Baby step forward, giant step back

Yesterday was the first day of the rest of my etc. etc. and as the weather had cleared for a day, Pam and I went for our regularly scheduled run. We figured we'd do our usual short short route since, well, that's what we normally do. So we ran along, feeling pretty ok, and had a good 2.8 mile run. Unfortunately our route is 3.2 miles. All of a sudden I took a step and felt my knee do -- something -- and since it hurt a lot we had to walk the rest of the way. Walking felt ok and after a bit I tried to run, twice, but that was out of the question.

Last night I iced and advil'd and iced some more and went to bed visualizing a perfect, healthy knee. Power of the mind, y'know? Didn't work. My knee is still sore today, worse than it's been this whole time. It isn't swollen in the least but it hurts. Not big, shouting, screaming pain; little aching, pulling, tightness, sore, overall and hard-t0-describe pain.

I'm not going to the doctor since I know what I'll be told: don't run. Stay off it. Ice and ibuprofen. So I'm saving myself time and money and self-diagnosing it as "knee problem" (hey, I'm not a doctor!) and will follow the imaginary restrictions. Buh-bye long runs. Buh-bye short runs, for that matter. Give it a week and see how it is. [Insert long string of obscenities here since I have a bad feeling it may be longer than that week.]

In the good news department, I got my finisher's cap from Rocket City Marathon! I'm very impressed and I love it. Now I just have to be able to run in it ...