Bringing balance to the Force

[Robbi]

Hey barefolks,

My right foot persistently takes more wear than my left foot. I end up with more sensitivity after a run, and I'm actively trying to balance out the force across my feet. I'm hoping maybe if other folks have experienced this it may help me out to hear about it.

I am right footed, and jump off my left foot (did high-jump for years) which is stronger in the ankle and slightly bigger in the calf, though the gap is narrowing the more I run. I tend to get sensitivity and occasionally swelling in the right foot in the section just behind the big and second toe, almost in between them, which I don't get in the left foot. It also feels like my right forefoot has more substance or meatiness for lack of a better word, and that the second metatarsal head is a bit more pronounced, or closer to the surface. Lastly I have now twice noticed my right calf cramping slightly and affecting my foot - a few seconds stretch sorts that out.

I have been focussing on trying to duplicate the left foot action with the right foot and make sure I am not pushing off with the right. It feels to me like I roll off the left less and tend to drive with my right more.

What else might I be doing to create this imbalance and 'hot spot' on the right foot? Any tips for how to focus on this without interfering with 'what comes naturally'?

Cheers,
Robbi

 

[barefootandagile]

Robbi,

Hi, have you spoken with a running technique coach via one to one? That would be the safest and quickest route to solving your problem.

 

[NickW]

I have this problem only it's my left foot that wears faster. More recently I read something, can't remember where, but about how the the feet should land. My right foot I found was maybe slightly landing towards outer edge and then rolling in towards the ball of the foot. This foot never has any damage. The left foot however was landing more on the ball of the foot and rolling out towards the outside of the foot. I have always had more damage on the ball of my foot as well as the outside edge. Anyhow, I started changing this so I landed on outside edge slightly and rolling in to ball of foot with that foot also and now I don't ever have much damage on that foot. It did take me reading something though to figure that out. It wasn't just natural for me and I had no idea that my feet were even landing differently from each other. Goodluck and I hope you figure it out Robbi!

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Do you have a leg-length discrepancy, meaning is one leg shorter than the other?

 

[BFwillie_g]

Do you have a leg-length discrepancy, meaning is one leg shorter than the other?

very (most) often caused by hip mis-alignment, and correctable

 

[Robbi]

I do have a leg-length discrepancy (most people do, a small amount). I don't think mine is beyond normal levels. I have been looking for a BF coach local to me, but none so far (we need more of you expert guys around the world!).

That said, I feel I am making a little progress day by day, so hopefully experience will help me dial this in. I can feelI am not using the outside of my foot as much, so am focussing on the outer landing, dropping the heel and transitioning over to the inside off the big toe.

I am doing some more speed oriented sessions which is also helping feel things.

Thanks, all!