not saying everyone needs to wear shoes indoors, but for me, a bit of support helped during a flare.

3) I experimented with extra support

This is where shoe inserts came in for me. I liked the idea of adding a bit of structure and support without immediately buying new trainers. If you want to try this route, you can check out these shoe inserts here.

(As always, listen to your body — if something makes pain worse, stop and reassess.)

What didn’t help (or wasn’t worth it for me)

Everyone’s different, but here are a couple of things that weren’t game-changers for me:

• Doing too many things at once: I couldn’t tell what was helping.
• Aggressive stretching when it was very sore: gentle was better.

When I knew it was time to get extra help

There’s a point where DIY isn’t the best plan.

I’d suggest getting assessed if:

• Pain is sharp and persistent
• You’re limping or changing your gait
• Symptoms aren’t improving after a few weeks of consistent, gentle work
• You have numbness, tingling, or pain that spreads

A physio or podiatrist can look at your gait, strength, mobility, and training load and help you build a plan that’s specific to you.

A realistic “try this first” checklist

If you’re dealing with plantar fasciitis and want a simple starting point, here’s what I’d do:

1. Reduce running volume for 1–2 weeks (especially hills and speed)
2. Daily calf stretching (straight-knee and bent-knee)
3. Gentle foot rolling for stiffness
4. Strength work 2–3 times a week (calf raises + basic foot strength)
5. Review footwear (retire worn shoes; consider extra support)
6. Keep easy runs easy and warm up properly

Final thoughts

Plantar fasciitis is one of those issues that can feel small at first, then suddenly dominate your day. For me, the biggest shift was treating it like a “manage and rebuild” situation rather than something I could ignore.

I’m not perfectly immune to flare-ups (especially after a hectic week of family life), but with a bit of consistency — and Steve reminding me not to overdo it — I’ve found I can run more comfortably again.

If you’ve dealt with plantar fasciitis too, I’d love to know what helped you most — and whether you found any particular routine or footwear change made the biggest difference.