Training Again (the Correct Way)

I have not written that often on here about my knee problems, but I stopped running in April due to some pain I had in my knee. I asked my brother to look at it and he said that I over trained it. I was not sure exactly what he meant until I looked back at all the races that I had ran so close together.

February 2011- RnR Mardi Gras Half Marathon- 13.1 Mi.

Beginning of March 2011- Gusher Half Marathon- 13.1 Mi. 

End of March 2011- RnR Dallas Half Marathon- 13.1 Mi. 

Beginning of April 2011- Rodney Horne Memorial 5K- 3.1 Mi. 

End of April 2011- WWIII.5 Mud Run- 3.5 Mi. 

Not counting the training that I was putting into these races, between February and the end of April I ran a total of 45.5 Miles. That is a lot of miles in just a 3 month time period to put on your knees and legs. I am extremely lucky that I did not cause anything more series in my knees. Plus I was running on unstable roads that have no shoulders and were full of pot holes everywhere. 

I bought a knee strap to wear to put pressure on the inside of my knee since my brother told me I would just need to take it easy. I started swimming and biking more than running and that has helped quite a bit. While I am still going to continue to bike and swim constantly I am going to get back into running. However, I am going to get back into it very slowly. 

I came up with a plan on Runners World that will help me train for a race I would like to run in July and then also in November. This is what the first couple of weeks look like, however I am not going to follow these exactly. If my knee starts bothering me, then I am going to stop and walk.

Training for my next 5K/4 Miler/10K

WWIII.5 Mud Run May 2011

4th of July 4 Miler 2009 (I think)

The race in July that I want to run is the first race I EVER ran. It is a 4 miler on July 4th and every time I think about it I have great/interesting memories. More about that later when I actually get to where I can run the race. The next race is the 2nd Annual WWIII.5 Mud Run. You may remember me talking about the race in my other post You're Alive...Now Survive. They received such great reviews about the race, that they are hosting another one in November!
I want to be strong enough for this race that I can run the entire thing as well as do all the obstacles without any trouble. That is going to take a lot of strength exercise for my arms and legs as well as a good running routine. I am up for it...I think!
Question: What is your next race coming up?
For me, it is the 4th of July 4 Miler.