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Plantar Fasciitis When Running — Why It Happens & How to Fix It



Plantar Fasciitis When Running Is Brutal

(And Usually Mismanaged)

If you’ve ever felt a sharp, stabbing pain in your heel—especially first thing in the morning or in the first 5 minutes of a run—you know how discouraging it is.


Most runners are told:

  • “Stretch your calf more”

  • “Roll your foot on a ball”

  • “Get inserts”

  • “Stop running for a while”


Sometimes those help short-term… but plantar fasciitis tends to come right back because most advice focuses on symptoms, not what’s actually driving the overload.


At Thrive HQ, we see plantar fasciitis a lot—especially in distance runners and anyone increasing mileage. The good news: it’s very fixable, and most runners don’t need to stop running altogether.



What Plantar Fasciitis Actually Is

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that helps support your arch and acts like a spring during running and walking.


When it gets irritated, the pain shows up most often:

  • at the inside bottom of the heel

  • during first steps in the morning

  • early in a run (then sometimes warms up)

  • after long runs or speed work


But here’s the key point... In most runners, plantar fasciitis isn’t a “tight fascia problem.” It’s a load tolerance problem. The goal isn’t to stretch it into submission. The goal is to increase the capacity of the foot + calf system that supports it.



Why Your Heel Hurts When You Run (The Real Root Causes)

1️⃣ The calf–Achilles complex isn’t strong enough for your mileage

Your calf and Achilles control how much force goes into your foot. If the calf is weak or undertrained:

  • the arch collapses more

  • the plantar fascia takes more strain

  • the heel gets hammered


Many runners do tons of running but very little true calf loading.


2️⃣ Your arch and intrinsic foot muscles aren’t doing their job

If your arch collapses or you overpronate, the plantar fascia becomes a stabilizer. This is where arch strength matters more than “support.” Supportive shoes can help temporarily—but long-term, your foot needs to be strong enough to handle running.


3️⃣ You increased volume too fast (and recovery didn’t keep up)

Plantar fasciitis is one of those injuries that screams:

“Your tissue capacity can’t keep up with your training load.”

If you recently added:

  • more weekly miles

  • more hills

  • faster workouts

  • less recovery…your heel often pays the price.


4️⃣ Footwear changes can be a trigger (even when the shoe is “good”)

A shoe can be a great shoe and still irritate your heel if you abruptly change:

  • heel drop

  • stiffness

  • cushioning

  • arch structure


Even swapping to a “better” shoe can irritate tissue if the loading pattern changes suddenly.



The 2-Part Solution: Calm Irritation + Build Capacity

Most runners only try Part 1. It is important, but part 2 is the real true long term fix.


✅ Part 1: Calm Things Down (Without Full Rest)


Try these immediately:


1) Reduce irritability for 7–10 days

Not “stop running forever.” Just decrease the main irritant:

  • reduce mileage 10–25%

  • avoid speed + hills temporarily

  • keep easy runs easy


2) Use the “warm-up effect” intentionally

If pain is worst in the first few minutes:

  • take 3–5 minutes walking first

  • use activation drills (below)

  • ease into pace


3) Short-term support is okay

If the pain is high, a supportive shoe or insert can help you keep running while you rebuild strength. Support is a bridge, not a long term plan.



✅ Part 2: Build Capacity (This Is What Actually Works)


Here are our go-to strength progressions.


Exercise Group A: Calf Loading (3x/week)

1) Toes-extended calf raises: This biases the plantar fascia and builds tolerance.

  • 3 sets of 12–15

  • slow lower (3–4 seconds)


2) Lunge Hold with Heel Raise (hits the soleus)

  • 3 sets of 15–20

  • controlled tempo


  • 3 sets of 8–12

  • slow lower, assist up if needed



Exercise Group B: Arch & Foot Strength (5 min/day)

1) Standing arch raises

  • 2–3 sets of 10–12Hold 2 seconds at top.


2) Towel scrunches OR short-foot holds

  • 2 sets of 30–45 seconds


  • This one is sneaky good for foot control + single leg stability.

  • 2 sets of 20–30 seconds per side



Exercise Group C: Mobility That Actually Transfers

  • Instead of only rolling for pain relief, add movement while rolling:

  • roll calf lightly

  • actively pump ankle up/down

  • 60–90 seconds per side

  • This improves tissue glide and helps restore more normal movement.



A Better Warm-Up for Plantar Fasciitis (Presynaptic Potentiation)

Before running, instead of stretching your foot for 10 minutes, do this for 5–8 minutes instead:

  1. Lunge hold calf raises – 2×15

  2. Standing arch raises – 2×10–12

  3. Standing band-resisted clamshells – 2×15/side

  4. Front-to-back scale – 2×20–30 sec/side


This turns on the muscles that reduce stress through the heel.



What Not To Do (Common Mistakes)

🚫 Long passive stretching only

🚫 Rolling aggressively on a lacrosse ball until it hurts

🚫 Complete rest for weeks, then returning to the same training

🚫 Switching shoes dramatically overnight

🚫 Thinking “if it warms up, it must be fine” (it’s still irritated)



When It’s Time to Get Assessed

Being active individuals we are bound to have some aches and pains along the journey. However, if you're dealing with any of the following, it is time to get your foot assessed:

  • pain lasts >2–3 weeks

  • you’re limping after runs

  • morning pain is worsening

  • you keep re-flaring when you build mileage


…it’s time for a true running-specific assessment.



How Thrive HQ Helps

We start with our flagship service, our Pain Diagnostic Session, where we spend 90 minutes working with you one on one to:

  • assess calf strength and endurance

  • evaluate arch control + foot mechanics

  • look at cadence/stride

  • review your training load + recovery

  • build a plan that keeps you running while healing



🎯 Sound like something you could benefit from? Book a Free Discovery Call with us today: https://www.thrive-hq.com/speak-with-our-team



🚀 Want a Full System for Running Pain? (FREE Beta – 10 runners)

We’re launching our first Pain-Free Runner Challenge in early 2026. The first cohort is going to be a FREE beta group, but extremely limited to the first 10 runners.



 
 
 

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