I Can't Believe I'm Lying on a Rolling Pin!

Well it has happened. I knew it was going too well - 2 years of running, up to 18 miles and 3 and a half hours on my feet and boom! Injury!
At the end of my last 18 miler (God did I really say that?)I felt a deep ache in the top of the outside of my thigh. Well only to be expected when you've been running for 3 and a half hours eh? So I thought nothing of it. Ran the rest of the week short runs - no worries. Then I'm out on my 'long run' aiming for my one off 20 miles. The last big push before the BIG DAY. At 7 miles my thigh aches. At 8 miles it's getting quite bad. At 9 miles I phoned Colin to moan to him. But I kept going - if I was going to have to quit I wasn't quitting before 10 miles - a respectable amount of mileage.
It's at this point that the dilemma occurs - should I stay or should I go.
The thought of phoning for a lift home in the middle of a long run seems as shameful as Dad turning up early at a party to take you home.
Failure is the first word that springs to mind. I haven't reached my end goal. For at least three miles I battled with my own misgivings. A veritable argument going on in my head - I can do a few more miles surely? - I can run through this throbbing ache can't I? It's not debilitating is it? But then the angel on my shoulder is whispering ... but what if it is injuring you long-term.
I've had an injury only once before - right at the beginning of my 'running career'. Crap shoes and inexperience led me to complete a 30 minute run with an achilles problem - I ended up out of action for a good couple of weeks.
I can't afford time out now. Only 6 weeks of serious running left. Panic is setting in. What if I injure myself and can't run at all. What if this happens 10 miles into the Marathon. Oh Crap!
So limping across Plock Court I admit defeat and Colin comes to pick me up.
The journey home is miserable. I find myself crying...frustration, disappointment, fear.
And then I find myself still amazed ... sports injuries, prospect of physio? Who is this person? When did I become someone who talks about illiotibial Bands?
So Sunday morning I find this unfamiliar person texting a recommended physiotherapist.
And today a good friend sends me a link to an hilarious You Tube video that promotes rolling around on a swimming woggle or rolling pin to 'release your illiotibial band'. And today I will be shifting my training to a rowing machine...