Question for the Personal Trainers - Lazy Foot?

[ES13Raven]

Anyone have this happen to them?

I run my first mile just fine, but after that my right foot seems to get lazy. It feels like I drag it slightly at times - like it went to sleep or something. I have to concentrate on it to keep running correctly. What's weird is my right foot is the dominant one.

This happens on the track, treadmill and the elliptical.

It’s almost like my shoelaces are on too tight and its cutting off the blood and my foot falls asleep. It feels numb. My laces are on firm but I wouldn't say tight. I have tried loosening them but it still happens.

At the end of my run, the outer right side of my right knee is a little sore too...

Any ideas?

[BurnMyHeartDown]

I ran cross country and track in my younger days (LOL) and never heard anything like it. I would pull your shoe off when it's numb and just give it a visual thing and see if it looks normal. At 32 you shouldn't be experiencing vascular issues that would cause it to go numb from lack of blood, so I would look to something else.

hmmmm, I just read the outside of your right knee. What are you using for running shoes? Go to a running store and get them to watch you walk and have them pick out your shoes for you. I did that once and got the best shoes I have ever had. note that best does not necessitate most expensive either. they can look at your foot and really do a good job of getting you into something that works with your running style and makes sure that things are hitting the way they should.

but going back to the elliptical thing, I don't see how that would make a difference. it seems weird. maybe someone with a better clue could contribute more...

EDIT: Are you stretching at all? I want to assume yes but...ass of u and me and that whole thing.

[ES13Raven]

Originally Posted by BurnMyHeartDown

What are you using for running shoes? Go to a running store and get them to watch you walk and have them pick out your shoes for you. I did that once and got the best shoes I have ever had. note that best does not necessitate most expensive either. they can look at your foot and really do a good job of getting you into something that works with your running style and makes sure that things are hitting the way they should.

Yeah, I did that. They watched me walk and recommended a Stability Shoe. I bought a brand new pair of New Balance Stability Shoes back in November. They are broken in now.

[Goin Ape Nutz]

I'm confused. I can understand this happening when you are running on the track, but the on the elip, your feet stay on the machine all the time.

Good point about the shoes, glad you got that done. A good pair of shoes will help ease the discomfort of running. It doesn't sound as much like a lack of blood flow as may be a pinched nerve of some kind, or an over use injury. The knee ache is more than likely due to over compensation in your running technique when you notice you are having the "lazy foot". If the lab you went to is run by a pediatrist or other physician, they will probably be your best source of a correct answer, and a fix.

Untill then, try the bike or the pool for a while.

[ES13Raven]

Originally Posted by Goin Ape Nutz

I'm confused. I can understand this happening when you are running on the track, but the on the elip, your feet stay on the machine all the time.

I usually do about 25 minutes on the Elliptical, and I don't start to feel my foot go numb until at least 15 minutes into it. It goes halfway numb and goes away within a few minutes after I'm done.

My heel does raise up a little and I shift weight back and forth.

[Goin Ape Nutz]

^^ thanks for clarifying. I don't feel that i know enough about the condition to give you a purposeful answer. I would, without knowing more, guess a pinched nerve. If it bugs you enough, i would certainly get it checked out with a podiatrist or a physical therapist.

[ES13Raven]

This is a response I got in another forum. Do you think it has any merit?

Time for a bit of muscle specific exercise.

As a suggestion, two exercises. One is to strengthen the calf muscle.

Standing up, touching a doorway to steady yourself, raise up on to the ball of the feet and lift yourself up an down. Heel barely touching the floor on each up-n-down repetition.

Be careful with this exercise as if you do it too much, you will find yourself (seriously) in pain an agony, a day or two down the road and it will take several days to recover from the overexertion.

Do fifteen to twenty-five of the above, two or three sets "only" and then some more the next day or maybe a second set, later in the day.

The second exercise is a flexor exercise that strengthens the front; the shin muscle.

Butt and back against the wall while standing, feet away from the wall about a foot. Now do the opposite. With the heel on the floor, raise the ball of the feet off the ground and then lower them to just about touching the floor. Do this about ten to fifteen times, per set, several sets.

After a few days, maybe a week, you should expectedly notice a difference in the running condition you described.

FWIW, I've had the same experience and it wasn't being caused by shoe laces that were too tight. It was because my calf muscles weren't conditioned enough, and would fatigue, causing the lazy foot. The shin exercise is to make sure the calf exercise is balanced, to prevent strain as the shin muscle catches you after the calf muscle launches you; calf up, shin down.

While sitting in the chair, in front of the computer, reach down with thumb and forefinger. Thumb on the bottom of the left calf and forefinger on the lower part of the shin. Push off with the ball of your foot. Feel the calf tighten and then lower the weight and feel the tension, deep within the shin, about the time the foot bottoms at the heel.

They're both equally participatory in the propel/catch action of the foot and running. If they're not conditioned, they'll burn out and you'll lose efficient function in the use of the foot due to a form of compartment syndrome; blood engorgement causes poor venous blood circulation, because blood can't get out and the muscle goes to sleep due to a lack of oxygen.

And on the other hand, as suggested, it could be that your shoelaces are too tight.

If you do try loosening your shoelaces, please be sure to not loosen them too much as then your feet will slide around in the shoe, causing blisters; not good.

[binx_19]

i was thinking you might have a pinched nerve that acts up when your muscles start to swell for working.

[Goin Ape Nutz]

You could certainly try those exercises mentioned and see if that corrects your problem. Numbness doesn't generally sound like an unconditioned muscle to me though, but like I said, I don't have all the details. I try to be careful about armchair diagnosis as it's very easy to miss and give bad information.

If you think you have lazy foot, try some exercises to strengthen the muscles of the calf and the tib anterior muscle and see if that corrects it. If this is more of a sudden onset problem (as in, started recently and hasn't happened when you ran before), then I'll stick by my original armchair response.

[coronadozx]

anterior compartment syndrome ... google it and see if those symptoms are indicative of what you experience.

if so, you should have it checked out ASAP ... it is something you don't want to mess around with.