Quite honestly, I would ease in using drills on a soft surface (grass), keeping the motion underneath (vertical) through use of A’s primarily (marching, low amplitude skipping, and low amplitude running A’s (stepping over ankle height). I would build up from 10m to 20m and perhaps even 30m over time. Accordingly, as things move on, you would increase the amplitude of knee height for the A-skips and A-runs until the athlete has reached normal levels. You need to accumulate volume in these types of drills before you start higher velocity work or even tempo work. Sprinting or running will put more stress on the calves, particularly at the “toe-off” and “heel recovery” phases.
With these types of cases, I am not giving hard timelines for transition into running. I’m checking the calves with massage and passes over the muscles to determine tonal changes before, during and after a training session. I’m also watching technique in the drills to see if there is any compensation/favoring going on with the injured side. It is a day-by-day, workout-to-workout assessment.
Hamstrings - in my opinion - are easier to work with. Calves and achilles tendon injuries can be tricky if not handled appropriately (and can come back to haunt you). Take your time. Don’t rush.
Work capacity can be accomplished in the pool if need be (without taxing the calves as much). Be careful with stationary bike as well.
