I am glad I made an appointment with my podiatrist - I have been diagnosed with a tiny stress fracture in my right foot and for the next 4 weeks before the next X-ray and seeing him again I am to wear special shoes with stiff insoles, not walk until absolutely necessary, do swimming and stationary bike for cardio, and avoid strength training on my feet (he said sitting is OK and I didn't ask him but presume that lying down is OK, too). Orangetheory has a class that focuses on upper body strength only, so I will sign up for that and modify standing exercises by doing them while sitting. Also, my gym is an arm bike, a cardio machine where you move the arms while sitting. It is recommended when nursing a low extremity injury, so I can make use of it.

I was wrong thinking that my pain was a flare-up of that old stress fracture. The podiatrist explained that a stress fracture either is or isn't. It is an injury, not a chronic condition.

Back when my old stress fracture healed, I gradually stopped doing calf stretches. That, he says, was a mistake. I need to do them all the time. So I have more homework now.