How important are rest days?

I'm just wondering because I was doing walk/cycle 3 days a week and elliptical 3 days a week. Then I started c25k and now that I'm in week 4, I've been sore so I took rest days on the other days. I feel good when I run but like right now my inner thigh muscles are sore.

the diet and exercise mind from all those years is telling me I need to work out 6 days a week, the training for a 5k mind is telling me to take the rest days.

So do I rest when needed or put the pedal to the medal?

Thanks.

You should take 1-2 rest days a week IMHO...

How interesting you should ask this the day after I read this:

http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/How_to_Avoid_Overtraining.htm?cmp=1747

Great information! This will help alleviate the guilt on the occasions I rest. thanks.

 for me, I need at least 2 rest, mostly 3 rest days a week.  If I don't get them, I have found my performance starts stinking, not to mention I am ornery as heck.  That said, I also have a real problem throttling back my workouts, I just wanna go as fast and hard as I can all the time.   I'm 40 years old, and was inactive for a good 15 years before losing my weight, so maybe in some time I can get to where I can workout 5-6 days a week regularly, but for now I stick 4 days a week.  

Variety is probably more important than rest.  Working on core during the off running days can definitely help with the soreness.  You might want to work on machines on your non-running days or take a body pump class. 

Rest is all in the mind of the beholder.  For some, taking a walk or a 10-mile bike ride would be considered a rest day.  For me, I do a one-hour spin class on my rest days.  For Dan, a rest day would probably be running a marathon. 

I exercise so I can eat, so if I don't exercise I would have to cut back on a lot of good food.
Rob