By day I am full-time GTA/Funded PhD Sports Coaching student at the University of Hull. By night I am a hyper-motivated road cyclist who is determined to obtain a professional contract.
I turned to cycling in 2011 after a long career of playing football for Derby County Football Academy (under 9’s to under 18’s). In my first full season competing within the British based racing scene I quickly rose through the British Cycling ranks and managed to obtain my Elite racing licence, winning six races along the way. At the end of the season I was approached and subsequently signed by Team Sportscover, a UK based elite cycling team who are acknowledged to be one of the best development squads in the UK and have the goal of producing at least one full time professional cyclist each year.
Since enduring a period of serious overtraining, I turned to HRV to help me make informed decisions about when I should train hard, train easy or have a complete day off. The ithlete HRV product gives me exactly that. It’s an amazing piece of equipment and has completely transformed how I now approach my training.
Though a serious of blogs, I will share my story with you and explain how ithlete has rejuvenated me as an athlete. My blogs will cover a wide range of topics from overtraining to training models to taper and of course how measuring HRV helps me to be the best athlete I can be. Essentially, I will discuss my own sporting experiences and realities of being an athlete with you here on the ithlete blog.
I hope that my story will capture you and also motivate you to examine your own knowledge and identity.
Enjoy!!!
Find out more about Ben Ives and keep up to date with his news by visiting his Twitter page: @benives1