Congratulations to our September Athlete’s of the Month: Jen Pino out of Union Station, and Bob Veierstahler from Printers Row! These guys are staples at the gym and definitely know what it means to put it all out there every single day in every single workout!
Jen has found CrossFit to be the perfect athletic outlet, especially coming from a multi-sport background in school. She always looks forward to the people, the programming, and the community at the gym. Jen has also recently participated in the Healthy Habits program, getting amazing results! She plans to continue with the “healthy habits” through the rest of the year.
Bob is one of the best examples to demonstrate that consistency, not only in attendance but in daily training also, leads to results in performance. He’s been a member at The Foundry for 2 and a half years, and just keeps getting better! He comes to almost every Foundry function, whether it’s a competition or a community event. And he’s proud to say that he’s met many of his best friends through the gym.
Jen and Bob are prime examples of dedication and having fun with the people you work out with! Take a minute to get to know them better by reading their “Member Spotlights” below, or at their respective gyms.
Get to Know Jennifer Pino
Member Spotlight September, 2015
Age: 29
Occupation: Events Manager
In general, what is your background?
I grew up in a northern suburb of Chicago and went to college at the University of Illinois. I’ve always been active and into sports – I grew up playing traveling soccer and basketball, I was a 5 sport athlete in high school, and was on the water ski team in college.
How long have you been a member at The Foundry? What is your CrossFit story?
I joined The Foundry in the spring of 2014 and prior I was a member at Crossfit ForeFront (now Crossfit Notorious.) A co-worker of mine owned that gym and got a group of us to try it out – I’ve been hooked ever since.
How has The Foundry changed your life/lifestyle/level of fitness? What do you like most about The Foundry?
By being a part of The Foundry I have been able to continue my passion for being active and working out. Before crossfit I bounced around to a lot of different workout places but nothing ever stuck. The people, the programming, and the community aspect are what make The Foundry able to get me looking forward to going to the gym as frequently as I do.
What are your short term goals (gym or personal)?
I really enjoyed the Healthy Habits program that I participated in over the summer – I want to continue to follow as many of those habits until at least October 31 – but i’ll probably continue doing them after that as well.
What are your long term goals (gym or personal)?
To continue to be active and enjoy as many experiences I can with family and friends.
What is your proudest CrossFit accomplishment thus far?
The day I got my first kipping pullup. The excitement from not only me but those around me who saw me do it was amazing!
What is your favorite movement?
Deadlifts – I feel I’ve made the biggest strides here so it’s fun to see how strong I’ve become.
What’s your least favorite movement?
Burpees – they’re the worst.
What is your favorite WOD or type of workout?
I really liked Chipper Friday in August. I like being able to cross something off ‘the list’ and move onto the next.
What WOD or type of workout would you rather avoid but you know is good for you?
Anything with burpees or running. Not. My. Favorite.
What is your go-to post-WOD meal/snack/beverage?
However I can get 20 g of protein within 1 hour of working out (per the Healthy Habits program!) Typically that’s dinner for me since I mostly workout in the evening.
What is your favorite movie?
Love Actually
What is your favorite book?
The Art of Racing in the Rain
You get to choose the music your class listens to this month! What is your favorite style of music, or who is your favorite musical artist?
Country is my go-to and Eric Church is my all-time favorite.
Do you have a favorite quote or words to live by?
When you look back on your life you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did.
What is your spirit animal and why?
A Bear! They symbolize many different things but for me I think it’s mostly about patience, power, and nurturing those around you.
Finish this sentence. I’m passionate about…enjoying life and surrounding myself with family and friends who push me to be better tomorrow than I was today.
Get to Know Bob Veierstahler
Member Spotlight May, 2015
Age: 33
Occupation: Attorney
In general, what is your background? I grew up playing pretty much every sport out there but baseball was my passion. I always had to be outside doing something – taking endless amounts of jumpshots or hitting a ball against the garage until well after it got dark. After college I started getting into running and am always looking for new challenges there. I don’t think I was ever great at one thing, but pretty good at a wide variety of things – which is probably why I love CrossFit!
How long have you been a member at The Foundry? What is your CrossFit story? I’ve been a member at The Foundry for about 2 and a half years. Before moving to Chicago a good friend of mine had started doing CrossFit and knew that it would be right up my alley. So after I moved here I took the plunge not only to try to jumpstart my workouts but also as a way to meet people in a new city. I ended up meeting some of my best friends not only here but in my life in general!
How has The Foundry changed your life/lifestyle/level of fitness? What do you like most about The Foundry? The Foundry has changed my life and level of fitness in a wide variety of ways. At 33 I have no doubt that I’m in better shape than I was at 23, and probably close to the best shape of my life. The constant variety and the accountability of wanting to be there with and for some of my closest friends in the community makes me sure I’ll still be doing CrossFit at some level at 63 (and hopefully beyond!).
What are your short term goals (gym or personal)? My short term gym goals are to get back into a consistent routine and work on my mobility in order to heal up some nagging injuries.
What are your long term goals (gym or personal)? My long term goals are to get back to the level I was at about 6 months or so ago and really get my endurance back to a peak level.
What is your proudest CrossFit accomplishment thus far? Probably the first time I did a muscle-up. It wasn’t pretty, but good Lord it took like 9 months before that first one!
What is your favorite movement? I’d have to say either muscle-ups or HSPUs.
What’s your least favorite movement? Definitely rowing. Or anything overhead. Or wall balls. Ok so it appears I have a lot to work on…
What is your favorite WOD or type of workout? Definitely anything long, and preferably a chipper. When you spend 80 minutes on a Saturday morning doing a hero WOD (Gaza), anything else seems doable.
What WOD or type of workout would you rather avoid but you know is good for you? Anything with heavy weights. Those are definitely the days I wish I could pack on some extra lbs.
What is your go-to post-WOD meal/snack/beverage? Pretty much anything I can get my hands on. It’s basically a Tazmanian devil situation. Since I’m back to morning classes at the moment, it’s a big breakfast for sure – eggs, bacon, coffee, etc.
What is your favorite movie? The Dark Knight
What is your favorite book? Paddle Your Own Canoe by Nick Offerman
You get to choose the music your class listens to this month! What is your favorite style of music, or who is your favorite musical artist? I pretty much like all styles of music, but during class it has to be something extremely fast and loud in order to get the adrenaline going and distract from the pain.
Do you have a favorite quote or words to live by? I don’t really have a favorite quote or anything like that. In general I think if you find something you can be passionate about, take advantage of the opportunities in front of you, and refrain from being a jerk to people you’ll probably lead a pretty happy and interesting life.
What is your spirit animal and why? Um…maybe a badger? Because, well, Wisconsin I guess.
Finish this sentence. I’m passionate about…LIFE! And pizza.