Here's a Tom Fleming post from that 2005 thread:
"I was lucky to find out that I improved on distance/endurance based mileage early in my running career... FLD (fast long distance not LSD) I starting running at age 17 (Sr year in HS) and was up to 80 mpw by age 19 and 100+ mpw by age 20. The minute I went HIGH mileage ALL my times dropped real quickly (from the mile to marathon) ... I was so strong and I didn't lose "speed" at all!
I have one of the oldest (if NOT the oldest .. American Records in the books) 1970 Junior 30k 1:40, with a 15 mile training run the day before .. no taper in those days!
"Starting running marathons at age 17 (2:31) and after four hard years of training ran second at the '73 BAA in 2:17, ... by 23-24 yo ran 2:12 .... all very hard work and I dedicated myself to NYC, BAA and Fukuoka marathons ..all the other races were run as "my job" to earn money to live!
It was a nice life .. but NOT easy at all!"
TF
These achievements speak for themselves.