persistent knee pain stopped me cold

Question
During a run of 3mi in ~30min i developed left knee pain after 2mi. I finished 3mi, walked another .25mi. An hour after stopping, i was unable to walk, and four days later i must walk with a cane. I have full painless motion of the knee joint(knee motion front to back, or twisting, when knee is held in the air), but i cannot put normal weight(150lb) on the left leg due to intense knee pain. Technically this might not be knee pain, but just below. I can put ~50% weight on the leg without discomfort, and must be careful not to twist that weight under foot. The pain is focused on the inside of the knee about an inch below the patella and one-two inch toward the inside. I walk extensively year round. I have been walking 4mi in 70min with 1000ft climb 2x a week for a couple months.  Sunday i jogged and walked the 4mi mountain in 55min(1st running in 10years); Tuesday i ran 2.5mi on flat terrain in 25mi. My upper thighs burned and ached like HS, especially walking down stairs, but i recovered in 2days, much faster than when in HS. Thursday i ran 2mi, became lame and finished 3mi anyway. During running I was very conscious about lifting my knees higher than necessary, as if I were climbing, stepping over branches, loose rocks, and debris; and i was very conscious to point my left foot straight as opposed to allowing my normal open toed left foot. I allow my calves to swing forward during my running to keep my gait. I wore extra gel padded shoes. The flat trial as grass and dirt, recently wet so not as hard as it might be. I weigh 150lb, 6ft, 60yrs. Two years ago i was doing 16mi road bicycling with 2400ft climbs in 52min. Suffered no injuries, but did no running; still did a lot of walking and monthly mountain trails. The cane allows me to walk tentatively but i am not sure if because of the 30-50lb i transfer onto cane, or because the cane braces my kneee against side motion. What do you think? I think i won't be ready to run 5km 1nov. Thank you.

Answer
Hi S
Your description is pretty intense,but very hard to figure out.I would need to ask you a lot a questions to properly diagnose your situation and recommend some rehabbing.Would it be possible for you to call me here in albuquerque at 505 271 5909 from 6am on mt so we can really drill down and get more clarity.I really don't think i could give you an honest opinion with out more information with email.I look forward to your response or call.

All the best

John