Last year, I ran the 1600m in about 5:42. Last year I was in 7th grade. This year (8th grade), I have plans of qualifying for the Championship meet. I was close last year but there were just better runners out there. Another 8th grader who will run this year ran about 5:00 last year. Our season starts in March. I want to be able to run close to 5:00 like my teammate did last year. I think one of my problems is that throughout the race (especially in the second lap) I get a bit tired and slow down a bit. How do I drop my time? How do I build endurance? Is there a certain way I should breathe and move my arms and legs? What should my diet be like? Any and all advice is welcome and greatly appreciated.

Also, sorry all the other questions. I am just trying to get every advantage I can.