Good training practices
To be a good athlete you must have good training practices. Training practices are more than just what you do on the track; they involve how you live your day to day life.
Coaching - Seeking out someone with more experience then you is always a good idea. There is no sense re-inventing the wheel when someone has already tested several methods and can save you a lot of time leading to greater effiency in your training.
Be Open - A huge part to becoming an experienced athlete is to keep your mind open, both to new ideas and to feedback. Request feedback. Recognize that you don