I have been running for about 4 years now. In that time I have had my ups and downs. I spent over 6 months of my 2nd year injured, due to overtraining. However this taught me a valuable lesson and I learnt that with good planning and by taking notice of your runners log, you can avoid many of the common injuries. (I will now probably get injured)

I have used running programs from various sources, or create my own, over this period, and find that I can now create my own to suit both my lifestyle and my race schedule. My current one (above) fits me very well, and I think that since I started to use it I have improved my fitness, strength and speed.

My current training plan is a 6 months plan. In this time I have a very diverse range of runs to contend with such as speed, distance, hills, Fartlek etc. This diversity has meant that running is always interesting and varied. It also means I can plan the number of rest days I need and when I need them. I also have learnt that if you don't feel like doing a particular run then don't.

So why don't you try a program or two (see the links on the top right. You will need figure out your goals and your time scale and then pick a running program to help you archive them. however remember to all listen to your body, if your too tired or you have a niggle then take a rest. At the end of the day its only a guide to your training.