Stop looking for the magic training and get serious and committed to a long range program of years of hard work forward.You either have the genetics or you don't.It is your choice what fork in the road you want to take and have the courage to spend the time to let the body absorb the process over the next ten years.Unless your willing to focus on this kind of direction then maybe you should just enjoy the recreational sport and health benefits and local competition.
Coach
Yep. The reason for a lot of the top level success is quite scientific. Not magic.
Sorry but number one is hard work and finding out what part of training the athlete does not like to do and then giving them the science why it is necessary.I have a kenyan client 7 weeks out from NYC marathon that improved his 37k long run at 7500ft by 4 min 30 sec.By adding a lot more shorter speed work which he hated and did not do...The true science is getting into the head of the athlete and his commitment to bring every thing out and get a commitment and not looking back.
Coach