I've had plantar's faciitis since last summer and tried different remedies w/o success. It dosen't help that my job requires a lot of walking and standing outside on concrete (campus security). It also didn't help that I kept trying to run at least a little here and there! I try to strengthen my feet thru exercises and specific stretching, and x-train by cycling and elliptical. I've also worn Nike Frees at work for several months. But I'm doing 3 things differently now that I hope will really help: (1) I returned to wearing cushioned shoes just at work, but minimalist shoes the rest of the time. (2) I got permission 2 wks. ago to ride a bicycle at work each day on a permanent basis (bike patrol), which significantly reduces my walking and standing. I average up to 15 biking miles/shift - which should increase to 20+ as warmer weather arrives. I can already tell a small difference from replacing a lot of walking with cycling. (3) I had been doing very short (< a mile) bf on the tm at 1.5% incline. even tho i felt i had been running mostly on the balls of my feet, i discovered that my heels were still taking more pounding than i had thought. so i stopped. then a few days ago i got on the tm and set it at 3%, which was about the minimum setting where i couldn't feel my heels touching as long as i concentrated on running only on the balls of my feet. so far so good; i'm thinking that if i gradually increase tm incline to 4 and 5 or 6% i will be able to increase distance significantly and reduce or even eliminate running stress on my heel. so: does anyone see a problem with this direction or done it? or am i just reaching for answers and will probably still remain injured? if i am able to run just on the balls of my feet, does anyone know if that would be detrimental in some way later? seems to me it's like running uphill all the time, which is fine with me for now. my only other option seems to be to just give up any running completely for a year or so and see what happens. i had started to really enjoy 1/2 marathons before this happened, and was thinking when i'd do my first full (all shod). although i still have my eye on doing a 20k barefoot in oct. (no pavement) if i can. thanks for any comments/advice! 8-) a="" mile)="" bf="" on="" the="" tm="" at="" 1.5%="" incline.="" even="" tho="" i="" felt="" i="" had="" been="" running="" mostly="" on="" the="" balls="" of="" my="" feet,="" i="" discovered="" that="" my="" heels="" were="" still="" taking="" more="" pounding="" than="" i="" had="" thought.="" so="" i="" stopped.="" then="" a="" few="" days="" ago="" i="" got="" on="" the="" tm="" and="" set="" it="" at="" 3%,="" which="" was="" about="" the="" minimum="" setting="" where="" i="" couldn't="" feel="" my="" heels="" touching="" as="" long="" as="" i="" concentrated="" on="" running="" only="" on="" the="" balls="" of="" my="" feet.="" so="" far="" so="" good;="" i'm="" thinking="" that="" if="" i="" gradually="" increase="" tm="" incline="" to="" 4="" and="" 5="" or="" 6%="" i="" will="" be="" able="" to="" increase="" distance="" significantly="" and="" reduce="" or="" even="" eliminate="" running="" stress="" on="" my="" heel.="" so:="" does="" anyone="" see="" a="" problem="" with="" this="" direction="" or="" done="" it?="" or="" am="" i="" just="" reaching="" for="" answers="" and="" will="" probably="" still="" remain="" injured?="" if="" i="" am="" able="" to="" run="" just="" on="" the="" balls="" of="" my="" feet,="" does="" anyone="" know="" if="" that="" would="" be="" detrimental="" in="" some="" way="" later?="" seems="" to="" me="" it's="" like="" running="" uphill="" all="" the="" time,="" which="" is="" fine="" with="" me="" for="" now.="" my="" only="" other="" option="" seems="" to="" be="" to="" just="" give="" up="" any="" running="" completely="" for="" a="" year="" or="" so="" and="" see="" what="" happens.="" i="" had="" started="" to="" really="" enjoy="" 1/2="" marathons="" before="" this="" happened,="" and="" was="" thinking="" when="" i'd="" do="" my="" first="" full="" (all="" shod).="" although="" i="" still="" have="" my="" eye="" on="" doing="" a="" 20k="" barefoot="" in="" oct.="" (no="" pavement)="" if="" i="" can.="" thanks="" for="" any="" comments/advice!=""></ a mile) bf on the tm at 1.5% incline. even tho i felt i had been running mostly on the balls of my feet, i discovered that my heels were still taking more pounding than i had thought. so i stopped. then a few days ago i got on the tm and set it at 3%, which was about the minimum setting where i couldn't feel my heels touching as long as i concentrated on running only on the balls of my feet. so far so good; i'm thinking that if i gradually increase tm incline to 4 and 5 or 6% i will be able to increase distance significantly and reduce or even eliminate running stress on my heel. so: does anyone see a problem with this direction or done it? or am i just reaching for answers and will probably still remain injured? if i am able to run just on the balls of my feet, does anyone know if that would be detrimental in some way later? seems to me it's like running uphill all the time, which is fine with me for now. my only other option seems to be to just give up any running completely for a year or so and see what happens. i had started to really enjoy 1/2 marathons before this happened, and was thinking when i'd do my first full (all shod). although i still have my eye on doing a 20k barefoot in oct. (no pavement) if i can. thanks for any comments/advice! 8-)>

I run in Vibrams so I'm not a purist. But at least running in them still makes it impossible for me to heel-strike because it would be too uncomfortable. I have a fore-to-mid foot landing but I always allow my heels to drop down for contact before lifting off again. I think this is more the form you need to try to achieve.

That's interesting - something I hadn't considered. Thanks for that info!

Get off the treadmill. Go outside and walk around barefoot on hard surfaces. Build up to running when you feel ready. Ice can help deal with current inflammation, but the inflammation will come back until you deal with the root cause, which is bad form and wimpy feet. Don't try to over-think the form. It comes very naturally as long as you stay relaxed and spend enough time barefoot on a variety of surfaces.