12 weeks off, need aerobic fitness back

How do you feel after a relaxed 3 mile run?

I can't really do one with my knees atm, but on the elliptical I feel fine on a similar perceived effort after 45-60mins

You need to significantly strengthen the muscles that "enter" the knee. The challenge is finding someone who is good enough at their job to sort out what is going on because the thigh->knee is pretty complicated. It could be a physical therapist.. It could be a really good sports medicine MD. You have to try a few.

Also, you are putting way more stress on your body than your body can possibly recover when you do train as evidenced by the "crosstraining hard" remark.

You have to work on both.

Everyone want you to be a lifelong runner. Dont' keep doing what you have been doing.

All the PT told me was to do was the single leg squats on a bench/wood block. A hip abductor stretch. And lateral leg raises. He says my hips are weak but nothing about my leg muscles. Is he right? He was a runner which is why I picked him. He looked at my form, took some measurements that idk about, and said my feet were good as far as how they pronate and their natural arch.

You should consider a walking and resting regime only.

No fast cycling, stairclimber and all those things. They don't help the healing they might make it worse. Heck maybe your better of running a mile everyday.

Second no weight training on your legs while you still have pain. A PE will give you exercises but with tendonitis it usually delays healing since you are still loading when it is healing. Leave the loading for when you are completely pain free.

Knee tendonitis almost caust me my running carreer because i was surrounded with many people with many opinions but none with the simple opinion: that an injury comes from either DOING SOMETHING NEW IN TRAINING OR DOING TO MUCH TO SOON.

Nope never heard it no it had to be something biomechanical or it had to be a weakness and correcting it would take away the cause so that i could train on.

I was dumb and it caused tendinosis basically a part of my tendon and the thing behind my tendon was so injured at some point that it didn't heal properly and has formed bad tissue. The only way this will completely resoleve is to take it away. But after a year of pain i had a good doctor telling me the thing of to much to soon and total rest. It changed my life.

After 4 weeks i was back at running. Skiing and skating are sports i will never be able to do again in my life painfree unless i get an operation. I am sure if i did not met this docter i would be disabled by now (no joke that is how bad the pain can get).

STOP ALL CROSSTRAINING just go walk a mile everyday that loads the knee way less then the crosstrainer. No strength training until you are painfree.

OFCOURSE A PE WONT TELL YOU TO STOP STRENGTH TRAINING HE IS THERE ONLY TO FIND WEAKNESSES AND HE WONT BE MAKING MONEY IF YOU WHERE TO ONLY REST.

I am not saying a pe is bad, it is good but at the right time. That is when you are painfree and just starting your running.

I'm painfree with lifting and such. It only hurts when I run. I was asking about getting fit.

Are you really suggesting that a team of PT's, Orthopedic docs, and chiros don't know what they're doing.=> That u know what's better? I've been given the okay to sub my running with elliptical/biking/swimming as long as it is pain free.

only 6/7 week? 6 days? where is your xc team located?