Here's an interesting way to train (primitive though, but it worked).
I was in 7th grade(am a college frosh now) and I decided to become a runner. My mile PR from 6th grade(untrained) was 5:40, in the spring during gym class. Sometime starting in late january of 7th grade, I ran one mile a day, pretty much as fast as I could( not on a track, but around the block). Every other day I ran a hard mile once I got home from school, than another hard mile in the evening. Mind you, this was about 95-99% every time. I did this for about 3 months taking a day off once a week. And yes, I had no idea what to do for training. This is what I thought you had to do to run a good mile. Also, I ran in racing flats.
Track season started up in mid-april, and of course, training was cake for middle school practices...the "monster run" of 2 miles, or a mile easy, or 8 x 100m sprints, etc. My first 1600 I ran a 5:24(very windy, no warm-up, etc). Than a week later, under great conditions, I ran 5:05. A few days later, again the same time, 5:05. Next meet, 2:20 for the 800. Then finally, I get some competition(2nd place was 5:00), and a NICE all weather track/rubberized for the first time, and I run 4:54.
Now, I never did intervals, but no long steady runs...just a mile a day at 95-99% effort. Has anyone ever done anythiing like this?