So here's the deal.

My left thigh hurts.  A lot.  The pain is all around the top of the thigh.  It hurts in the front, on the outside and in the back.  The only thing that doesn't hurt is the inside.  The pain is all at the top.  Nowhere else.  This morning, it was so painful I nearly didn't run but the pain became tolerable after a mile or so.  There is no pain when I palpate anywhere.  Nothing.  However, I put my left foot on the coffee table with my leg bent at about a 90 degree angle and this is what I feel:

If I put my right hand on the inside of the left knee and push toward the right with the knee, no pain.  If I put my right hand on the inside of my knee and push my knee to the left, no pain until I feel a stretch and then it's just a stretch.  If I put my left hand on the outside of my left knee and push the knee outward, some pain but not bad.  If I put the my left hand on the outside of my left knee and push inward with my left hand and try to resist with my leg, extreme pain.

I'm game.  Any suggestions, other than "take some time off" are welcome.  I'd take the time off except for a goal race November 10.  I am already using a roller and it seems to be of marginal benefit.

Hmmm.....with the pain around 3/4 of the equator of your thigh I don't know if it's accurate to speculate that it's a compound strain of 2 or 3 muscles or perhaps resonating of a single muscle.  It sounds like you found a way to pinpoint the pain trigger which will be good feedback for a doc but as to why I don't know.

Adductor points toward turning your toes inward and I don't think that's your problem.

Solely hip flexor (psoas) I think is a no go also.  You'd be complaining of even *getting* that foot up on the coffee table if it were.

ITBS?  Maybe but my guess would be not solely if you can feel it around to the back.

And I really don't think solely the hamstring either.

If it's not compound and just one muscle, perhaps Rectus Femoris?  With its swirling position, perhaps it could cause the widespread pain you're experiencing.

All speculation of course, but if you're like me you'd rather here this stuff than the criticism coming your way by the morning for even ASKING such nonsense on a forum full of unqualified recreational runners.......  

It is top of the thigh, like near the hip?  What you describe, if that high and near the hip, is very similar to what my PT described as a hip labrum tear.

The other thing I would look into is pain radiating from a pinched nerve or low back issue.

Naturally, I woke up this morning and am in significantly less pain than I was in yesterday.  I did roll hard yesterday evening and I'm going to roll again this morning.  My best guess is ITBS because of the relief I got from the rolling.  Of course, the fact that I don't have pain on the outside of the knee suggests it's not ITBS but I also know that not everyone will have the same symptoms.  I've been running long enough to know that it could be a whole host of things and if I go to the doctor, all they're going to tell me is to take a couple of weeks off and see what happens.  Humbug.  I'll do just that starting November 11.

Mostly, I'm just venting.

"My best guess is ITBS"

That was my guess though I've never personally experienced it. My advice is taking time off NOW is the cheaper and possiby best answer to get you back out there. I'm kinda in the same situation with 1st my left inner thigh sore following tempo run and now my right groin is tender when rising from prone position. I'm sure I could run on it but that seemingly only made it worse Friday [took Saturday off]. Good luck!

 

Mostly, I'm just venting.

Hey, we have a thread specially designed for that! Although you are not on the DL yet, but I think the "sharing misery" component is the main purpose.

Mostly - good luck!

Think about what you would advise another runner to do and do that.

I really hope it resolves itself.

Given your recent stroke, I'd get to a doctor to make sure it isn't a clot.  They can be very painful.