Joker, do you have access to a track? The reason I ask is a track can help a lot with working up to a good 1.5 mile or 2 mile run. One technique often used to improve speed and endurance is interval training. On a track an easy example would be to jog/walk the straightaways and sprint the curves. Doing this for 1.5 miles will not only give you one hell of a workout but will get you faster and give you more endurance. Another option (if the track is a no go) is to jog/walk for a certain time, say 2 minutes, sprint for 1 minute and alternate for your 1.5 to 2 miles. This type of training knocked off about 3 minutes from my 1.5 mile run in about 4 weeks. Just an idea.
