Thanks for all the info. After reading up on ITB I'm almost leaning that way. Mostly because the activity that caused it is almost perfectly described in the most common causes I looked at. I've been running long distances on mountain bike trails to train for Tough Mudder. So I've rested it for almost 2 weeks now and while I can still tell that it's not completely normal, I have done a lot of the suggested rehab exercises and I can go complete days without noticing any pain at all.

I think I'm going to take it out for a test run this next week. I did go buy a new pair of shoes that are NB and specifically made for trail running.

One question I have, I'm a little afraid to ask because I've HATED running until I started to run on trails. I'd honestly never run more than about 4 miles but when I started trail running I quickly ramped up to 9 miles and even 13 on occasion. I'm going to be really bummed if I have to cut back just to avoid aggravating my knee again.

I think I'm going to start wearing some knee support, which was recommended in an ITB article I read. And I'm hoping the new running shoes help as well. My old shoes were pretty worn and there was one worn spot on the back outside heal of the sole that would probably tend to exacerbate the issues related to trail running. Side slopes and lots of hills are the main causes cited so this worn spot would increase the angle my foot and leg would have to take to negotiate the inclines.

Again, thanks very much for the info and advice. I'll let you know how things go this week.

Herk

P.S. I can do all of the things in Neuropast's post with zero pain. It really only hurts me if I run long distances or if I sit with the leg in one position for a long time. But as soon as I manipulate it a bit, the pain goes away.