Barkin' Dogs

If I'm lucky, my dog will do this someday

While paddling the other day, shifting my feet around, I remembered a time when standing while paddling used to really hurt my feet. Not so much during, but afterwards. Plantar fasciitis. It, and other foot pain, happen to a fair number of stand up paddlers, especially when they ambitiously spend a lot of time on their boards. But I've learned that with self-care, both on and off the board, it's something that isn't too difficult to overcome.

On the board: I try to keep my feet in motion. I'm not running up and down the board or anything, but my feet are never in a static position. I suggest variations of a surfer stance, moving from parallel feet to a staggered position of varying degrees. I also recommend occasionally lifting and wiggling your toes, then lifting and lowering your heels. And try some deep knee bends too, similar to chair to pose in yoga.

Off the board: I've learned to do at least a little light stretching right after a paddle. Stretch your calves - an angled dock at any degree lower than high tide with your heels facing down slope is a great stretch. Otherwise I'll stretch against a wall, or my car. At home, I'll follow up with more calf stretching, as well as foot massage by rolling them on a tennis ball or a specifically designed massage ball. Attention to my calves and feet has made all the difference.

For me it worked. I have a repertoire of stretches that I do, most are yoga based. If you are having foot pain and stand up paddling is contributing to it, chances are decent that some self-care will help your problem. But I'm not your podiatrist, physical or massage therapist, or yoga instructor; so get it checked out to make sure. Then do the self-care exercises they prescribe.

Cloudy and warm, I narrowly missed some showers yesterday