SB - One of these days, we have to meet up for a race! Preferably something 5K or less ... ;-)
Anything over that, I'll almost willing to concede up front - the same way I concede anything under 3000 meters to TY!
Seriously, you hit the nail on the head: technique drills, short hill reps, long hill reps. I do 'em all for the express purpose of maintaining my stride (which translates to middle-distance speed).
What I don't do is try to run "fast" in training (e.g.--fast 200s, time trials, etc.), because those just seem to take money out of the bank these days.
But if my stride is strong. And if my legs feel loose and rested. Then I can take my endurance (gleaned from many miles of easy running and various interval/fartlek/etc. sessions), combine it with good stride length and turnover, and translate all of it into a fast race.
As to the other topic that's taken over this thread ... Um, why on earth are people visiting a running website in order to judge others based upon how much they do or don't run? And not just "others," but complete strangers? C'mon, folks, all we know about one another is that we love to run. It's a passion and a hobby. Like American Idol and watching college basketball are to some people. Or baking. Or knitting. Or sex. Or beer.
And if you honestly think you can accurately judge an entire human being based upon nothing more than their mileage - if in your mind you believe you can extrapolate that to their value as a parent, spouse, employee, and fellow human being - then you are seriously over-estimating your paranormal ability.
Okay, time to get my name off the front page. Let's let this thread die and get back to the important stuff ... you know, like denying climate change or guessing some 14-year-old's potential for 5K. Later.