I've got meds! Went to the doctor today since I deemed acute pain while walking an abnormal phenomenon. Dr. Craviotto (who was very nice and helpful) told me that it was pretty much a textbook case of *insert medical name here* that runners get a lot. There's a tendon that runs from your upper leg (femur) over the outside of your knees and connects right below the patella/knee area (to either the fibula or tibia I'm assuming). Thing is, there's a prominent bone structure a bit before the lower attachment point and when the tendon gets inflamed, it scrapes over this bone structure every time your leg bends past a certain point.

Solution? Ice it 2-3 times a day, slap an ace bandage on it for mild compression, and take Naproxen (a prescription strength anti-inflammatory drug). Worst of all though, *no running*. Doctor says it'll heal within a week. Crap. I may have to forget the 18 mile intermediary step and just slowly ramp up to 20 and leave myself 2 weeks of rest before the marathon. Very nervous about this whole ordeal. I don't want to destroy my legs but I also refuse to give up the marathon.