Training Update

This past Saturday morning was our 10 mile day. I am now officially a member of the 10 Mile High Club (I've even got the t-shirt to prove it!). However, it was probably the hardest run of our program so far. I had been having a niggly little problem with my right knee. I was trying to run through it because it wasn't swelling or anything and it honestly felt like a kink that needed to be worked out. By the time we had finished about mile 2 I was in some serious discomfort. My running partner, Autumn, was having some difficulty as well. So we decided to stretch and work in some walking breaks. Eventually the walking breaks got longer and longer and the running stopped. We were both a little frustrated and a bit concerned. The further I went the farther the pain in my leg traveled. It started just below the knee cap and then spread down to the ankle; eventually it traveled up my thigh to the hip. Fun! So at our 10 mile high party, in between slices of pizza, we talked with one of the coaches about our difficulties and he decided that we most likely had a problem with our ilio-tibidal bands. It's a tendon that runs from the hip to the ankle and it can get really tight (and I mean tight! I couldn't straighten my leg after the run was finally over... talk about a weird feeling). So it's been lots of RICE - rest, ice, compression, and elevation. I am happy to report that I went for a 4 miler tonight and I was easily able to run half with only the slightest twinge in my knee. I'd call that progress. Is anyone out there a runner? Ever had a similar problem? Any recovery/prevention advice?