I recently listened to a clip from a podcast where one of the guests was talking about the plantar fasciitis issues he’d been experiencing while running prior to being given a pair of running shoes. He says the shoes got rid of his plantar fasciitis. This simply isn’t the case.
For some more context. The person making this claim is overweight and alcoholic comedian. Not to be mean, but this person is not a runner. He’s known for his wild lifestyle and his comedic persona. From what I’ve gathered, they are running a race in May and is training with an actual high-level runner, amongst other athletic and sport achievements, Cameron Hanes.
Hanes supplied a pair of his custom-made running shoes, which he had designed for his 100-mile runs. The comedian says that the design of the shoes, specifically the laces, prevents the heel from moving, thus curing his plantar fasciitis.
In reality, the new runner still has plantar fasciitis. Only the shoe’s design, specifically the sole, fills in the gap between his plantar fascia’s physical capacities and the demands of a 250-pound man running miles at a time. In other words, the shoes absorb and dissipate the forces that his plantar fascia isn’t capable of doing, thus doing the work.
Our fun comedian will likely still experience his plantar fasciitis symptoms in Hanes’ shoes in time. Because his body will soon accommodate the shoes. Also, because of the lack of capacity, his shoes seemingly have to work harder. Thus, they will wear out faster because they’re now functioning as a shoe and his plantar fascia.
The issue here is changing elements that he thinks will change his symptoms. Falling for the trap of not seeing the forest for the trees. He’s not just symptom-chasing but only focusing on the external environment. If he changed the internal environment, i.e., the architecture and load-bearing capacity of the plantar fascia, and actually trained the internal environment to be greater than the demands of the external environment (running), he likely wouldn’t have plantar fasciitis.
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