PUHI — Nani Tacub has done things she never thought she could do. Jacob “Smilie” Punzal, one of two lead coaches at Au Rai Fitness in the Puhi Industrial Park, knows this because he trains with Tacub, fast becoming an
PUHI — Nani Tacub has done things she never thought she could do.
Jacob “Smilie” Punzal, one of two lead coaches at Au Rai Fitness in the Puhi Industrial Park, knows this because he trains with Tacub, fast becoming an elite athlete.
“Her papa was a marathoner, and her grandma was also a marathoner,” Punzal said. “Sunday, she was on the front page of the local paper as a finisher in the Kauai Marathon.”
This is something she never thought she could do when she came in, Punzal said. But she, along with about 30 other Au Rai Fitness members, ran their first Kauai Marathon, and everyone finished safely.
But there’s more.
Before the Kauai Marathon, Tacub was also part of the 86-member team which took part, and earned medals, in the world’s first Spartan Trifecta Race on Oahu, Aug. 16-17.
Au Rai Fitness, organized by Punzal and Kaela Wold, was one of the larger Hawaii-based teams participating in the two-day event at Kualoa Ranch, Monika Mali wrote in an email.
The Reebok Spartan Race is a professionally designed race course with mud and signature obstacles designed to physically and mentally challenge athletes. The course on Oahu was noted as one of the most challenging courses in Spartan Race history due to the terrain and trail run design, packed with obstacles which included 10-foot wall climbs, rope climbs, tire pulls, cement block carries, military crawls under barbed wire, climbing through upstream creeks, and miles of up-and-downhill terrain.
So it was a bit different than your standard marathon.
“The Au Rai Fitness Team members completed several months of strength and conditioning training to prepare their minds and bodies for this grueling feat,” Punzal said, who trains members using a wide range of functional fitness elements that can be scaled to a person’s ability level. “While the Au Rai Fitness race finish times were very impressive, what was phenomenal was how they epitomized and defined teamwork.’ Many of the team members faced dehydration, cramps, exhaustion and injuries, but with the teamwork and ohana mindset FLOWing, each and every team member more than earned, and received a Spartan medal.”
Au Rai Fitness placed fifth out of 59 teams in the Beast Race, a 15-mile trail run with more than 15 obstacles.
On the second day, Au Rai Fitness ran back-to-back races, finishing third of 83 teams during the Super Race of 10 miles and more than 20 obstacles, and earned third place of 100 teams in the Sprint Race of five miles and more than 15 obstacles.
“This was a very challenging obstacle course,” Punzal said. “There were, unlike the Kauai Marathon, a very limited supply of water and participants had to deal with dehydration and cramps.”
Au Rai Fitness is centered around circuit training and functional living, which is defined to mean that each workout is total-body based and geared to ensure functionality within one’s daily life.
And it’s meant for all ages to enjoy. A new program at the gym is aimed for parents and their kids.
“I used to coach soccer and T-ball,” Punzal said. “Parents used to drop off their keiki and the rest was up to the coaches. Now, we started a keiki-parent class where keiki from 5 to 11 years old train alongside their parents. It’s not about the coaches, it’s about building strong family relationships.”
Punzal said the inspiration for starting the keiki parent training program is to bring healthy lifestyle into the family while supporting family relationships. In addition to The Kauai Marathon, his group is preparing, for the second time, to participate in the Color Run, Oct. 18 benefiting the Kapaa Middle School Ukulele Band and Choir. Following that event, Au Rai Fitness sets its sights on the annual Sugar Mill Run, Nov. 15, hosted by the Rotary Club of Kauai.
“We start together, motivate each other throughout, and finish together,” Punzal said.
Info. www.auraifitness.com
