Thought of some links to look at concerning the sore hand heels. I had those decades ago before I figured out how to adjust everything. I don't think I ever rest the heels of my hands on anything now, just my wrists and the sides of my hands.
In no particular order:
Handle bar tilt - How much is too much?
How can I fitting my bike
Drop Bar Hand Positions: an Introduction
Hand Pain
Notes on that last link: My bars are now set like in the first link. Yes, I was fat that winter.