You're very welcome, Dunes Runner. I am not surprised that Newton wrote. He's amazing. Every year he has an alumni meet on Labor Day weekend with the first team race (you see, at York, you are not ever allowed to miss practice, so families need to get used to giving up vacations or risk leaving kids home). And always a ton of alumni come, and they are from the 1960s to the present. And for each one, Newton introduces them and can tell you how they did, what their nickname was (everyone on the team gets a nickname, and unfortunately for my kids they were Twin 1 and Twin 2- but hey, the other twins back then were Sick and Hurt, and the Dettman twins now are called Twin 1a and Twin 2a), and also what they are doing now. Off the top of his head. Newton does this again at the awards banquet at season end- he calls each kid up one by one, and tells you how he did, where he started and how much he improved, and for each kid, all 125, he has something good to say. Again, off the top of his head. The man cannot use a computer- he needs a manager just to keep track of his car keys.
Slo Dog- I don't know the answer. I think my kids did well because they built such a base. They are small kids, about 5'8" each and around 118-120 pounds. For them, I think their miles helped them with their distance times. But I do know that in IL other good runners did not have anywhere near that base. And of course, it is not just long miles, but repeats, fartleks, ladders, 10x100, and the famous 25 quarters with one minute repeats coupled with a 3 mile warm up and a 3 mile cool down each Monday during season....
In summer, the team would run mornings as a team, and might do up to maybe 12-14 miles; in the afternoon, runners would go out on their own for a long slow jog of maybe 5 miles or so. Saturdays would include hill workouts at Newton Park (no relation) in Glen Ellyn.
In any event, Newton was such an influence on my kids that both, having just graduated college and now finishing up their student teaching, are planning on being high school teachers and track and xc coaches. (Anyone know of any openings, hint hint?) They probably know as much about training as the average coach anyway... :-). And they love running, still.