11.30.2012

December Athlete of the Month


Congratulations Sam B!
 
Hometown: Wilton, CT

Current Location: I live in Center City Philadelphia but work out on the main line.

Age: 36 Occupation: Mezzanine Lender - basically I lend money to cash flow positive companies and take a small ownership position.

College: Brown University undergrad, Wharton MBA

How long have you been a Crossfitter? I think I officially became a Crossfitter when I joined KOP in September 2009 – my baseline was on one of the last days at Transaxle. Before KOP, I spent about a year or so playing around with Crossfit wods at my globo gym. One of my friends had been bugging me for years to give Crossfit a try.

 Did you ever play sports? I always played sports growing up – once I got to high school and college I focused on lacrosse. After college, my athletic career dried up – I spent too much time working and when I did make it to the gym it was mostly for the bicep curls and bench pressing.

What is your biggest achievement at Crossfit? If I had to say one thing it would be that I’m still hitting PRs three years after starting joining KOP. They may not happen as easily or in big leaps but with some hard work they still come.

What do you feel that you still need to work on? My list of things to work on is long but some of the highlights are… Strength – I need to get to the strength classes regularly and Overhead Flexibility – to say that my OHS form is poor would be a kind assessment.

 Goals for the rest of this year? Since the year is almost over, I am going to take some liberties with this question and make it about 2013. My goals for 2013 are i) continue to have fun with Crossfit ii) stay healthy and iii) contribute some scores to the team during the open.

What's your favorite WOD? I think the hero wods are awesome, not just because they are above and beyond the normal wod but I think the idea of remembering someone who sacrificed their life in service to our country is pretty powerful. Murph would be tops on my list.

What is the craziest insane workout outside of CF you have ever done? I save most of my workout insanity for Crossfit but I have gone on some pretty cool hikes – Mt. Whitney (CA – 14,505 ft elevation), Kings Peak (UT – 13,528 ft), Mt. Elbert (CO – 14,433 ft), Grand Canyon.

What’s your least favorite WOD? Probably Karen (150 wall balls for time) – I’m not sure how this wod was invented but most likely it was created during a late night bet between two drunk Crossfitters who picked a terrible movement and some silly number of reps to prove their machismo (in case you are wondering, this story may have been inspired by Vinny and Keith). Needless to say, I wasn’t too excited when Open wod 12.4 popped up (Karen + 90 DU + MU).

What’s your favorite lift? Power Cleans

What’s your least favorite lift? OHS – I’m envious of people who make these look so easy.

What skill do you want to work on in 2013 the most ? I’m usually playing around with a few gymnastic moves (planche push up is on my to do list) but I know I would benefit more from getting my form tighter on Olympic lifts and OHS.

What's your favorite foods, and snacks? I enjoy cooking so most of my meals I prepare myself. I don’t really follow one diet in particular (some paleo and some zone) but I focus more on eating cleanly and staying away from processed foods. I’m a big fan of cow shares so that usually means grass fed steak or burgers are on the menu. If I had to pick a last meal, it would be a Blendini from Rita’s Water Ice and a roast pork sandwich from Tony Lukes.

Whats your favorite piece of workout "gear"? My weight belt What you say is your biggest improvement since starting CF? When I first started coming to KOP I found myself focusing on comparing my results against other people. I think it’s a natural instinct in the beginning when you walk in and see the whiteboards covered with all these crazy times and max lifts. Over time, that’s become way less of a focus for me – I try to do the best that I can, have fun and hopefully the rest falls in place. I have found that there is no point in me wasting time on things outside of my control – it’s much more productive to focus on my own performance.

Who is your favorite coach? I’m going to go with Tim Pappas. I think he always does a great job of breaking down the movements and providing cues that stick in my head. He also coaches the CF endurance classes which are great – if you haven’t made it to one, you should.

Prs to mention…
Lynne – 221 reps
1 mile time trial on track – 5:37
Chelsea – rx+2 (19 rounds of every min. on the min./7 rounds for remaining time)
C&J – 235lbs

Goals Reached…
Sub 3 minute Fran
My mile time is faster than when I was in college

Thanks for the recognition as the Athlete of the Month. KOP is a pretty unique place – the box, Aimee and Jason, the coaches, the community and the events are all awesome. It’s a pleasure to be part of it.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sam you are the man - well well well deserved. Always enjoy working out and have learned a ton from you. Thanks
Byrnsey

Anonymous said...

Sam, you're a great crossfitter and a great guy to boot! Congratulations!

Brian R

Denise said...

Congrats Sam!! I am always amazed when I see your times or scores. You are an awesome athlete and probably the nicest person at KOP (sorry everyone). Keep up the good work and I can't wait to see how you do during the Open!

Megs said...

Congratulations, Sam! Well deserved honor as you always give 110% and are there to help, encourage and welcome other athletes.

steph v. said...

you totally deserve this. so glad to know you. Congrats!!

Mike P said...

Woot!!!! Congrats Sam!!!!!

Olan said...

Congratulations Sam! Well deserved!

Watching you do butterfly pull-ups in one of my first WOD's was humbling.

Wax said...

Congrats Sam!

Chris P. said...

Sam O! Way to go buddy!
Your work ethic, genuine good-natured attitude and demeanor, and intelligence make you one a force to be reckoned with. This is a very well deserved honor and I'm glad people got to know more about you, especially since you have the discipline to not have facebook.

(Btw, I have to disagree with Denise. I think SHE is the nicest person at the box. But I do think you have a great sense of humor with your Vinny/Keith line.)

Sarah J. said...

Yeah Sam!!! I love seeing you at the gym! You truly are our very own Superman!! You are always so humble, and then you just destroy the WODs. You definitely deserve AOTM!

Jen Naspinski said...

Congrats! I have enjoyed looking at the times on the board for the whole day and then throwing a ridiculous random goal out for you during the 630 WOD. What's even more ridiculous is that 9 times out of 10 you beat it - I'm in Denise's camp.

Maybe Denise could be the nicest female and Sam be the nicest male?

Keep kicking serious booty!

Paul S said...

Congrats my man! Couldn't think of anyone who deserves it more. Keep up the good work.

Joy N said...

Contests, Sam!

Joy N said...

I mean congrats!

TP said...

In honor of Sam not having fb, JNa's comment should have a like button. Congrats Sam you earned it.

Anonymous said...

Great interview, Sam. You are one cool guy...kind as well.

Unknown said...

Congrats Sam! You definitely deserve this! I have to agree with everyone so far, you are definitely one of the nicest, most humble guys at the gym. I love it when we are in the same class!

Jen Naspinski said...

Looks like we need the Crossfit KOP pony awards, similar to what is in high school yearbooks. You know, Most Likely to Eat Fast Food, Biggest Chalk User, Most Likely to Rx+, Best Snatch, etc.

Jason Lyons said...

Jna, consider it done for festivus.

On a for real note...such an amazing dude and super supportive. I am proud if you and happy that you are a member.

FYI, two ivy's...not too shabby mister smarty pants.

My answers to jens questions:

Me
Miranda
Vinny
Aimee

Keith B said...

Congrats Sam!!! I'm def going to get together with Vinny and come up with some ridiculous WOD now!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Congrats Sam! inspirational and well deserved.
such an honor from a great place like crossfitKOP

Heather

Gina Spinelli said...

Congrats Sam!!

Miranda said...

Sam B!!!!!! love your positive attitude at the box! Im always happy to see your face in class and wod beside you. You are a superman and don't you ever forget it! very well deserved. Keep up the good work and keep smiling!

Anonymous said...

Congrats, Sam! You are such an amazing presence with your athleticism and wit. You are so focused and determined, you will make your 2013 goals.

Kim G

Sooki said...

Congrats, Sam!!! I figured you'd be AoM some point soon. You're a beast in the box and I love how there is a "+" next to your results on some of the crazy WODs.

Oh, and thanks for visiting the shop. Sorry I missed ya!

Anonymous said...

Patrick said...

Congrats Sam. We have all learned a lot from your drive, commitment and focus. Very well deserved!