Xeney, these are Shimano SPD not Ritcheys? The cleats for the 2 look very similar but are not truly compatible. You might check this. Also, there is a spray pedal lube (was made by Schwinn) which might help. We used it with Ritchey pedals until we changed to Eggbeaters - really helped.

If you decide to go the Look route and don't have any for a test drive, I have a very old pair, nicely broken in, that you could borrow with some cleats. While they are old and heavy, the same mechanism is used so you'd get the feel of them. Let me know and I'll help you set them up using a trainer. I commute to RC 4 days a week so it'd be easy to help you.

I'll think on this some more. It'd be interesting to see how you're trying to do it.