Oh dear my leg's fallen off !

Well that's what it felt like at least.  Over the past few weeks I have managed to go from running a full mile without stopping, to needeing to rest every 500m to catch my breath and allay the feeling of sheer panic that my lungs are about to come out of my mouth.
On one evening, having managed 2 laps of my 3.4 mile circuit on the Saturday (both running and walking), I set off full of confidence, only to discover that my left leg and knee were very painful to the point of not being able to cope with it. Yes ladies, I bow to those of you who have given birth. I hate pain.
That evening I managed a mere mile before knocking on the door of a mate to ask if I could come in and recover!
Since then I have only managed a single lap and the 'race' is now two weeks away. I think I have what's commonly termed shin splints.