Running Training Injury

Hi I have started training for a marathon and have gone a bit too hard in the first few weeks. I already played a lot of sports such as Squash, Football, Cycling, so didn't find it that hard to run 8 or 10 miles. I started with a training schedule but skipped ahead a few weeks to the part where I was doing the following

Mon: Rest
Tue: Rest
Wed: 4 Mile Run
Thur: x train or Farltek
Fri: 4 Mile Run
Sat: Rest
Sun: Long run

I did three weeks of this and ended with an 11 mile run where I felt intense pain behind my right knee. I laid off the running for a few days and the pain subsided. I tried another run (to keep fitness up) after that run the pain came back (this is around 1 week later). So I went to the Physio and he advised me that I had Ilotobial Band Friction Syndrome. I'm not so sure this is correct any more. It has now been three weeks since injury and the pain does not seem to be lateral it is more to the back of the knee. To pinpoint the pain it is at the point where the Bicep Fimoris Muscle meets the knee, also where the plantaris muscle is labelled below. It also hurts if I sit upright on a chair with my right leg on the floor, turn my foot outward as far as it will go, and try to pull my leg in towards the chair.

The only other way I could have injured this is from stretching too far in football, which I did do not long before running. I didnt feel any pain at the time but it could have been a small problem made worse.

I hope all that makes sense.
I am going back to see a Physio this week but I would just like some other opinions. My main question is that with the marathon being in September:

Should I just stop training completely and wait for it to heal? Or should I do some light training while it heals, i.e., 1-2 mile runs, Xtrain etc.?
How long do these type of injuries usually take to heal?
Would it be worth getting my stride analysed (running machine with camera)?
The marathon is on the 11th September, should I just give up? If I took 2-3 weeks out I would only have 9-8 weeks till the marathon.

Thanks for your help with this.

p.s. for reference I was using this picture to locate the injury. Pain is exactly where the plantaris muscle label is pointing.

http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb...4-EEC280DB.jpg

Darren

Update: just been to get my gait analysed at sweatshop. Oh my god the shoes I had were terrible, cheap asics. Looks like I'm an over-pronator even though I have high arches. This may have been the problem. I'd still be grateful for advice on recovery time and other questions though. Thanks.

" It also hurts if I sit upright on a chair with my right leg on the floor, turn my foot outward as far as it will go, and try to pull my leg in towards the chair."
This is a strong indicator that the pain's origin is within the Biceps Femoris muscle. It is possible that you have tendonopathy of this muscle due to 'stretch' and aggressive impact from running. To determine further issues, how is your range of motion with hamstrings? 2 tests are feet against wall, can you touch wall? Other test is, lying on back, leg up against wall, does your butt touch the wall? There is a possibility of ITband involvement, especially if there is tenderness or tightness across this tendon. Muscle balance may very well be an issue. the Plantaris is involved in your arch at your foot, it may very well be involved with problems with your arch. it may or may not be involved in biceps femoris tendonopathy.

yup, sounds like a popliteus/biceps fem tendonopathy. Rest ice, eccentric load and see a good manual therapist =)

EDIT - Also, take the running store jargon with a pinch of salt. They tell you all that stuff to sell you trainers. Theres zero evidence for posh running trainers actually doing anything, and according to them everybody overpronates :rolleyes: