Achilles Strain - What to do?

[5cary]

Okay, I started serious "barefoot" running back in February/March. I started slow, completely barefoot and only 5 to 10 minutes at a time on a treadmill. Eventually moved to mixed surface (road/trail) for 2-5 miles, slow pace. Did that for a couple of weeks and suddenly my Achilles tendon just went south.

I've read the threads on VFF/barefoot on this site and others. Did some searching around and found advice on eccentric stretches, etc. I've been off *all* running now for nearly 3 months and doing just light leg work and stretches (in addition to normal weight lifting). Started back last week with shoes and it still painful. Enough that I know barefoot is out of the question.

Am I doing something terribly wrong here? Any thoughts on what I can do to sort this out? I ran a couple of days ago with a taped up tendon, and it was okay (short and slow), but I dont' want to have to rely on that too much.

Oh...and I'm 45 years old. Maybe that has something to do with it

Edit: and before someone asks "why" I want to continue barefoot...That few weeks was the first time since I ran the Marine Corps Marathon that I was able to run more than a mile or so with NO knee pain at all. I just loved it.