Back to some significant training hours after a much welcomed taper week.? A big week on the bike going over 100 miles for the first time this year.? Part of the fun with training is finding new routes to take which offer a safe and enjoyable workout.? I have built a few new routes which leave from my house and take me on a 2 hour/35 mile loop south towards McNeely lake, and the other a 3 hour/55 mile loop heading north and east towards La Grange.? Both of these offer mostly 2 lane 'country' roads with few exceeding 35 mph, rolling hills and some good scenery to help pass the time.?

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I tried running just once due to my sore foot which I diagnosed as metatarsalgia.? I decided that against my desire to push through the pain, Im 4 months away from the starting line and I need to pay attention to my body and avoid risking a far more serious injury.? A podiatrist who is on the Team In Training team for Philly recommend that I pick up some metatarsal pads.? These are cushiony inserts that you place right behind the ball of your foot to help relieve some pressure on the affected area.? I have been wearing them since last Wednesday and they seem to be helping.? I tried running for the first time again last night and while I only ran for 25 minutes I think I'm starting to recover.? Today is an off day, and I will move my long run scheduled for tomorrow to the weekend to give me a few more days of rest before jumping back in to serious mileage.

Working on my least best items from last month, I was two out of three: I added two days of core training and stretched after each bike workout, but getting to bed early still eludes me.? Part of it is just adapting to a new routine, part of it was this dang book I was reading The Afghan by Frederick Forsyth.

Swim: 7874.02 Yd 2h 40m

Bike: 108.72 Mi 6h 07m 16s
Run: 3.13 Mi 27m 34s

Total: 9.25 hours?

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Mental Health: Excellent

Injuries: None

Aches & Pains: Significant – Ball of left foot

Nutrition: Good

Party Days: 2

Good Nights Sleep: 4]]>