Dr. Allen Lim, the founder of Skratch Labs, is today’s esteemed podcast philosopher. With his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, Lim continues to pioneer new practices in sports physiology and applied training. He is one of the few who will sometimes say that the science is B.S., and that metrics, and the interpretation thereof, constitute only a portion of the overall support system a good coach provides to his or her athletes.

On a personal level, Lim coached Colby through the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, bringing a more scientific approach to the sport of track cycling.

In the second half of the show, food becomes the subject of conversation. Food is often viewed as fuel—and only fuel—by endurance athletes. Lim, author of three books about food and cooking, including The Feed Zone Cookbook: Fast and Flavorful Food for Athletes, preaches about eating and the importance of having a good relationship with food.

In Lim’s view, food provides energy not just to power your legs for five-hour rides. Food has chi; and athletes have intuition regarding what and how much food to eat to keep their bodies in balance. The sport-induced eating habits of many athletes can be isolating; Lim, however, understands how food can serve as social fuel, which goes well beyond its role as chemical fuel.

All this and much more in episode 3 of Cycling in Alignment.

Loneliness is a fundamental breach between who one is and who one pretends to be.

• Dr. Allen Lim https://www.doctorallenlim.com