Advice for returning to running after achilles tendonitis

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Once pain subsided I started immediately incorporating ART and Calf Raises on a daily basis. I initially thought icing was the golden ticket but quickly found that heating the achilles and working on the upper calf was the real trick.

Since transitioning to only racing flats, I have never again had AT issues.

I personally feel anything you slip in your shoe is a terrible idea. I would start out easy as you have indicated, but as you deem comfortable, start incorporating strengthening through hill sprints.

Just my .02

Good Luck !

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Smoother surface than grass may be better. It's not so much soft that you need, in my opinion. If the grass you are running on doesn't have much bumpiness to it, you may be alright, though. I would consider smooth first, and soft second.

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I never stopped running. A tendon needs to be exercised to heal properly... just cut back on the mileage tremendously. When I was running I'd feel it the first mile, then a week later only the first 1/4 mile, then I couldn't feel it at all. For me it slowly went away. I iced the crap out of it five or more times a day. I think ice is what kills it (foot immersed in a bucket of water with ice). There are other posts I've made explaining how I beat mine. I spent a week only running 1/4 mile per day until I started seeing an improvement and then I increased my running by 1 mile every other day the following week. Start back slowly and expect that you'll still feel the pain but to a lesser extent and it should gradually go away if you keep icing it. Worked for me.

Thanks for the advice so far

Anyone else's experiences coming back from AT?

I had it earlier this year. I took all of May and the first two week so June off. In place of running, I broke out my road bike and put in two months of riding (May, June). The riding didn't bother my achilles too much.

I started back in mid June, and for the next 4 weeks put in the following weeks: 23, 23, 15, 25. I ran on the roads as central Ohio seems to have a dearth of dirt trails that aren't hilly.

I did go to PT for 3 weeks, but didn't continue to do any of the exercises afterwards.

On the plus side, I ended up PRing in 10k and the Half in October, which is surprising considering I maxed out at 48 miles for a week, and the average was actually 38 from mid July to first week of October.