Hi there.....
I'm Jon, this year 31 yrs old liao. Jus did my IPPT and got a gold (cos of the $400...must 'pia'). My 2.4 timing was 9.53min. Old liao, used to be 9 flat during NSF ... hehe.
To me , I think 2.4 is about stamina(endurance) & mental. U need to train or run regularly. At least 3x per wk. It's not those v...e....r....y slow run. Try to run faster than slow jog. Let yur heart get use to that kinda of pace. Breathe in and out smoothly and slowly.... CONSTANT. Head up , body straight, swing yur arms ( to help u get the forward momentum ) . Dun let yur body slag. You can see from Micheal Johnson.
You need to run , run , run and run . Train regularly. Cross train your body. Swimming helps to expand yur lung well, to me lah. So to help you take in more oxygen.
Your mind will be able to come into play when u have the right stamina. Yur mind will push your body to the extreme....posture, breathing, look far ahead, have the correct mind set (SURE I CAN DO IT & NEVER SAY DIE). This is wat i call mental . Without stamina, it's a bull shit to hav yur mind work well.
It may not work well to some. Just share my work out with u guys...hehe
Thanks & REgards,
Jonathan.