Obey My Coach wrote:
I am a freshman HS runner and my season is over. I like my coach alot, but I also want to get good. We only ran about 15 miles a week, with hard intervals two times a week. I know I could do more easily, and I've read about how running more can help. Plus all the the fast guys on other teams are running more. I asked him about it, but he said that what we need is more "quality quality quality" and about how he knows what he's doing lol. Do I keep doing what he wants and trust that he's right, or do run a little on the side?
Any good runner will tell you that you need to raise that mileage to a respectable level. The problem for some high school runners is that they get injured every time their mileage gets up around 50/week. For some, this is because they raised their mileage too quickly, while for others there can be biomechanical problems that don't show up until the workload reaches a certain point. Try to raise your mileage to at least 50/week during your base phase, but don't totally neglect some quality training,even during base. High school track seasons are too short to just jump into "quality, quality, quality" after doing nothing but LSD for three months. I know this from personal experience. I was one of those young runners with a great kick, which benefitted from speed training, but without a higher mileage base I simply didn't have great strength, at least until I began running hills during the off-season. I hope this helps.
Now, I want to point you to a piece by one of my own running idols, Ed Eyestone. He talks about what KIND of quality training runners should do, depending on their individual strengths. Unless your coach is too cocky and unwilling to listen to anyone with more experience, you might share this article with him. Tactfully, of course. Great advice from a guy who was one of America's best:
http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/know-thyself