Sad News :(

Lately, during my runs I have felt fine. It's afterward that is the problem. My left knee stiffens up and sometimes it hurts. Today was the first day that I was able to pinpoint the location of the pain--it was on the back of my knee, toward the outside of the leg.  I did a little butt kick when it started to stiffen up today, and I felt a sharp pain, and I felt a muscle or something pop over the back of my knee. That doesn't sound like runners knee to me, so I spent some quality time with google and I have decided that I pulled my hamstring. Not badly, because it doesn't hurt all the time--only in the few hours following a run (no matter how easy). So, here is what I'm going to do. I'm going to not run for an entire week, if I can manage. It's going to be awful. I'm going to be bouncing off the walls. I'm going to hate it. But, the alternative is not great either.

Semitendinosus tendon--that's where it hurts!

Given that I've been running on it regularly for about a week and a half, I think that it probably is not a very serious injury, just a little strain/sprain--whatever the medically correct terminology is. I think a week should do it. But really, I know nothing. This is a self diagnosis.

I don't think I hurt it while running. I think I did it while hiking up Blood Mountain on our backpacking trip-- as Rob pointed out, it was immediately after that trip that I started having this pain.

This weekend, as mentioned before, I will be visiting my friend, Laura, in Chicago, so it will probably be easier for me to miss my Saturday long run. I'll do an easy 3-4 miles on Wednesday and Thursday of next week and then a 7 mile run in wonderfully flat Florida next weekend. Keep your fingers crossed for me!