Hello, I have recently been plagued with a number of foot injuries the last 2-3 seasons and it has been very frustrating. However, after starting out the winter of 08 just getting rid of my plantar fascia injuries I went straight into an achilles tendon problem. I decided to take 3 months in the winter to let everything “settle” down.  This did not clear it up, but on the advise of a few sports doctors I was told to start running and it would go away.    Fast-forward 6 months to now (sorry Julie- your line).  I have been able to run regularly without much discomfort, but plenty of stretching and ART-Active Release Techniques.  I am getting very excited to get into some races and check out my fitness, especially on the run. Running is the one sport the really makes one feel light and get the adrenaline going when done regularly.   However, since buying a condo, furniture and changing jobs all at the same time I was forced to forgo the Muskoka Chase and instead did a good weekend of long distance training. I can really see how life can alter the best of laid plans.  IM Lake Placid is my first A race this season and I am convinced that the long and selectively intense training is going to pay off when it counts.    Having the new Power Tap from Cyclops is an amazing training tool I have been using extensively to gauge my power output on the bike with respect to my HR. By monitoring the watt values when compared to an indoor power meter like Computrainer one can see where they stand.  For example HR values when one is gliding downhill the HR drops, so do the watts (zero) and therefore, time, average watts and distance as well.  I will be heading to Lake Placid again this Saturday am for 2 loops of the bike course followed by a 10k run. A one-day training event and drive back home afterwards. I will compare the values from 2 weeks ago when I did 1 loop in 2:30 with a 119 average HR and 260w average on the Cyclops. This effort felt comfortable, but it was only 1 loop and I know from experience that the hills on the second loop can be difficult if underestimated.   Cheers, Dave