This may sound familiar if:

• Your heel hurts most with your first few steps in the morning
• It eases a little once you get moving, then comes back later
• Standing or walking for long periods makes it worse
• The pain sits under the heel rather than the back of it
• The area feels tender to press on
• Running can sometimes feel okay at first, then more sore later

A common clue is that this often behaves like an irritated heel that hates being still, then hates being overloaded too.

This usually happens when the heel and foot tissues are being asked to tolerate more repeated load than they are ready for.

Common reasons include:

• a sudden increase in:
  • running volume
  • time on feet
  • walking or standing load
• reduced calf strength or foot strength
• poor recovery
• returning too quickly after time off
• repeated loading without enough adaptation

This often builds gradually rather than starting with one dramatic moment.

It’s worth getting help if:

• the heel is not settling
• morning pain is getting worse
• walking is becoming more uncomfortable
• you are struggling to return to normal running
• it keeps flaring every time you try to build again