well I go through phases of experimentation.
when I was 24 I had been experimenting with taking a day off per week and found it worked wonders....so I eventually starting taking 3 days off per week and got even faster...I started writing a book this summer as I truly wonder what lead to it working so well....I came up with three things
1) running fresh allowed me to do high high quality
2) I did long slow 14 milers which I had never done before (that slow)
3) I learned to tempo properly by feel
I had some success with similar training next fews years but never at that same level probably because I never went back to the slow runs.
so after turning 40, and learning a lot on the internet I tried the slow stuff again
it worked
3 summers ago I ran 20 weeks ave 130+ or so hitting a high of 200 (which was too much - almost injuried me) but it worked....I could run with my college guys for mile reps and I would end up doing 9 total and even cut the rest once they stopped. I never felt so strong. each of the next 2 summer I had Achilles pains which stopped me from going much over 100 during the summers. but this summer I don't. so I went for it- I actually planned on doing more, but once I hit that 212 week on 3 runs per day, I was toast. it took a month before I got mentally and physically back down to 100ish with 1 day per week off now and a few days where I don't double...starting to feel fast again - I do plan to transition to faster tempos now....and yes I hope it pays off cause that was a lot of work. If it doesn't then I know too much of good thing isn't a good thing...it is possible just like when I dropped my mileage years ago - it worked for a while but balance is the key.
I raced 2 days ago - nothing special...certainly not where I hope to be in a few month but I liked my effort and it was a little humid. 8k -27:13. I really think I can break 26:00...but that is a little way down the road.
to the dude who doesn't buy that I can do this kind of work. I don't know what to tell you - you can come run with me if you want face-to-face proof. You can ask my college runners since they were there through some of it (contact Friends University distance runners over the past 4 years) I did many hard workout days with them.
why do I think I am able to do training like a 20 year old
1) i eat real food
2) i sleep at least 9 hours a day
3) i never stopped running after college
4) rarely get inured (so i have never gained weight, etc)
5) i don't follow the common advise in American society
like pills - i never take Ibuprophen or even asiprin
6) i go by feel not formula in how i train and live (there is so much false info out there on everything that i just don't follow
7) i do listen to the young guys and experts
for example - i roll religiously now
8) i probably warm up differently than anyone i know...i could never get my own runners to do what i do (i warm up with weights - light weight not heavy)
9) but i have one Achilles heel - i stop eating breakfeast years ago when i became a 2nd shift worker and overtime i found i can';t get up and feel good in the am (so i don't race a lot - mostly stick to college meets because they are later in the day) occasionaly i will do am runs but they absolutely suck...even when i coached if we did an am tempo it took me a while to get going, but move that to the afternoon or evening and i am a totatlly different runner.