As I came around the block toward my house after my run yesterday, I felt a familiar pain on outside of my left knee. When I was getting ready for my first pool-swim triathlon (the only kind of triathlon I've ever done), I had that same pain, but it was in my right knee then. It's called iliotibial band syndrome, or ITBS, and it can get pretty uncomfortable. I did the entire run of my first little triathlon (a 5k) with my iliotibial band stinging away.

I think the reason I get it is likely because of the curved shoulders of the roads I'm forced to run on. I tend to have one leg stepping lower than the other, which is a recipe for ITBS. Oddly enough, the first time I had it was in my right knee. Now I have it in my left.

So what do I do from here? I don't really know. I'll probably stretch it out, run on grass, do some hip-strengthening exercises, and hope for the best.

To add to that, however, I have just a few more rules for myself:

• Never run dehydrated—it's a recipe for injury. Make sure you're peeing white before you go out.

• Never kick yourself when you're down. It's okay to do two runs back to back if they're both EASY runs, but it's not okay to do a hard-easy. It's compulsive, and it's another ingredient on that recipe for injury.