JR... You my friend are wrong. American sprinters and middle distance runners are as fast as their Kenyan counterparts (or faster) but American distance runners are significantly slower.
I am not saying to forget about mileage. I am saying that American's shouldn't do the all or nothing approach. Our system is a pendulum. Swing way far to one side and only focus on speed (1990s) then swing way far to the other side and only focus on mileage (now). It has to stop somewhere in the middle. You need to have a balanced program where you focus on agility, power, strength, aerobic threshold, distance runs, etc.
Our 5k/10k guys should be running 80-100 miles a week with "workouts" 4-5 times a week. We may do the 80-100 (or more), but I would guess NEXT to none do "workouts" that frequently. How many guys do you think do all out 100s or even 50s and drills on a Monday morning, a tempo on a tuesday afternoon, a V02 Max session on Thur, hills and a long hard run on Sat and Sun? Very few. You may see the tempo and a V02Max workout, but not all of that, week in and week out (with morning runs, core, plyometrics thrown in there as well).
Marathon training in 2009 is not that much different. Just longer long runs, more mileage, and more MP and 1/2 MP work.
The speed comment was in regards to our 5k and 10k guys. Who are our top 10k guys? Rupp, Abdi, a healthy Meb, Ed Moran, Torres, Bauhs, Fasil? You're going to tell me these guys are as fast as their Kenyan 10k counterparts? That's ludicrous.
Goucher and Teg, when in 13:10 and 13:04 shape were also in 3:33-36 shape. They were doing the right mix of speed and strength and V02Max and Mileage to be as fast as their Kenyan friends. They had the speed angle that most American distance runners miss out on, and needed to continue to build their threshold capacity over a few healthy years to get down to 12:50-13:00 (while retaining the speed). Teg could still do it.
Outside of those 2 and Webb, I haven't seen any distance runner with the wheels to compete with the Africans. Not because they can't, but because they don't work at it. You gotta have the basic raw speed AND the mileage/V02Max/Threshold to compete... and that extends to the marathon.
Our marathoners are worse then our 10k guys with respect to working on speed.
The trick? Having the confidence you won't break down and literally doing nothing in between workouts other than resting. For years. 120 miles a week with anaerobic work and aerobic work is a recipe for disaster if you don't get the proper 12hours of rest a day. You tell me which of our marathoners rest that much every day? And if you can find one, I hope they're not trying to get thee mileage to 140, but instead are hanging around 120 and working on being a complete athlete.