I have iliotibial band syndrome! (I get a kick out of diagnosing myself.) I've got the symptoms (pain on the outside of my right knee after increasing my mileage) and several of the quirky 'mechanical conditions' that can contribute to this problem: wide hips, feet that tend to roll in, a loose knee cap, knees that tend toward each other. And I'm pretty sure one of my legs is shorter than the other. I noticed this for the first time in boxing the other day when I squatted in front of the mirror and one of my knees was a little higher than the other. Weird. Hmmmm....maybe I'm pointing out too many of my faults. Anyway, stupid knee!!! Now I'm having to cut back my mileage. It's making me antsy. I'd gotten used to running a lot, and now my body doesn't know what to do with the extra energy I'm not using up. Maybe I oughta learn to swim better. But I think another week of taking it easy, and the knee will be good enough.

Meanwhile, I've been thinking of making some tapes to listen to while I run. Any requests? I know U2 War is always good. So is most Pearl Jam or Creed. That Third Eye Blind album with the red cover is another good one. Depending on my mood, I also like running to Carmina Burana. It's kind of relentless. I've got another long play list for easier runs when I'm feeling kind of mellow. But I'm needing some new tunes. The suggestion box is open....

Jen