Flaneur Fasciitis

 

Photo: © Stan Banos

I've always loved to walk, always been my primary mode of transportation- which is why I can only live in real cities... ie- cities you can get around in- without a car! And if you tend to photograph on the street, as do I (even though I am not considered an official street photographer, someone once said I was more a... flaneur- which kinda sounds like a French perv in a flannel shirt), your feet are tres important!

In my younger days I would easily walk from The Battery to 59St in NYC on a warm summer day, take a shower and be out ready to party. True, that was a while ago, but I can still out walk the average person my age, and younger. Recently however, the soles of my feet have begun to hurt, even upon waking- not fun. Thought it was temporary at first, but it's going on a year now, and I'm not quite ready to become sedentary by any means! Tried various gels/inserts, and while they do supply some relief- the pain is still very much there!

Truth is, everything starts to unravel with age (even my rear has gotten noticeably thinner in its natural padding last coupla years on my bike); but after the mandatory research, discovered I've got plantar fasciitis- the good news is there are actually some good, simple exercises (stretches really) that one can do to help alleviate the actual pain. I've just begun doing them (video: here) and I'm happy to say I do, in fact, feel some immediate relief. Hopefully, it's not just in my head (things have really thinned out up there)- we're gonna find out... 

Addendum: And this vid says to stretch... in the opposite direction!!!