Hi Everyone!

I'm kind of at a loss here...I've been training for my first marathon and now i've run into some trouble.

Everything had been going pretty well - three weeks ago this Saturday I did my first ever 20 mile run. The next week was a cutback week, so 12, and then last weekend I was supposed to do an 18 mile tune up race but only managed 11 miles, due to soreness in my quads.

The soreness started after my 20 miler but i just chalked it up to normal aches and pains. Little did I know in my inexperience. Now I can barely walk, let alone run. I took four days off after my failed 18 miler and tried to go out last night - but I ran 1.2 miles and the pain came back, so I stopped.

It's a very odd pain, mostly in my quads, but sometimes as low as my knees or very high up on my thigh. Never on the outside of the leg so I don't think it's the IT band. Interestingly, the pain is much worse when I am not running (ie walking).

I am trying the RICE method...but at 4 weeks out from the marathon I don't know what to do! I was going to do a long run of 15-18 this weekend and then hopefully a 20-22 miler next weekend before I taper, but now I fear my plans for the marathon are shot....and I'm really disappointed....I'm not going to try running again til next week.

Is there anything else I can do to speed recovery? Is my marathon out the window?

Any advice would really be appreciated! I cross-posted this in the med tent too.