Ouch

I've been a runner for about ten years now, and getting regular cardio exercise for longer than that. Over the years I've had a few injuries -- a muscle spasm here, tendonitis there. Every time it happens I find myself falling into a funk.

Currently my left foot is undergoing a persistent bout of plantar fasciitis, also known as heel pain. The problem typically is tightness in the calf muscle that causes stretching and inflamation of the tendon running from the arch to the ball of the foot. The typical symptom is pain in the heel area when you first put your foot down after sitting for a while or sleeping. Mine is bad enough that I'm experiencing heel pain pretty much all the time.

This is my second bout with plantar fasciitis, the first one coming eleven or twelve years ago. It's not horribly painful, but certainly prevents running, which always causings further tightening of the calf and further inflames the tendon in question.

I know patience is needed for this to clear up, but I've never been a very patient person. I'm looking for some kind of cardio exercise that won't further inflame the heel, and also doesn't require an expensive piece of equipment to perform. Swimming laps across the lake would have been a good choice in August, but its getting a little cold now.