I run every day, regardless of whether a race is on the horizon or not. That said - I don't recommend it for anyone who has not been running for at least a year, and preferably longer.
For most people, I recommend 3-5 days of running, with 1-2 days of cross-training, and a day of rest. For a novice runner, 3 days of running, and a day or two of cross, is more than sufficient.