[Cloud9Fitness]

I suspect you are experiencing quadriceps tendinitis (QT). The differential includes other ligament, bursa, or soft tissue injury, but your history is textbook for QT. Specifically the location, sensation, and going from not training to a new program.

The theory behind improving the symptoms include addressing muscle firing patterns/balance with the great suggestions from the poster above (Aoife), and acutely addressing the discomfort with anti-inflammatories (AIs).

I would like to make one keep point if you decide to use AIs. They can reduce inflammation, but there is growing evidence that reducing inflammation may interfere with soft tissue healing, so tissue is suseptible to greater training response while under the influence of AIs . Also training while using AIs may not inhibit recovery when compared to individuals who take time off from exercise while using AIs. So, focus on the exercise suggestions for Aoife, and others that will be posted, to ensure inhibition of quadriceps dominance and the development appropriate muscle firing patterns in the face of AI use.