This is all hypothetical, but I'd like to hear different people's opinion on how they would train to break 9 in high school. Let's say you've just finished your junior track season with 9:20. After building your mileage up to 65 mpw during base phase, (and doing all the necessary speed and lactate threshold workouts), what's your game plan if you want to break 9 during senior track season?
Do you ramp up the mileage to 70-80 mpw and just hope your body responds to the training ideally? Do you put more focus on speedwork? After getting so far, is breaking this barrier just a matter of talent and hope?
For context, I managed to get 10:3x off pretty low (and speed based) mileage during track as a freshman, so I have a lot of room for improvement. But I realize sub 9 is a lofty (and most likely unrealistic) goal for high school. And I also realize it depends on a variety of factors and the individual athlete as everyone responds differently, which is why I want you guys to speak based on your own experience.