@Christine Reinhart Maybe one day!

@John Conklin You can just go to the top of the community to the "write something" space. Write out your question or request for advice, and then in the bottom of the box it will have a drop down to select category. It just allows people to filter posts as more are made based on topic. "Help" being client/community member requests versus the other categories like Moderator announcements, resource posts, etc.

@Daniel Garcia Based on Jacob's most recent post it looks like simply by training you are improving your pain tolerance over time!

@John Conklin Others can jump in here as they please, but my first thoughts... Diagnosis of a neuroma typically is shown on imaging, but in the clinic is easy enough to find as it's very localized and reproducible pain that can be palpated typically inbetween the bones of the foot. Aka, I push on this pea sized lump and you have blinding pain, but I can press and do other things in the region without any issue. Those are tricky and offloading the area with a donut pad can be a good first step - barefoot probably would worsen it though in my opinion. Metatarsalgia is a generalist diagnosis of "your toes are inflammed," which is kind of obvious but not very specific. The trend of stiffness/pain that dissapates with exercise but then becomes painful once a certain threshold has been crossed is a common presentation of many joint/connective tissue type issues. It seems your issue is very much pressure sensitive. Biking in your cycle cleats places more pressure into the forefoot, similar to loading on a calf raise, as well as the late stance cycle of running. Around the time that this became very painful had you dramatically increased your mileage? Or as a counter, had you had time away from running and then rapidly returned to it at previous mileages without a ramp up period?

@John Conklin Potentially a "chemical" irritation of the nerve due to inflammation locally. Question begs what caused the inflammation in the first place, which often isn't one sole factor. Potentially though had your step count been dramatically lower the abrupt bump in expenditure could have been too much for those tissues to handle in conjunction with the running progression.

So you'd say by exercising regularly, even in the presence of pain, we serve two functions: 1) actively reducing down stream issues related to fear avoidance like regional sensitization, maladaptive belief's, etc. and 2) improve neural plasticity and self efficacy which should have a domino effect to postitively and progressively improve our function while lowering self-reported pain?

My thoughts on the matter.... https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db3LQCRRv5W/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

@John Thurman What I love about your perspective John is that each one of those "failures" you've situated to be productive or positive. The first case is pressure testing to help guide your next steps. You know I'm a fan of the scientific method. The second is so absolutely true, you don't know how far you can go or how hard you can push until you find that physical/psychological failure (in my case when your hair starts falling out telling you that "hey, you should probably work less and sleep more." And the third, while not great in the moment, if reflected on, leads to a better version of yourself for the future.