Does anyone have experience with LA Fitness?  I recently tore my cartilage in my knee and the bike and elliptical are ok but they hurt my knee a little more than I would like.  I was thinkig of joining a gym with a pool so that I could swim.  I had a really bad experience with joining a gym and I was wondering if you guys had any experience (good or bad) with LA Ftiness?  I am torn on whether or not it is worth it to spend the money to join a gym vs. just keeping working in my limited fitness center at my apartment. 

I am about 9 months out from surgery and I have recently started running.  I have never been a runner, even when I was relatively fit in high school.  I am finding that I really enjoy it.  I started doing the couch to 5k program and, after modifying the plan a bit, I am up to a point where I can run about 2.1 miles of the total 3.11 miles in the 5k.  The problem is my knee.  It has really been bothering me the last couple of times I have gone running.  I run on a treadmill.  I tried a knee sleeve but that really made it hurt more when I did my walking intervals.  My knee definitely gives me more pain while walking than while actually running, and today I am having trouble moving it at all.  

Any tips for helping out my knees?  How much pain is too much pain?

I was a goalie for soccer in high school which involved a lot of diving onto my knees and I have injured my knees several times in my life.  I like running but I am afraind my knees will not allow it.  I am a teacher so I have to be able to move around during the day, and today I am pretty much going to have to confine myself to a chair cause moving hurts a lot.