Thanks for that! It is an interesting article. Indeed I have been doing loaded heel raises since my doctor suggested them to me round about 2020. I have a small rucksack on the stairs filled with several full bottles of beer (exchanged regularly 
), and try to do a few with straight/bent knee several times a day when I go past the bag.
The mistake I have made (twice!!) before is that I thought I had conquered the injury and could put the rucksack and training plans to the side. Now I know that this is not the case; it is a chronic problem and I will have to keep doing the leg raises indefinitely. I had not thought of the other exercises you suggested, and which are mentioned in the article. So I‘ll look into those too.
And you are right in that controlling the injury has to take top priority.
I guess this means I‘m on the right way - keep the calf strong, don‘t ever think I‘ve beaten it, and don‘t overdo the running - stick to those plans because gentle running is better than no running. That‘s what my body tells me and the graphs show.
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Just to add to this I’m a 52 yr old runner and have suffered from plantar fasciitis in the past when upping mileage. In last 9 months I have diligently worked on calf strengthening in particular, daily, and so far it seems to be keeping it at bay. I’m hoping to attempt my first marathon this year. Looking at this thread I probably do need to increase weight though.
The other thing I’ve done is keep better discipline on easy runs, introduce bike cross training and manage my training load prioritising consistency. I think as we age we have to work with the reality of our aging bodies. Intervals has really helped with these aspects in particular.
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Exactly! You have said what I have been trying to express, but far more elegantly and succinctly. I agree with you completely 
So true. Hardest part for me was recognising the situation. Despite several physios over years it took a bigger injury to really give me the kick I needed. Sounds lazy but in fact I think we just get used to our bodies fixing themselves and take it for granted. Sadly you cant read a lot of this stuff in a book and actually relate it to your own physical situation and we unfortunately often have to learn the hard way. But once things improve keeping at it I think sounds like the key.
Sorry for the digressions…
If you found it, it is probably for you.
Are you science-y? Do you like data? Do you exercise a lot and want to analyze your efforts? Do you like training plans? Dig in @Velo-city elo-city, you’ll find out! Other platforms with teams of people working on development and huge user bases don’t do the half of what @david does on his own.
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I’m neither coach nor professional/advanced athlete. I grew up on a farm in northeastern Vermont and we were not allowed to play sports due to having to be home all the time for chores (350 dairy cows). Ultimately, got into a little bit of intramural sports in college and medical school, but never in some sort of coached sport. Throughout my adult life I’ve dabbled here and there with fitness. Trying different DVD programs at home, some things at Planet Fitness, etc. My wife wanted a spin bike at home after her spin studio closed down during COVID so we got a Peloton Bike+ in Feb 2021. I figured I might as well get some shoes and clip in. Best decision ever. At 50, I’m in the best cardiovascular shape I’ve ever been. I use intervals for the data, the load graph, tracking my performances, creating/modifying rides in the library, etc. etc. Either way, it has helped kindle a burning in my soul to get on two wheels and just go for rides. Bought a gravel bike in March 2022 and have thoroughly enjoyed just riding. Could I be doing all of this without intervals? Sure. But, I just love sifting through the data after the rides. Peak output, sustained output, heart rate recovery, etc. etc.
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