| Sol’s Achilles Return-to-Running (ATR: Sunday, October 19th, 2025) |
< last edit: 2026.09.25 >
< basic structure still under construction! >
Since many people who have suffered an ATR are wanting to get back to running, this page lists a reduced timeline featuring those points which I, personally, found most relevant for a ‘return-to-running’ month-by-month summary.
The idea is to highlight the running-specific steps as well as other concrete milestones I feel were relevant to providing and strengthening a firm basis for long distance and trail running as well as intervals and short sprints.
Medical disclaimer (click -> collapse)
I am, however, not suggesting that anyone else should directly base their recovery / rehab PT on my personal experiences; anyone recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture should be instructed by / in the care of a medical professional / physical therapist; if you do not have such resources available locally, I recommend getting in touch with Chris Smith (of Achilles Rebuild) to look into possible options available to help you recover under remote professional supervision.
I have made this information available purely as part of a personal recovery journal.
Phase 2: pre-cursor (walking 2.0)
Weaning me off the boot / restoring everyday functionality
| Day | Walking stretch / notable milestone |
|---|---|
| Feb 1st 15w-0d | First proper walk (2.5km) with my doggo 👣 15 weeks / approx 9k steps per day |
| Feb 8th 16w-0d | Double leg calf raises (in the morning): – only 5-10% deficit (due to being fresh?) 👣 weekly average: 8k steps per day |
| Feb 9th 16w-1d | Local PT says my gait is almost normal: – “Wouldn’t notice if I didn’t know!” |
| Feb 13th 16w-5d | All the way to work and back on foot – still using both crutches with rucksack on 👣 12k steps today |
| Feb 16th 17w-1d | Stationary bike load upped to 150W About 15k steps + cardio -> no pain / swelling |
| Feb 22nd 18w-0d | Back behind the wheel of a car 👣 weekly average: 8k steps per day |
| Feb 25th 18w-3d | 🥾 a 2.6km / 1.5mile walk in the sun – ‘whac-a-mole‘ pains finally gone |
| Day | Walking stretch / notable milestone |
|---|---|
| Mar 5th 19w-4d | 🥾 Treadmill: 1km @ 10min/km – 0.6miles @ 3.7mph |
| Mar 14th 20w-6d | 🥾 2.6km walk (silicon heel pad inserts) – first time no fatigue 💪 |
| Mar 15th 21w-0d | 🥾 Return to the local woods (no inserts) – 3km walk in the woods with no fatigue 👣 weekly average: 10k steps per day |
| Mar 20th 21w-5d | 🦵 DLR plateau frustration, first SLRs: – Single leg calf raise: 6-7cm heel lift 🙏 |
| Mar 21st 21w-6d | 🥾 4km / 2.5mile walk (no inserts) – tendon & calf fatigue towards end 👣 15k steps today |
| Mar 23rd 22w-1d | 🦵 Ankle strengthening: “Stage 3” – start of weighted, supported SLRs |
| Mar 28th 22w-6d | 🥾 5km / 3mile walk in the woods – only light fatigue towards end |
| Mar 30th 23w-1d | 🦵 First jumping exercises are pretty solid – the fear of jumps fades fairly fast |
Phase 3: ramp-up to running 2.0
Gradual introduction of plyos / easing back into running
| Day | Walk-run stretch / notable milestone |
|---|---|
| Apr 2nd 23w-4d | 🦵 First box jump: 5cm / 2″ 🥾 Walking pace drops to under 9min/km |
| Apr 4th 23w-6d | 🦵 Touch knee-to-wall / Box jump: 17.5cm 👣 weekly average: 9k steps per day |
| Apr 10th 24w-4d | 👣 Treadmill pace getting closer to jogging: – 7km/h (4.4mph) @ 2% |
| Apr 23rd 26w-4d | 🥾 Treadmill preparation for hiking: – 1km @ 5.6kph (3.5mph) / 15% – 500m (backwards) @ 3pkh (1.9mph) / 15% |
| Apr 28th 27w-2d | 🏃 Green light to start running again! 👣 weekly average: 9k steps per day |
| Apr 29th 27w-3d | 🏃 RUN 1: 5 x 150m walk / 150m jog – ankle pain around 1-2/10 during impact |
| Day | Walk-run stretch / notable milestone |
|---|---|
| May 2nd 27w-6d | 🏃 RUN 2: 5 x 150m walk / 300m jog – pain down to discomfort on push-off |
| May 3rd 28w-0d | 🦵 20 SLRs from >6cm fading to 4cm 👣 weekly average: 9k steps per day |
| May 5th 28w-2d | 🏃 RUN 3: 7 x 150m walk / 300m jog – avg. pace (3.2km): 7min/km, peak 5:23 |
| May 9th 28w-6d | 🏃 RUN 4: 6 x 150m walk / 450m jog – avg. pace (3.5km): 6:36min/km, peak 4:34 |
| May 12th 29w-2d | 🏃 RUN 5: 5 x 150m walk / 600m jog – avg. pace (3.5km): 6:12min/km, peak 4:51 |
| May 15th 29w-5d | 🏃 RUN 6: 4 x 150m walk / 4 x 750m run – avg. pace (3.5km): 5:59min/km, peak 4:09 |
| May 18th 30w-1d | 🏃 RUN 7: 3 x 150m walk / 3 x 1050m run – avg. pace (3.5km): 6:24min/km, peak 5:19 |
| May 22nd 30w-5d | 🏃 RUN 8: 2 x 1650m run / 200m walk – avg. pace (3.5km): 6:43min/km, peak 5:19 |
| May 25th 31w-1d | 🏃 RUN 9: 2 x 2km run / 200m walk – avg. pace (4.2km): 5:56min/km, peak 5:11 |
| May 26th 31w-2d | 🥾 Short hike on my local mountain – 3.4km / 130m ascent; 18kg (40lb) pack |
| May 28th 31w-4d | 🏃 RUN 10: 3.5km (without walk break) – avg. pace: 5:49min/km, peak 4:55 |
| May 30th 31w-6d | 🥾 9km / 360m ascent with 16kg (35lb) pack 👣 Crack 20k steps for the first time |
| May 31st 32w-0d | 🏃 RUN 11: Sub 30min 5k (5:49min/km) 👣 weekly average: 15k steps per day |
Phase 4: running beyond 5k
Plyo progressions / longer runs
| Day | Hiking or running stretch / milestone |
|---|---|
| Jun 6th 32w-6d | 🥾 12km hike / 480m ascent / 16kg pack – 4 rounds of my local training ‘mountain’ 👣 Crack 25k steps / day for the first time |
| Jun 11th 33w-4d | 🏃 Another 5k run, now with ‘strides’ – 8 short 20-25s bursts (28:30) |
| Jun 15th 34w-1d | 🏃 Running ‘on hold’ (light ankle pains) 👣 weekly average: 12k steps per day |
| Jun 23rd 35w-2d | 🏃 ‘Easy volume’ run: 6k / 121 avg. pulse |
| Jun 25th 35w-4d | 🏃 ‘Speedy paces’ run: 5k / 142 avg. pulse 👣 weekly average: 14k steps per day |
| Jun 28th 35w-6d | 🥾 12km hike / 480m ascent / 9kg pack 👣 Crack 32k steps / day for the first time |
| Jun 29th 36w-1s | 🏃 ‘Easy volume’ run: 7k – 121 avg. pulse |
| Day | Hiking or running stretch / milestone |
|---|---|
| Jul 2nd 36w-4d | 🏃 ‘Easy volume’ run: 8k / 124 avg. pulse 👣 weekly average: 17k steps per day |
| Jul 5th 37w-0d | 🥾 6km hike / 240m ascent / 30kg pack – 2 rounds of my local training ‘mountain’ |
| Jul 7th 37w-2d | 🏃 ‘Speedy paces’ run: 5k – 27:34 / 5:31min/km / 147 avg. pulse |
| Jul 9th 37w-4d | 🏃 first (slow!) post-injury 10k: – 1:19:24 / 7:58min/km / 120 avg. pulse |
| Jul 11th 37w-6d | 🥾 18km hike / 700m ascent / 9kg pack 👣 Almost 40k daily steps! |
| Jul 13th 38w-1d | 🏃 ‘Speedy paces’ run: 5k – 27min / 5:25min/km / 145 avg. pulse |
| Jul 17th 38w-5d | 🏃 ‘Easy volume’ run: 10k (well, 9.7km) – 1:23:54 / 8:24min/km / 116 avg. pulse |
| Jul 18th 38w-6d | 🦵 Managed 50 SLRs in one go: – height still fades fairly quickly |
| Jul 20th 39w-1d | 🏃 ‘Speedy paces’ run: 3k – trying to re-learn pace feeling |
| Jul 23rd 39w-4d | 🏃 ‘Easy volume’ run: 10k (sub-60min!) – 0:59:20 / 5:56min/km / 141 avg. pulse |
| Jul 27th 40w-1d | 🏃 ‘Speedy paces’ run: 5k – re-learning pace feeling gradually |
Phase 5: return to sprinting
Long-ish distance runs / heavier hikes /
gradual ramp-up to sprinting
| Day | Hiking / running stretch |
|---|---|
| Aug 1st 40w-6d | 🥾 29km hike / 1140m ascent / 9kg pack: 👣 Crack 43k daily steps! |
| Aug 4th 41w-2d | 🏃 ‘Accidental’ short 100% sprint: – 1m beach ball fumbled in the wind 😬 🙈 |
| Aug 10th 42w-1d | 🏃 ‘Easy volume’ run: 18k – 2:19:37 / 7:45min/km / 119 avg. pulse 👣 35k daily steps |
| Aug 17th 43w-1d | 🏃 Returning to normal rhythm: 7k – 51:12 / 7:19min/km / 119 avg. pulse |
| Aug 20th 43w-4d | 🏃 ‘Easy volume’ run: 15k (trail) – 1:48:48 / 7:15min/km / 129 avg. pulse |
| Aug 24th 44w-1d | 🏃 Gradual intro to ‘hill climbing’: 5k – 32:38 / 6:32min/km / 137 avg. pulse |
| Aug 27th 44w-4d | 🏃 ‘Easy volume’ run: 21k (trail) – 2:38:34 / 7:33min/km / 134 avg. pulse 👣 35k daily steps |
| Aug 29th 44w-6d | 🥾 7km hike / 240m ascent / 34kg pack – 2 days of DOMs in my hip flexors |
| Aug 31st 45w-1d | 👣 498.635 steps logged (iPhone) in Aug |
| Day | Hiking / running stretch |
|---|---|
| Sep 1st 45w-2d | 🏃 ‘Hill climbing’ run: 5k / 6 circuits – 31:47 / 6:21min/km / 137 avg. pulse |
| Sep 7th 46w-1d | 🏃 ‘Hill climbing’ run: 5k / 8 circuits – 32:38 / 6:32min/km / 132 avg. pulse |
| Sep 10th 46w-4d | 🏃 ‘Easy volume’ run: 15k (trail) – 1:39:49 / 6:39min/km / 140 avg. pulse 👣 30k daily steps |
| Sep 13th 47w-0d | 🏃 Runathon starts: easy 2km + leg unit 👣 47 weeks / approx 15k steps per day |
| Sep 14th 47w-1d | 🏃 Day 2 / hill climbing: 5k / 10 circuits – 33:05 / 6:37min/km / 136 avg. pulse |
| Sep 15th 47w-2d | 🏃 Day 3 / lovely surprise 6k run with J – very easy pace |
| Sep 18th 47w-4d | 🏃 ‘Speedy paces’ run: 5k – 25:45min / 5:09min/km / 154 avg. pulse |
| Sep 21st 48w-1d | 🏃 ‘Hill climbing’ run: 5.5k / 10 circuits – 32:50 / 5:58min/km / 143 avg. pulse |
| Sep 22nd 48w-2d | 🏃 Got in a 2km easy jog + leg unit |
