A Hurt Knee

Today should be my first day of running for Week 3 of the "Couch to 5K" Running program. There is just one problem. I have hurt my knee. During Week 1, I felt pretty good after my first run. My second run, I noticed some pain in my left knee during the running portions. I endured and kept on going. On my third run, I felt extreme pain in my left knee but I was not going to fail at the whole running thing so I kept on even in pain. It only hurt when I would run, but then during my couple of days of rest before starting Week 2, it started hurting more and more. At first I thought it was my knee cap and it kind of felt like I needed to pop my knee. But then it soon became not really my knee cap but the bone on the inner side of my knee (above my shin). Walking became painful and going up and down stairs just about kills me. I have been on the verge of going to the doctor a couple of times, and yesterday when I was squatting down to pick up a toy and I fell forward on my knee I let out quite a scream. It now kind of feels like I have a bruise under my bone if that makes sense at all. I am hoping that if I just give my knee a rest for a while it will get better. If it doesn't I guess I will have to give in and have a doctor take a look at it. I do need my knees after all. So despite all my good intentions, the running will have to wait just a little while longer. So for now, I am back on the couch, but hopefully not for good.