Achilles update Jan 12

I have moved all the posts on the achilles rehab program I am following to one page to clean up the blog a bit.

Here is the progress so far on the heel drop regimen (3 sets of heel drops on each leg, straight leg, bent leg, done twice daily).

Week 1:  Week ending  Nov  10th-     No weight, high reps (sets of 30), done fast.  Not correct, achilles irritated.

Week 2  Week ending   Nov 17th:  No weight, slowed down the reps to 2-3 seconds per, and stuck to sets of 15

Week 3:  Week ending Nov 24th  Added 25 pounds in backpack. 

Week 4:  Week ending  Dec 1:   50 pounds.  Mostly done on flat surface (heel drop to horizontal).

Week 5:  Week ending Dec 8:  67 pounds.  Ditto.

Week 6:  Week ending Dec 15:  77 pounds.  Ditto.

Week 7:  Week ending Dec 22:  89 pounds.  Ditto.

Week 8:  Week ending Dec 29: 100 pounds.  Ditto.

Week 9:  Week ending Jan 5:   110pounds.  Started emphasizing heel drops on step edge rather than flat surface.  Experienced morning-after soreness -  took 2 rest days.

Week 10 :  Week ending Jan 12:  reduced the weight to 85 pounds

In much of the rehab work between weeks 4 and 9, the heel drops I was doing were done on a flat surface so that the heel could not drop below horizontal.  This was primarily due to inclement weather;  cold, and late work hours; -  I did the exercises indoors where I have a 1-step rise (for the lift leg).  I started doing the full heel drops on a stair case outside more frequently during week 9 and started experiencing morning-after soreness in the achilles.    Uh-oh. Reflecting on this I see that the weight progression done was mostly with the heel drops to horizontal and when I switched to the hanging heel drops the muscles and tendon were not adapted to it.  So I've backed off on the weight.  I have also started regular 4 mile walks.  Both achilles are a bit irritated but particularly the right.  They do not hurt walking (or running) but are tender when pinched, more so on the lateral side of each tendon.