could improving technique help?

I have been trying to improve my running for over a year now! I have made definate improvements - I can now run for about 30mins whereas when I started I struggled after about a minute! I use a mixture of treadmill and outdoor running and run 2 to 3 times a week (doing other things at the gym, weights, circuits etc) a further couple of times a week.

Anyway, getter to the point, I am quite frustrated with my lack of porogress compared with the amount of effort I have put in.

I was wondering if improving my technique could help. I seem to run quite flat footed ( I think) and am quite heavy footed. could this be hindering me? Advice anyone????

Gym bunny, are you not doing a coaching course? Could one of your trainers help you?

Depends entirely on the results after your thirty minutes. Do you give up because you are out of breath (slow your pace down), physically can't run any more (build stamina up), limbs tired (perhaps doing too much), yada, yada,yada...

May I be so bold as to jump on Gym-Bunny's band wagon, as I am in a similar situation. I started running in April, can now run 25 minutes or so. A normal session for me would be run for 15, walk three and repeat 3 more times, I can achieve this comfortably. That is assuming I run of an evening. If I try a morning run I barely get through the first 15 without collapsing into a bush, and I just can't get going again... why??

Also having read an article in this months RW I'm now very worried about an intermitent 'stirring the pot' motion that flits in and out on my left hand... is this something to faze out? Why is it bad...

Sorry to gatecrash G-B, hope you don't mind. Did you mean progress in the amount of non-stop running you can do or in other areas, like weight loss?

Thanks for any help or advice,
FB x

Oh! And regards the heavy-flat footed bit I'm the same, my gyms running coach said I should try and land heel first and roll through to push off the fore-foot... I can't do it... but it might help you?

I think (and am not an expert) that you should get off the treadmill and get on the road. I found that increasing my running time by about five minutes each week worked for me - very slowly I worked from running for 30 mins (having worked up from 30 seconds over many weeks)and can now run for several hours, but not fast. Am also heavy footed, but its just a case of building up the stamina and keep on going. God luck