Based on what you planned to do to stop the pain -- guessing that's what had caused it -- you probably have Chondromalacia patella. If so, your plan to discontinue hammering on the pedals in high gear definitely is what you want to do to avoid the problem. From here on out, think of spinning as your friend and pushing as what you want to avoid. If riding a bike at a higher cadence isn't something that feels natural, perhaps consider going to shorter cranks.