As a high school sophomore, my 1600 personal record was 4:51. I was not satisfied with this time since I knew I'd have to bring my time down drastically to qualify for stated. By committing myself and really working hard, I brought my mile time down to 4:32 in just one year. Here are some what I followed to get in proper shape:

--Peak your mileage at 45 miles per week. Don't increase your current mileage by more than 15% per week unless you want to injure yourself.

--Don't run mileage faster than 7:00 per mile pace. This is one misstake I constantly made when training. I paid for it dearly when it came to big races. My legs were always too fatigued to perform well. The idea is to get in shape, but make sure not to tire yourself out. Spend your energy when it counts  most.

--Find someone to run with. I strongly recommend you have a running partner or group. This will motivate you to run faster. Make sure you don't work yourself too hard though. Having a partner will also give you someone to talk to and compete with. Running has a tendency to get boring for some people, but a partner will help keep running interesting and keep you motivated. When looking for a partner, try to get someone who is reliable, motivated, and close to your running level. Ideally, your partner can run with you almost every day and wants to improve like you.

--Don't run seven days a week. Having one rest day a week is crucial to late-season success. It's important to keep your legs as fresh as possible. This provides the same basic benefits that the 7:00 mile pace provides. If you have a coach that is strict on forcing you to run every day, then make sure one day a week is very easy, whether you run extra slow that day or you run very short mileage. Either way, your body needs a break.

--Improve your flexibility. Every few times you stretch, hold your stretch for a longer period of time. Once you are used to that, you can aim to reach farther with every stretch. This will gradually get you more flexible throughout your training.

--Increase your speed. In order to retain and improve your speed despite participating in mostly long-distance workouts, make sure to have at least one day of speed workouts. A speed workout should consist of any combination of 100, 200 and 400 meter dashes. To get the most out of the workout, it's best to keep splits consistent. Also, try to shorten te breaks between every sprint. In addition to speed workouts, you should do a few 50-100 meter sprints before every workout.

Here's one speed workout that was especially beneficial to me:

1. 1-mile warmup jog
2. Stretch
3. Three 400m sprints each below 63 seconds (1:00 rest between each)
4. Three 400m sprints below 60 seconds (0:45 rest)
5. Three 400m sprints below 60 seconds (0:30 rest)
6. 1-mile cooldown jog

Of course, depending on your current level, you can alter this workout to slower times and/or more rest. If you need to change the workout, I recommend slowly making this workout a bit harder evertime you do it.

I also used isometric training to increase my speed. I carefully followed the instructions from the book, The RUN FASTER Speed Training Program. I saw and felt the results from this training regime almost instantaneously.  Although I got this book 4 or 5 years ago, I still take it out every morning because I'm a firm believer in what it has to offer.

If you want any more information about this training plan, feel free to comment and I will get back to you shortly. Although I am not a cross counrty or track coach, I have a lot of knowledge and experience to shed light on any question you might have.