TOFP... I have to ask the obvious question.

[mikee002]

I know it's "Top of the foot" pain. What is it exactly though... bone, muscle, tendon, ligament? Is there a particular area of the top of the foot that the pain may occur more than others? I'm having some... that's why I ask. Is rest the "cure"? Any other places that I can be pointed towards? I know this is a pretty elementary question.



Thanks, Mike

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Here's an email I received

Here's an email I received from Ken Bob recently that is sure to help you:

There's actually a whole category on "Foot Pain"
http://therunningbarefoot.com/?cat=265

Some of my more recent posts on the top of foot pain (most related to the mis-use of minimalist footwear, to minimize feedback);
http://therunningbarefoot.com/?p=2684

http://therunningbarefoot.com/?p=1598

But for the post you're looking for, you gotta go back a couple years:
http://therunningbarefoot.com/?p=1186

I've revised the post since it's originally posting, as I discovered the exercises aren't needed. And some people (particularly ex-marines) we're trying to overdo, the gentle lifting of small weights, by increasing the weight, or trying to pull their entire body weight across their mattress when pressing "gently" against the edge of their mattress with the top of their foot.

Anyway, we can simply do the same exercise while running, that is, lift up the fore-foot, exercising the top of the foot, which is actually better, because you get about a thousand very gentle fore-foot lifts each mile you run, and avoid the excess strain of pushing off with the trailing foot (it's really difficult to push off while lifting the fore-foot), instead of trying to do the fore-foot lifts in a separate workout.

 

[mikee002]

 Thanks TJ, I think I've read

Thanks TJ, I think I've read it all before i even started, but now that I'm actually doing these things it makes much more sense. I will be incorporating these into my next run.