Sitting inside watching TV recently, I was distracted by the irritating barking of my dogs running along the fence line ‘chatting’ to their furry friends next door. Without hesitation, I took off outside to politely ask them to keep the volume of their conversation down to a significantly lower level, neglecting any consideration for my plantar aspect which was incidentally exposed to the sensation of harsh gravel and broken rock. Had I been a ballerina, I would have sashayed across the driveway on the tips of my toes if I’d realised the pain that would shoot through my bare feet like shards of glass. Once the situation with the chattering dogs was under control, I had a sudden realisation that the days of running across rough and rocky surfaces, like I did so freely as a kid, are now gone.

But when did that happen?