Want to self-coach but struggling with information overload

Since you are beginning this process in the summer, read "Summer of Malmo". It works, it has been proven, and it's simple to understand and manage on your own. I could give you the rationale for why it is a good approach/why it works, but I think it would just confuse matters.

Read bill rodgers and frank shorter book.

I think the best is to keep a very simple year round shedule. Where you don't have to think to much. The shedule stays the same but your workouts get more race specific/ harder the closer you get to the race.

Step 1: How many times per week can you run for 3 months without losing your job ?

Example

Mo-Fr: twice a day 45min + 30 min (before and after work)

Sa: Long run or race

Su: off

Step 2: how many hard days you can take (speed, strenght) per week without overtraining

3 workouts

Tu: speed

Th & sa: strenght

Make a general shedule:

Mo easy double

Tu track / hill session + easy run

We easy double

Th tempo + easy run

Fr easy double

Sa race or long run with tempo work

Su rest

Start of season workouts:

Tu Hill reps

Th 15 min tempo

Sa 60 easy + 20 min steady

Progression to

Tu 12x400m

Th 6x 1mile tempo

Sa 60 easy + 40 Steady

Brad hudson book has good workout progressions

I was in your shoes 10+ years ago. Read Marius Bakken's website, then read the Norwegian training thread. Basic takeaway should be lactate threshold training is great, and a bigger takeaway is the optimal methods on improving it. Optional is read Jack Daniels and Lydiard for some more training background, or comb Canova's posts here. Summer of Malmo is a good thread too; it's along the lines of Lydiard, basic increases in mileage improve your fitness.

You can get confused in the macrocycle/microcycle stuff with the more formal literature. I'd suggest finding a manageable mpw and replicating workouts or training plans from the Norwegian training thread if you don't want to do too much thinking.

A good college goal is being able to run your HS 2 mile pace for 5k, and HS 5k pace for 8k by your junior year. Typically a sub-10 min 2 miler will end up running mid to high 15 5ks and a sub-9 2-miler will run low 14s or high 13 5ks. Run any faster and you are doing great.

Lastly I'd highly recommend joining a running club, since these are lower commitment than a school team and help fill in the general mileage. Maybe you will find training partners there as well.

Might as well extend it into “year of malmo”

Just to add something that really helped me: Simpler is almost always better

What about running club of your college? I think they can allow all the flexibility you may ever want and still give some structure and some other guys to run with, which may help.