A pain in the foot

Aches and pains are all part of walking long distances. I tend to get the usual soreness and stiffness after a long time on my pins but I count myself lucky that I remain blister-free and in pretty good health. But now my foot hurts. It's a dull, bruise-like pain (though there's nothing visible) which extends across the top of my left foot. I've had it for a couple of weeks now. It's something that I'm used to - I remember that it's happened before when I've overtightened the laces on my shoe and that the left foot is more prone than the right.

I set off yesterday for a long walk with a full pack (post to follow), hoping that the pain would improve with exercise. Actually, it wasn't too bad. But in the last couple of hours the pain grew and I thought today that I should take a look on the web to see what it might be. Apparently, it's a common enough injury, caused by overuse of the tendons which pull up the toes. It's called extensor tendonitis.


What's a little more troubling is that although basic recovery takes 2-4 days, full recovery can require 4 to 6 weeks.

It's eight weeks until I begin the walk, which means I should be fully fit. But I have planned a three-day practice walk next week - plans might have to change. And what would happen if I pick up an injury like this while away? Ibuprofen and ice packs seem to be the best options.