Question from a bike rider with a sore foot

I am an active race bike rider (>10.000km/year) and last year in September I suffered a "bone bruise" in my left food (metatarsals) after an increase in training and a 5 hour hilly bike ride under warm conditions. I could not walk the following day. After two weeks of recovery (but almost no improvement) I was x-rayed and also had a scan. Showed no fracture. I stopped riding for a few weeks but the recovery was very, very slow. 3 month after there was a slight improvement (winter pause) but now after a full season things are bad again. I have adjusted the bike and are now using special insoles (Formthotics) which helps a lot. But what more can I do? I can't stand weeks without biking (I get crazy!) and it seems like the bruise has turned permanent.

Any clues / experience?

Thank you in advance - "The desperate rider ;(

Are you talking about a road bike e.g like in the tour de France type of riding?

Formthotics are a great starting point and if they are assisting then this is telling you something about the potential cause of the problem - i.e. faulty mechanics. You really need a good sport's physio or trainer to follow you in the car with a video camera so you can look at you normal mechanics. Don't alter them for the camera and make sure you film at the end of the ride and on the hills, in and out of the saddle, when you are tired.

Often the gradual breakdown of connective tissue is not painful. Until one day enough is enough and the brain says to you "enough already" I'm going to give you pain. This means the injury had taken a long time to get to the painful state and it will take a while to return to normal depending on numerous factors: diet; training schedule; biomechanics etc. Maybe if you video yourself and put onto you tube then we can link to it from with this post and provide you with more feedback :)

Thank's for the input.
(my training is only recreasonal and not near Tour de France level :)
And yes I have done a lot in terms of altering my food position on the pedal, working with the pedal stroke and most important I have trained my pedal frequency (higher cadance) to avoid heavy gears in order to reduce pressure on the food balm. Now I can even do longer periods out of sadle.
The x-ray showed that my metatarsals was longer than average and therefore more exposed for pressure during repetitive work = pedaling
I am also focused on my very short hamstring and gastronemius which often causes cramps and general stiffness...
But I was afraid that the "bone bruise" should become permanent.
Would it be better to completely stop training for alonger period?