Supination & pronation in different feet

Hello everybody,

First forum post so apologies if this has been discussed already. Did have a look but couldn't see anything.

Does anyone suffer with the type of injuries that suggest supination in one foot (for me, left foot) and pronation in the other foot (me, right foot)?

It may be that I only pronate in foot foor on a regular basis, as I often get blisters on the inside of that foot but after the GNR yesterday I have extreme pain on the outside of my left foot, which I think suggests supination?
Alternatively, I may have been running awkwardly as the soles of my feet were burning from around 10 miles on - I don't think this has anything to do with Plantar fasciitis as there is no pain at all in my heels.

I'm definitely going to upgrade my running shoes as they have seen a few too many half marathons but this is the first time I've experienced any real foot pain.

Any thoughts? Thanks!

Sometimes things are more straightforward than you expect them to be - maybe you just ran all or most of the race on one side of the road?

I'm super-tired so I'm not sure I follow. At the moment, I have blisters on the inside if my right foot and incredible pain on the outside of my left foot. Can't put my full weight on it. 

Rob do you mean you can get blisters or pain in your feet depending on what side of the road you run on?  I'm so confused! haha

I think that's what he means but with a half marathon (where I acquired my injury), you don't always have much choice, nor do you keep track!

I can't tell from my trainers but I'm going to see the specialist running peeps on Saturday to see what they can figure out.

The roads are sloped for drainage, so if you run on just one side, you'll get problems, because effectively you are running with one leg longer than the other. You might get knee problems, ankle problems, hip problems, back problems, feet problems, or combinations of these. If this is whats happened the blisters may be from one foot sliding to the outside of the shoe while the other slides to the inside of the shoe. I don't know, I'm just asking.

I'm only asking the question to try and be helpful Jnl26. I suffered hip problems myself early on in my running, when it was suggested to me that maybe I always ran on the same side of the road, I thought about it, and it was true, I was, like a good sensible boy I was always facing the traffic. I switched sides, hip was better in a fortnight and I've never had problems with it again since.

I do keep track of it. I don't want that injury again. When I can I run on the flattest bit of the road (the middle usually) and I switch sides as much as is safe to do so. There is always choice.

Hope you find the answers you seek on Saturday.

Thanks for your help. I simply didn't understand from your first post.

Happy running

Oh I understand now, completely confused me haha.  I didn't even take this into account - thanks Rob!

You're very knowledgable with fitness Rob. You always seem to have the answer to everyone's health and fitness probs! Are you a personal trainer?

I wouldn't claim to have all the answers Laura, but thanks for the compliment . I am a qualified PT yes, although I left the gym I was working at because the licence fees I had to pay to work there were way too steep.

I thought that I would share my session with the doctor and the sports shop with everyone, in case anyone may benefit form my experience.

First, the doctor. No serious damage, just a muscular injury caused by repeated impact on the outside of my foot. Had to take anti-inflammatory pills, basically ibuprofen and he gave me 24-hour anti-inflammatory patches to wear for 2 days. Essential oils were also suggested but I couldn't find any (tbh I didn't really search for them).

Then, the running store. It was ace. The shop assistant made me walk and jog around the shop with my shoes on and off, then he filmed me running on a treadmill. I tried on a number of trainers. Turns out that my current trainers fit me before I start running but as my feet get hot and start to swell, they become too tight cutting off circulation, which results in the burning sensation I feel. Also, I don't do them up properly!! I do not pronate or supinate, I am completely neutral, but I had started to pronate to offset the burning sensation which resulted in the injury. Randomly, while I was running without shoes on, my injury didn't hurt at all! At the beginning he thought I was putting my toes down first and then rolling back to my heel but I was only doing this because of the injury. He made me run for ten minutes on the treadmill and distracted me, and I instantly started running from heel to toe, like 75% of the population. Anyway, he suggested neutral trainers without extra outer/inner cushion. In terms of the soles, he said I didn't need additional cushion on the bottom but minimal cushion wouldn't be advisable for now. He said that I should come back in 6-12 months and if I haven't experienced any injuries (which I shouldn't), he could offer some slimline trainers of a similar style that may help increase my speed. I am not allowed to run in my current trainers anymore but I can use them for cycling or walking to the shops!

Good on you for sharing that . Sounds like a good experience in the running shop, good service and knowledgeable staff, which is why we like them .

This sounds really good, thanks for letting us all know

Yeah some great information there!

As good a reason as any to encourage people to visit a running shop. Their information and assistance is second to none if you get a good assistant. Here's to pain and problem-free running from now on!

Another point I forgot to mention was running socks - I bought relatively low-end running socks and I have not really had a problem with them, but I asked the shop assistant if the socks were a causative factor to my injury and toe nail trauma/blisters, and whether I should buy some new ones. Instead, of trying to sell me everything (as most shop assistants would) he told me not to get new ones at all. When they fit your trainers, it is important to wear the socks you run in as well, as mine have extra 'padding' in certain areas which can make the trainers tighter. Apparently, my trainers are too narrow (hence, above mentioned circulation issues), but they were also slightly too long, so my foot was slipping back and forth, and when running down hill, slipping to the very front of the trainer, which caused the toe nail trauma and probably the blisters too.

Information overload! In sum, make sure your trainers are not too narrow WITH your running socks on, and make sure they are not too long.

Ah great advice, I dind't know this

Great advice - thanks!

I didn't know this either!