Yes, I know it's long, but please hear me out.
It seems as if I have the worst running talent/genetics on my team, but I can't understand why because both my parents are decent runners. I do so much more extra running than anyone else on my team but still getting beat by kids who do much less. What makes it even more frustrating is that I didn't seem to be this way when I started running freshman year. My first time ever running, freshman year cross country, I was injured for the majority of it so didn't really run much and hardly ever got in actual workouts. I finished the season with a 19min 5k. Nothing amazing, but it made me think I had decent potential since my training was very unstructured and inconsistent (running only about 10mi/week with no actual structured workouts). The following track season I still ran very low mileage and finished with 2:20 800m, 5:12 1600m, and 11:40 3200m. Again, not great, but it made me think I could be pretty good if I actually trained properly. I'm currently in my senior year of cross country. Current PR's are 4:48/10:30/16:30 for mile/2mile/5k. This previous summer, i tried to train as hard and smart as possible. I ran by heart rate on easy runs to make sure I was developing my aerobic system correctly, doing each workout at the correct paces, eating more healthy food (fruits/vegetables/fish), going to bed earlier, and stretching. I built up to 75-80mpw. The first six weeks were all easy low heart rate runs, no speed (except strides). After those six weeks I ran a 17:02 5k (45 second PR). I started adding in workouts after that (ex. 3x2mi @ 5:50 pace w/2:00 rest, 9mi cut-down going 8:00-7:30-7:20-6:10-6:05-6:05-5:45-5:45-5:40, and 3x1600 @ 5:15 w/3:00 rest). The 16:30 this season was on a flat, mostly-pavement course. I was first on my team until the fourth meet. I can't understand why. I do twice as much as anyone else on the team, running high mileage in the mornings and making sure to eat/recover/sleep right. I'm not overtrained, because I feel pretty good and fresh. The other kids did much less than me over the summer and still doing much less but are right behind me, if not beating me. This week, I cut-back mileage to see if it would make me faster, nope, ran 17:18 and was one of my harder feeling races and dropped to 3rd on the team. WHY AM I SO BAD! I run so much extra and do everything right but still get beat by those who screw around and train much less. It's like I'm the one on the team who improves the least. Start out first on the team, but get passed by more kids throughout the season. Is there a way to find out if I have bad genetics, and is there anything I can do about it.