Before we left Melbourne for forty days of European hiking, one of my peroneus tendons on the left foot, which attaches to the outside of the foot and heads laterally underneath for stability purposes, was exhibiting what they call “tendinopathy,” the new word for the old “tendonitis.” On most jogs it twinged and threatened to bring me to a walk. Icing and taking care with foot strike have staved off Big Year disaster.
But now walking might, I believe, cure that darned left foot. My chunky hiking boots enclose the entire foot and lessen the lateral movement. The hiking stride doesn’t put nearly as much pressure on the foot as the jogging footfall. The multi-hour exercise might loosen up the blood flow through the tendon. So much for amateur theory. Let’s see what happens today.